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Dear Friends, Yesterday, former Secretary of Labor, Ray Marshall -- the handpicked trusteeship hearing officer for SEIU President Andy Stern -- ruled against a hostile takeover of our union, UHW. This is the first time in history that an SEIU President's request to take over a local union has been denied. But, Marshall also supported a new ultimatum from SEIU to UHW to accept the forced removal of 65,000 nursing home and homecare members without a democratic vote, or face trusteeship within 5 days. This division of our union is only the first step; SEIU wants to split us north from south and public from private. Homecare, nursing home, Kaiser, and hospital workers need unity in UHW more than ever to stop Governor Schwarzenegger's devastating cuts to healthcare. The days to come will have incredible consequences for healthcare workers and the people they care for. To make sure you continue to receive updates about urgent actions and our growing movement for union democracy and quality healthcare, please join the independent SEIUvoice community by clicking the link below. Stern doesn't want UHW workers to control their own union because they have opposed backdoor deals with healthcare corporations that are good for Stern and employers but bad for workers and patients. Stern and Marshall ignore the voices of 120,000 UHW members who voted and signed petitions in opposition to the forced removal of nursing home and homecare workers without a democratic vote. Instead, Stern himself wants to dictate the union members' future. Under his plan, nursing home and homecare workers would be placed in a new entity operated by another Stern appointee, with no elected leadership. Last year, Stern began the trusteeship proceedings against UHW to justify a hostile takeover. Trusteeship would allow him to replace UHW's elected executive board with anyone he chooses. Though Marshall rejected trusteeship in his hearing report, we believe he went far outside his authority in allowing his ruling to be used in Stern's attack on UHW anyway. Stern's attempt to force nursing home and homecare workers into a new union was never before him to consider in the hearings. Schwarzenegger's cuts and the economic crisis make a strong
UHW more important than ever for healthcare workers and and
those who need their care. To stay involved in our
movement please join the independent SEIUvoice community by
clicking the link below: Sincerely, |
