Here's the latest on the escalating
war between SEIU President Mary Kay
Henry and SEIU-UHW President Dave Regan.
Last weekend, Regan had SEIU-UHW’s
Executive Board approve a resolution that directly opposes the recent
decision by SEIU’s International
Executive Board to finally carry out its 2009 order to transfer SEIU-UHW’s 65,000
long-term care workers to SEIU Local
6434.
Instead... Regan's resolution calls for transferring more than
200,000 members out of Local 6434 and SEIU
Local 521 and into Regan's union!
Here's an excerpt from Regan’s resolution (a full copy is
below):
Therefore be it resolved that in the spirit of our union’s slogan “Stronger Together” the SEIU-UHW Executive Board calls for the creation of one statewide healthcare union in California that unites home care, nursing home and hospital workers…
Be it further resolved that SEIU-UHW strongly opposes efforts to divide healthcare workers in California because it would weaken all healthcare workers…
Be it further resolved that this resolution, expressing the strongly held convictions of the leadership of SEIU-UHW’s home care, hospital, Kaiser and nursing home members be distributed to the leadership of the International Union and to others within SEIU who care about the future of healthcare workers.
Regan’s resolution -- which has more contradictions than
Oxford's Unabridged Compendium of Oxymorons -- is the latest salvo in his war
with Henry and the SEIU International Executive Board.
More info soon about Diamond Dave's
copious contradictions.
Here’s Regan's resolution in its original and text-only format.
Resolution in Support of Unifying
Healthcare Workers in California
Resolution 15-15
Whereas, Harris vs. Quinn has created a “right
to work” environment for IHSS workers.
Historically, wherever local unions have been predominantly open shop,
their membership has declined steeply over time and the employment standards of
their members have suffered.
Whereas, SEIU-UHW members have worked
successfully to defend our union from mass decertification attempts because we
have united to support each other. Home care and nursing home members came to
defend Kaiser members in two elections. Hospital members signed up home care
members after Harris vs. Quinn, resulting in an 80% membership rate, and
Kaiser, home care, nursing home and hospital members all worked together to
enroll some 20,000 Californians into healthcare coverage.
Whereas, SEIU has always stood for uniting
workers within their industries, and healthcare workers have been united in New
York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota and
elsewhere. In the few examples where healthcare worker have not been united in
SEIU, such as California, it has been because of internal political, not
strategic, considerations.
Therefore be it resolved that in the spirit of
our union’s slogan “Stronger Together” the SEIU-UHW Executive Board calls for
the creation of one statewide healthcare union in California that unites home
care, nursing home and hospital workers to allow healthcare workers to:
·
Become stronger together in a movement that
will fight to ensure that no member of the healthcare team makes less than $15
an hour and that all healthcare workers enjoy a rising standard of living,
utilizing ballot measures, contract campaigns and unified political action to
achieve that goal.
·
Speak with one healthcare worker voice to
dramatically raise Medi-Cal rates to end the two tier healthcare system that
disproportionately underserves women, immigrants and people of color, resulting
in immoral racial, gender and economic disparities in health outcomes, and to
maximize job security for those providing healthcare to low-income
Californians.
·
Unite the resources of healthcare workers to
organize hundreds of thousands of healthcare workers in all segments of the
industry, including private home care, nursing homes, assisted living, medical
groups, acute care and outpatient care, while maintaining a super-majority
membership rate to ensure a continued strong voice for IHSS workers.
Be it further resolved that SEIU-UHW strongly
opposes efforts to divide healthcare workers in California because it would
weaken all healthcare workers and make the previously referenced goals
unachievable.
Be it further resolved that all SEIU California
healthcare members and the SEIU Healthcare Division should be given the
opportunity to discuss, debate and provide input into the decisions that impact
their future.
Be it further resolved that this resolution,
expressing the strongly held convictions of the leadership of SEIU-UHW’s home
care, hospital, Kaiser and nursing home members be distributed to the
leadership of the International Union and to others within SEIU who care about
the future of healthcare workers.
Presented:
March 2015
Adopted:
Amended:
SEIU UHW Executive Board Meeting
