Hundreds of Kaiser Workers Rally, Deliver 10-Day Notices
Two locations, two crowds, one message: SEIU-UHW members will resist all attempts by Kaiser management to force us to leave the company against our will. At twin events held outside the Kaiser Regional Offices in Pasadena and Oakland, hundreds of workers joined their voices as one to support delegations that delivered the first in a series of 10-day notices. We will picket across the State to demonstrate our opposition to management's plans beginning Tuesday, September 1st at events in Kaiser Sunset (Los Angeles) and Walnut Creek.
The rallies took place one day after the votes were tallied in our statewide, facility-by-facility vote to authorize pickets. The count was a landslide: 95 percent approved the plan to picket at Kaiser facilities across the state in September. SEIU-UHW members will picket over management's delivery of 1,350 individual position-elimination notices, an action that the union opposes and did not agree to.
Schedule for the First Week of Informational Picketing:
| When: Tuesday, Sept. 1.
11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
1505 N. Edgemont, Los Angeles
1425 S. Main St., Walnut Creek |
When: Thursday, Sept. 3.
11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
13652 Cantara Street, Panorama City
710 Lawrence Expressway, Santa Clara |
Read more: http://www.seiu-uhw.org/2009/08/hundreds-of-kaiser-workers-rally-deliver-10-day-notices.html
Workers Take a Stand at Washington Hospital
After working two years without a contract, SEIU-UHW members at Washington Hospital turned up the heat on management last week by holding an informational picket. Healthcare workers were joined by Fremont City Councilmember Bob Wieckowski to voice concerns about management's lack of commitment to the frontline caregivers who provide quality care to their community.
The picket follows months of slow, unproductive bargaining by hospital management that has blocked the worker's efforts to secure a new contract. Management has stalled negotiations and has offered little to the workers who make the hospital run. And while healthcare workers and their families struggle to make ends meet, senior managers at Washington Hospital top the charts in income in the surrounding area.
"It's just wrong that we've worked hard every day, for two years without a contract" said Mike Reeves, a Phlebotomist Tech. "Management has taken care of itself but left the employees out in the cold."
Continue Reading: http://www.seiu-uhw.org/2009/08/workers-take-a-stand-at-washington-hospital.html
Honor Kennedy Legacy, Pass Healthcare Reform
In the day following the passing of Senator Kennedy, the SEIU community salutes him for his five-plus decades of standing with working families to fight for our shared vision of America where every family has access to affordable healthcare, every worker has a paycheck that supports a family, and every child is guaranteed a brighter future. He spent his entire adult life, through tragedy and triumph, in pursuit of this America. Let us take action this year to pass healthcare reform. And let us continue to make Kennedy's vision for America a reality.
From SEIU President Andy Stern:
Senator Kennedy stood with SEIU members on countless picket lines and contract negotiations. He stood with millions of hardworking immigrants and SEIU members to call for comprehensive immigration reform in 2005. He stood with workers fighting for a voice on the job by championing the Employee Free Choice Act. And until his final days he stood with SEIU healthcare workers and other workers to win access to affordable healthcare for all Americans.
Read More: http://www.seiu.org/2009/08/making-kennedys-vision-for-america-a-reality.php
Country Villa Workers Approve New Contract
Workers at Country Villa Nursing Home have unanimously approved a new contract, which contains significant pay raises, benefit increases and retro pay. The agreement covers the 80 SEIU-UHW members who work at the facility in San Rafael.
"Our unity and preparation have paid off," said Juan Cayetano, a member of the bargaining team. "Our members can be proud of this contract and the work we did together to get the deal done."
Continue Reading: http://www.seiu-uhw.org/2009/08/country-villa-workers-approve-new-contract.html
HCA Members Moving Forward for a Strong Statewide Contract
Our member-elected statewide HCA bargaining team came together in Los Angeles last week to start moving forward for a strong contract with improvements to patient care, staffing, working conditions, pay and benefits, and more. Our contract expires in March 2010 and our statewide bargaining team is making sure everyone's voice is heard on setting bargaining priorities as they prepare to negotiate a great contract.
