|
|
Dear Friend, Nearly 8,000 UHW members and allies signed the SEIUvoice letter last week to send a powerful message against Governor Schwarzenegger’s cuts to homecare. But now, the very right of healthcare workers to unite for quality care hangs in the balance. Last Thursday, SEIU President Andy Stern issued an ultimatum to UHW to force the removal of 65,000 of our nursing home and homecare members against their will or face a hostile takeover as soon as Tuesday. SEIUvoice is calling on President Barack Obama and his nominee for Secretary of Labor, Rep. Hilda Solis, to protect UHW members by investigating SEIU for violations of our rights. Will you add your name to the letter by clicking below? It only takes a moment and can make a real difference: http://www.seiuvoiceaskobama.org With more than 150,000 members, SEIU United Healthcare Workers-West is the fastest growing healthcare union in the United States with a mission to achieve high-quality healthcare for all. For years, we spoke out to oppose backroom deals with nursing home and hospital employers in California. The deals were bad for patients and workers and would have made it hard to organize more healthcare workers to join our movement. But instead of allowing for a robust discussion within a diverse, democratic organization, Stern launched a multimillion-dollar campaign attacking UHW in collusion with employers. This morning, UHW’s elected executive board of nearly 100 mostly rank-and-file healthcare workers announced a decision to respond to Stern’s ultimatum with a measured and reasonable counterproposal. The counterproposal insists that healthcare workers have the right to choose their own fate through a fair, democratic vote. The proposal also protects the right of members to elect their own representatives and bargain their own contracts [1]. SEIU must be held accountable to the democratic rights of workers embodied by UHW’s counterproposal. President Obama and his nominee for Secretary of Labor Solis can protect these rights with an immediate investigation. Please sign SEIUvoice’s letter calling for an investigation now. It only takes a moment: http://www.seiuvoiceaskobama.org Sincerely,
|
