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| SEIU-UHW's Dave Regan |
SEIU-UHW’s Dave Regan suffered an interesting smackdown
in a March 30 article featured in “Capital,” a New York publication (Dan Goldberg,
"Health
Union Split Complicates Nurses' Jobs Push,” Capital New York, March 30, 2015).
Remember how Regan
partnered with the California
Hospital Association in a failed effort in 2012 to roll back California's nurse-to-patient
staffing ratio law?
At the time, RoseAnn
DeMoro (Executive Director of the California
Nurses Association) said the following about Diamond Dave:
“It would be hard to imagine a more immoral and corrupt scenario than for a labor leader to be lobbying other unions to endanger patients on behalf of corporate hospital executives whose only concern is increasing profits.”
Well, this week’s article focuses on a similar split between
the New York State Nurses Association
and SEIU 1199 New York… but also
includes a fiery exchange between the CNA and Regan.
Here's an excerpt from the article. (FYI, the “Greater New York Hospital Association”
is the hospital industry's Chamber of Commerce in New York -- equivalent to the
California Hospital Association.)
The same tensions that are now developing in New York are present in California where SEIU United Healthworkers West strongly opposes the staffing ratios that [NYSNA Executive Director Jill] Furillo helped put in place, and uses much the same rhetoric as GNYHA [the Greater New York Hospital Association].
“Sadly, California's mandated inflexible nurse staffing ratios have not improved patient care,” Dave Regan, president of SEIU United Healthcare Workers West, said in an email. “…This short-sighted approach is completely at odds with recent innovations in healthcare, which have seen significantly better patient outcomes – at lower costs -- by utilizing a team-based approach."
Charles Idleson, communications director for the California Nurses Association said Regan's statement was “laughable, dishonest and misrepresented life in California."
"Pretty much everything he says is completely wrong,” Idleson said. “He hates nurses. He hates our organization. He has a partnership with the hospital association in California.”
Idleson said Regan's close working relationship with the California Hospital Association blinded him from doing what's right for nurses and patients.
“He has given up trying to engage in typical, traditional labor activity,” Idleson said. “His entire approach is to cut massive deals with employers that benefit the top tier of his union even at the expense of his own members.”
That same charge could be leveled at [SEIU 1199 George] Gresham and [GNYHA President Ken] Raske, who both believe cooperation serves their memberships better than knock-down, drag-out fights.
