UHW members' contract far surpasses the low standards agreed to by SEIU Local 6434, where Andy Stern’s handpicked trustee has made top-down agreements that give up workers’ rights. This victory shows that unity and member democracy—not backroom deals—give healthcare workers the strength to win for ourselves and those who need our care.

UHW members rally for fairness at Centinela

UHW members at Centinela Hospital Medical Center in Inglewood held a rally in front of the hospital on Dec. 18 to demand a fair contract and to protest the harmful business practices of Prime Healthcare Services (PHS). UHW members from Garden Grove Hospital and Encino Medical Center came out to support members at Centinela. They were also joined by community and elected leaders: Mayor Roosevelt Dorn of Inglewood, Inglewood City Council Member Danny Tabor, a representative from State Assembly Member Curren Price, and Minister Tony Mohammed.

PHS, owned by Dr. Prem Reddy, is the fastest growing for-profit health system in California and routinely takes over hospitals, cuts staff and services, and double-bills patients as a way to finance future hospital takeovers. This practice prioritizes profit-making over patient care and is a serious threat to healthcare standards in communities across California. The rally also launched a public education effort to support legislation that would require the Attorney General to review the sale of community hospitals to for-profit companies, to assess their potential impact on the delivery of care.

Candidates endorsed by UHW win hospital seats

Four candidates supported by UHW won election to the Tri-City Healthcare District board on Nov. 4. They are Rosemarie Reno, Charlene Anderson, Kathleen Sterling and George Coulter. UHW represents 500 workers at Tri-City Medical Center in Northern San Diego County, the public hospital governed by the board.

Shining a light on Daughters of Charity

On Dec. 17, UHW members at Daughters of Charity facilities held candlelight vigils to call on management to return to the bargaining table and negotiate in good faith. It’s time for the Daughters of Charity to agree to standards achieved at Kaiser and Catholic Healthcare West. The candlelight vigils received great support from elected, religious, and community leaders. Even though the State Legislature held an emergency session to deal with the budget crisis, elected officials sent representatives to support our campaign to win a fair contract. Attendees included: Santa Clara County Supervisor Dave Cortese, Former California State Assembly Speaker Pro Tem Sally Lieber, a representative of California State Senator Leland Yee, a representative of California State Assemblymember Anna Caballero, a representative of California State Assemblymember Paul Fong, a representative of San Jose City Councilmember Kansen Chu, San Mateo Central Labor Council President Linda Gregory, Pastor Wilson de Ocera, and the Rev. Carol Been.

After five years, a contract in Chico!

After more than five years of work, UHW members at Enloe Medical Center in Chico have ratified their first contract. The bargaining team at Enloe reached a tentative agreement with hospital management Dec. 2 after more than a year and a half of negotiations.

The new contract will include wage scales for the first time at this hospital, average wage increases from 22 to 52 percent over four years, and fully employer-paid health coverage for workers and their families. It will also include a standard grievance and arbitration process, and staffing and patient care committees that give workers a voice in improving patient care. The patient care committees include third-party mediation to resolve disputes.

Workers at Enloe first began their effort to form a union with UHW in 2003. After voting for representation in 2004, the hospital’s then-administrators challenged the election results, losing at every step of the legal process until they ran out of options in early 2007. Management then stalled and obstructed bargaining until a new CEO agreed this year to work toward a more productive relationship with the union.

Boycott prevails in SEIU’s sham vote

The votes are counted, and the results are in: union members overwhelmingly boycotted and actively opposed SEIU’s sham election.
 
UHW members delivered over 125,000 protests to SEIU’s election officer on Dec. 11 in opposition to Andy Stern’s sham vote on local union jurisdiction for healthcare workers in California. We stood up against the false choice between two bad options: tear 65,000 members out of UHW, or dissolve our union completely. In the end, just 25,000 out of 309,000 eligible members from three different SEIU locals cast ballots endorsing either choice.

UHW members gain skills in Education Department classes

Over 200 member-leaders attended Core Steward Training Parts 1 and 2 this fall in classes held in Los Angeles, Oakland, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Jose, Napa, Santa Rosa, Vallejo, Antioch and Vacaville.

Nearly 200 members attended continuing-education seminars this fall. Classes were held across the state from Oakland and Sacramento to Los Angeles.

Thirteen members completed Advanced Cardiac Life Support classes; 38 completed Basic and Intermediate Spanish for Healthcare Workers; 24 completed Phlebotomy; 7 completed Pediatric Advanced Life Support; 39 completed Dealing with Difficult People; 13 completed Pediatric Emergency Assessment, Recognition, and Stabilization; and 54 completed Nutrition classes.