In
California, the battle lines are drawn as Kaiser workers prepare for a massive strike
next week.
On one
side are 23,000 Kaiser workers. Last week, NUHW
notified Kaiser that 4,000 of its members plan to strike. One day later,
the California
Nurses Association (CNA) said its members will walk off the job with NUHW’s
members. And on Monday, Tasty learned that nearly 2,000 members of Stationary Engineers Local 39 will also
honor the first statewide strike in Kaiser’s history.
So who’s
on the other side of the battle lines? You guessed it: Kaiser Permanente and SEIU. Kaiser, after
pocketing $5.6 billion in profits in the past 2 ½ years, is refusing to fix
serious short-staffing problems. Meanwhile, the company’s fat-cat executives --
like the bosses at Verizon -- are trying to use the recession as “cover” to ram
through deep cuts in workers’ health insurance and pensions.
Where’s
SEIU? Snuggling deep in bed with Kaiser’s bosses. According to multiple sources,
SEIU has already inked a secret deal with Kaiser to slash SEIU members’
benefits and pensions. In fact, Tasty hears that a top Kaiser H.R. official recently
confirmed his company’s deal with SEIU during discussions with one of Kaiser’s
unions.
SEIU’s
backroom deal -- like the ones that Stan
Lyles describes in this video --
helps explain why SEIU refused to whisper a word of complaint when Kaiser recently
slashed the benefits of 1,000 Kaiser pharmacists who’re members of the
Pharmacists Guild.
And it
also explains why SEIU is working overtime to undermine the three unions’ upcoming
strike -- just like it did in these
earlier strikes.
In
fact, Tasty hears that Dave Regan met last week with Kaiser execs and pledged
to stop SEIU’s members from honoring the strike. SEIU and Kaiser have become increasingly
nervous as thousands of SEIU’s members make plans to thumb their noses at Kaiser
and its company union, and then walk off the job with their co-workers.
Like a
two-headed reptile, Kaiser and SEIU have launched their latest “partnership”
project: a coordinated “fear” campaign
to try to stop SEIU’s members from joining the strike. Tasty hears that Kaiser and
SEIU are telling workers they’ll be fired or disciplined if they honor the
strike. Of course, that’s a heap of B.S. When workers ask them to put it in writing,
the threats melt away like snow in May.
Well, my
friends, this is quite a defining moment. Take a step back. The latest
developments in California tell quite a story about the various unions and what
they stand for. As Tasty’s grandpa always said, there ain’t nothing like a
strike to help clarify things.
The
old mineworkers’ anthem says it straight and simple like this: “Which
side are you on?”
