Bay Area health union seeks vote on membership (conduct elections at 64 facilities)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.latimes.com/features/health/medicine/la-me-nuhw3-2009feb03,0,2438738.story

The National Union of Healthcare Workers asks state officials to conduct elections at 64 facilities where it says a majority want to join.

By Evelyn Larrubia
February 3, 2009

California's labor battle over who will represent tens of thousands of hospital workers will apparently be determined in voting booths at dozens of hospitals and nursing homes around the state.

The National Union of Healthcare Workers, formed last week by the ousted leaders of United Healthcare Workers West, on Monday asked state officials to conduct elections at 64 healthcare facilities where it says a majority of employees currently represented by Oakland-based UHW want to join the new group.

"Now that a majority of my co-workers has signed a petition to be represented by NUHW, we hope . . . UHW will walk away and leave us alone," said Shayne Silva, a psychiatric technician and shop steward at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, at a teleconference.

The Service Employees International Union last week removed the leaders of UHW after they refused to sign over 65,000 of their members to a new local that will be formed to represent home health aides across California. SEIU President Andy Stern installed two of his executive vice presidents, Dave Regan and Eliseo Medina as trustees.

"This is absolute irresponsibility and recklessness, and we are going to fight them every step of the way," Regan said.

Stern and Sal Rosselli, who until last week was president of UHW, have been in an ugly public dispute over organizing and negotiation tactics that has been unfolding over months.


FULL story at link.