Health-care unions merge; wage fight against Kaiser

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5) Reduce the workweek to 30 hours with no cut in pay, and cut the retirement age to 55. Provide unemployment and retirement payments at We propose an EMERGENCY CONGRESS OF LABOR to discuss and 6) To combat inflation: A sliding scale of wages and pensions that match­ 1) Bail out the people, not the bankers! Open the account books of the es the rises in comsumer prices. To combat high medical costs: A free, banks to full public inspection. Nationalize the banks to be supervised by 7) Immediate citizenship for all undocumented workers. No job discrimi­ 2) No foreclosures! No forced evictions! Cancel usurious debt payments, nation; equal pay for equal work — regardless of gender, sexual orienta­ and reduce mortgage payments in proportion to their capitalist-caused 8) Nationalize manufacturing, big agribusiness, energy, and transporta­ 3) Full employment at union wages! An emergency public works program tion corporations and place them under the control of elected committees to employ all jobless workers and youth! Employ people to build what we need — low-cost quality housing, efficient mass transportation, cheap and 9) To mobilize support for the demands it adopts, the EMERGENCY renewable sources of power, schools, clinics — and to conserve our water, CONGRESS should organize ACTION COMMITTEES in every workplace and neighborhood threatened by the crisis. These committees can draw up 4) Immediate withdrawal of all U.S. troops and mercenaries from Iraq & Afghanistan! No war on Iran! Close all U.S. bases abroad! No money for 10) To put all these measures into effect, we need a LABOR PARTY — the military — use funds instead for public works! Convert the war indus­ based on a fighting union movement and all people who are oppressed tries to making products for people’s needs and to combat global warming.

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On Jan. 3, the CNA (California Nurses Associa­ tion) issued a press release to announce their fightback campaign against California’s large hospital chains such as Kaiser and Sutter Health. They were also announcing an affiliation agree­ ment with NUHW (National Union Of Healthcare Workers).

This is not a new relationship, as the two unions have worked together and conducted strikes against Kaiser Permanente in the past. The Kaiser health-care chain has made $6 billion in profits since 2009 and continues to demand job cuts and givebacks.

There was a time when NUHW was part of SEIU. They were SEIU 250, and then SEIU/UHW (Unit­ ed Healthcare West)—one of the largest and most powerful health-care unions in California. Sal Roselli led the union in criticizing SEIU Interna­ tional President Andy Stern on issues of internal democracy and too many concessions to manage­ ment in national union contract settlements in return for “union growth” agreements. UHW be­ lieved that fights could be won with greater mili­ tancy and member involvement.

In return, Andy Stern started laying the ground­ work for seizing the headquarters of UHW. Stern—who had been rapidly moving towards running SEIU like a corporate board, cutting pro-management deals and only consulting with a select group of the International Executive Board—was now faced with something he had never seen before. UHW mobilized rank-and-file members to actively resist the hostile takeover. They sent Stern a public letter (printed in The New York Times) asking for “respect for legitimate and principled dissent” and claiming that trusteeship of their local “would show that internal democracy is Editor: Michael Schreiber Canada Editor: Barry Weisleder designed, and laid out entirely by volunteer labor.

­— $37 for two years Name Address City State Phone E-mail Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images not valued or tolerated in SEIU.”

On Jan. 27, 2009, 100 elected leaders of UHW were removed in Stern’s imposed trusteeship. Not caught unaware, they immediately formed NUHW. CNA con­ tinued their close relationship with NUHW, and then SEIU launched attacks on both unions. Some of the attacks were violent. They culminated in a near riot at the 2008 Labor Notes Conference when a busload of SEIU members crashed through a crowded room to try to stop CNA’s Executive Director Rose Ann De Moro from speaking—ostensibly because she was a union Zip • Ashland, Ore.: [email protected] • Boston: [email protected] (781) 630-0250 • Carrboro, N.C.: (919) 967-2866, [email protected] • Chicago: P.O. Box 578428 Chicago, IL 60657, [email protected] • Connecticut: (860) 478-5300 • Duluth, Minn.: [email protected]. www.thenorthernworker.blogspot.com • Kansas City: [email protected] (816) 221-3638 • LOUISVILLE, KY.: [email protected], (502) 451-2193 • Madison, Wis.:

[email protected] • Mankato, Minn.:

[email protected] • Minneapolis/St. Paul: (612) 802-1482, [email protected] • New York City: (212) 781-5157 buster. De Moro was speaking through a video hook-up and was not even in Detroit.

In 2010, after Andy Stern resigned in the middle of his term, Mary Kay Henry announced that she would run against Andy Stern’s endorsed can­ didate, Anna Burger. When I heard Henry speak about why she was running and her vision for SEIU, she stated, “To restore our relationships with the rest of the union movement and our progressive al­ lies.” That is the phrase that brought the rank and file to their feet.

I never met a rank-and-file member who liked or respected Andy Stern. He was always “the guy who held that press conference with Walmart corporate executives.” And no one was surprised when he ac­ cepted a paid position on the board of directors of the biochemical company SIGA, owned by billion­ aire Ronald Perlman’s private equity firm, after he resigned from SEIU.

In some areas of the country President Henry has restored relations with other unions. But California is not one of them—specifically at Kaiser Perma­ nente, where there is now a united fightback alli­ ance between CNA and NUHW. But SEIU/UHW Kai­ ser workers are also in a contentious election. The NLRB has scheduled an election for 43,000 Kaiser workers to decide whether to remain with SEIU/ UHW or to join CNA/NUHW.

There are SEIU locals that have an empowered rank and file. They exist in areas where dissent is allowed, and where they have used an organizing model, not a servicing model, to keep members involved. They have histories of strikes and have hated the vision of a cor­ porate structure for SEIU. They want Mary Kay Henry to complete her campaign promise so we can all unite and fight. Meanwhile, we should all be watching the two unions who will be uniting to fight back against the real enemy—Kaiser management. n • Philadelphia: [email protected] • Portland, Ore.: (503) 233-1629 [email protected] • Providence: [email protected] (401) 592-5385 • Salem, Ore.: [email protected] • San Francisco Bay Area:

P.O. Box 10328, Oakland, Ca 94610 (510) 268-9429, [email protected] • WASHINGTON, DC: [email protected], (202) 286-5493 National Office

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