On Wednesday morning of this week (Sept, 8), there was a big push at Kaiser Richmond to get more purple T-shirts in circulation. Even UHW-SEIU Kaiser director Greg Maron (pictured left with his BFF Amado David) was on hand personally to distribute them. Unfortunately, neither Greg nor the full-time staff rep assigned to the facility, DeJohn Williams, were able to take much time out of their busy campaign schedules to provide assistance to two EVS workers who were called into Human Resources and fired that very morning!A visitor approached DeJohn at SEIU’s literature table, outside the entrance to the hospital, and asked him about the status of these disciplinary cases. “You know, it’s hard to get fired at Kaiser,” DeJohn said, hinting that management might have acted with just cause. i.e. You got fired? ...Ah, you are probably guilty. Charming attitude for a staff member who should be on your side!
But rest assured. “I’m a winner,” DeJohn told the visitor. “We’re gonna win.” Win the contract grievances—yet to be filed--over the two dismissals? No, he was talking about next week’s NLRB election, not day-to-day representation of members, in the meantime.
Prior to joining the staff of UHW-SEIU, DeJohn spent more than 20 years as president of SEIU Local 265, which represents cemetery workers. Let’s hope these latest Kaiser discharge cases don’t end up dead.
