One more crack in the Big Purple Dam...
SEIU officials forced to abandon election after failing to win any supportThe voters down at LosAl did exactly what had to be done - deliver a resounding victory for NUHW.Hospital Housekeeping Systems (HHS) workers at Los Alamitos Hospital voted 35-to-7 to form a union with NUHW, despite an aggressive effort by another union to stop them.
“I’m overjoyed that we finally have a voice to protect our jobs and our families,” said Matilde Garcia, an HHS worker and member of the organizing committee. “And I’m proud that we stayed united and chose a union that respects its members and is run by healthcare workers like us.”
The scandal-plagued SEIU, widely condemned for its attacks on other unions, had tried to intervene. After the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) rejected SEIU’s attempt to block the election by filing frivolous legal charges, SEIU tried to compete in the election—but abandoned their effort last week when they failed to win any support from workers.
Even though SEIU represents many other workers at Los Alamitos, SEIU members actually supported the housekeeping workers in choosing NUHW.
“SEIU never intended to represent the housekeeping workers,” said Letty Marquez, an SEIU-represented lab tech at the hospital. “They just want to stop everyone from joining NUHW. It’s sad that instead of helping members, SEIU is wasting our dues money standing in the way of workers who want a union voice.”
NUHW was founded in January, in the wake of SEIU’s hostile takeover of California’s healthcare union. Since then, more than 100,000 healthcare workers—mostly current members of SEIU—have petitioned for elections to join NUHW. Today’s election at Los Alamitos Hospital was the first election to be scheduled by the NLRB.
It sure was nice of the Plague to try to bag on Randy Shaw for his latest article calling BS on their claim that NUHW was "falling apart at the seams." What was especially nice was their dig at these workers who freely and without coercion joined NUHW instead of Zombie UHW, and described their decision as "about 80 workers vote for NUHW this week in uncontested elections at two small facilities."
You stay classy, Purple Plague.
Props to the folks down at LosAl, and props to the staff and administration of NUHW. Let's keep the ball rolling, folks.
NUHW is beginning to show that the purple plague is not invincible. On the contrary, SEIU is nothing but a big bully who trys to intimidate healthcare workers. If this tactic is not successful then the purple plague resorts to making backroom deals with employers, and this low down Machiavellian tactic results in take-aways for workers. Benefits are lost or cost is drastically forced on workers who can barely make ends meet. This is the purple plague's strategy for growing their membership. All SEIU is really interested in is taking your dues so that Andy and his cronies can maintain their lifestyle
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