United in SEIU-UHW, we have the strength to protect our contract, our pay, our retirement, and our voice in patient care. We are part of the largest and strongest union in the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions--100,000 union members at Kaiser all working to protect our hard-fought standards.

From Ingela Dahlgren, RN, Executive Director, SEIU Nurse Alliance of Calif.:

As a fellow union member, and a registered nurse for 38 years, I know how important it is for nurses to have a voice in our profession. That's why SEIU nurse members nationwide are united in the SEIU Nurse Alliance. Nurse Alliance members work together on improving the nursing profession and practice through education, political action and legislation, and organizing unrepresented nurses. Our statewide and national strength in SEIU are the key to our ability to make these improvements.

National agreement negotiations are just around the corner and now's the time to start thinking about our current contract, the national agreement, and our future in the 2010 negotiations. While our local contracts do not expire until 2011 for some and 2012 for others, our national agreement expires in 2010. The 2010 negotiations with Kaiser and the Coalition of Unions set the standard for all local union contracts.

Southern California Kaiser Permanente Heathcare Professionals and Psych-Social Workers

Unions will not accept groups who win elections due to "raiding"

Southern California Kaiser workers in the Health Care Professionals, Psych-Social and AFN (Sunset registered nurse) units could not be part of the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions or participate in national negotiations with Kaiser or in the Labor-Management Partnership (LMP) if they leave SEIU-UHW and join a new organization, the unions that make up the Coalition have determined.

The CKPU announcement reads, in part: "The Coalition will not support the application by any Union to join the Coalition or the (LMP) by virtue of gaining representation of Kaiser Permanente employees by raiding a constituent member union of the Coalition."

Health Care Professionals, Psych-Social Workers, Sunset RNs risk loss of up to $15,000 in pay, healthcare, pensions and other benefits

The economic well being of Kaiser members in the Health Care Professionals unit, the Psych-Social Chapter unit, and the AFN unit at Kaiser Sunset has been put in danger by a decision of a regional arm of the National Labor Relations Board. We have been told that we could soon be participating in an election to keep our union, an election triggered by former officials who were ousted from our union in January.