SEIU Continues With it's Half-Assed Ways

Like a bad case of food poisoning, workers at Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital (SVMH) are still feeling the after-effects of SEIU at their hospital. It turns out that SEIU not only agreed to cut 165 jobs at the hospital, they also allowed management to put another 40 workers on a two-week, unpaid furlough.

This latest secret deal was revealed days after the labor board finally certified NUHW as the workers' new union. The 40 furloughed workers run a coffee shop in the hospital's lobby area, and hospital execs approached SEIU about furloughing them because management wanted to change the coffee shop's equipment.

Even a half-assed union would oppose such a request. Think about single parents struggling to pay their rent, bills, etc who and simply can't afford to lose a half month's pay. Once NUHW was certified, rank-and-file leaders demanded details about the furlough deal, and hospital execs produced emails showing how SEIU staffer Lauren Sullivan signed off on the furlough deal for SEIU.

At the same time, SEIU began sending robo-calls to SVMH workers' phones, telling them that SEIU plans to fight the labor board's decision to dismiss SEIU's bogus efforts to challenge the election results (in fact, the board has now dismissed SEIU's charges twice). SEIU's robo-call included a shameless effort to gather workers' personal email addresses. It said something like: "We want to stay in touch with you, so please send us your email address and we'll automatically enter you in a contest to win a brand new car!"
If SEIU's trustees never delivered even half-assed support to workers in their jobs, do you really think they're gonna send you a new car???

Meanwhile, check out some of the press on NUHW's demand that the hospital, which made $14 million in profits during the last 14 months, reopen its decision to lay off 165 workers.

NUHW Victory at SVMH!

On Thursday, workers scored an important victory at Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital by overcoming months of SEIU's delay tactics and finally winning recognition as part of NUHW. Since May, SEIU has used one bogus legal maneuver after another to stop workers' election results from taking effect. Workers got fed up and began making hundreds of phone calls to the labor board to demand that their election be respected. On Wednesday, the labor board dismissed SEIU's latest appeal and on Thursday, it certified NUHW as workers' new union!

The action came none too soon. On Tuesday, SEIU staffer Lauren Sullivan (aka "Wicked Witch of the West") was meeting with management to talk through layoffs of 165 workers. Lauren is the same SEIU staffer who threatened workers with possible termination if they participated in a picket line in front of the hospital to protest the layoffs.

On Thursday, a crew of workers was meeting at a nearby Denny's to plan their next steps when they finally got the news of the board's action (that's them in the photo at the top). Some of the workers quickly got on the phone to tell SEIU Staffer Lauren Sullivan that she can no longer represent them in secret meetings with their employer.

And as for the Wicked Witch of the West? Tasty hears she ended up here.

Wicked Witch of the West

Here's a story that says it all. First, let's rewind our memories back to May. That's when 900 workers at Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital voted by a two-to-one margin to leave SEIU and join NUHW.

Soon after the election, SEIU filed bogus legal charges to stall the labor board from certifying NUHW as the workers' new union. As the labor board takes its merry time sorting thru SEIU's charges, SEIU continues to be the workers' authorized union and still collects workers' monthly union dues... even though SEIU provides zero support to the workers there. Awesome!

A couple of weeks ago, management announced plans to eliminate 165 jobs at the hospital even though it made more than $14 million in profits during the past year. SEIU didn't raise a whisper of opposition and, instead, sent former SEIU Local 521 staffer Lauren Sullivan to meet with hospital execs to plan the job cuts. (Here's more background on Beyond Chron.)

So... workers self-organized their own picket line to fight the cuts. When SEIU learned of workers' plans, they sent Lauren Sullivan back to the hospital to organize AGAINST workers' planned protest. Lauren scurried through the hospital telling workers they could be fired if they joined the picket line (FOR REALS, Lauren??). Lauren, who apparently is BFF with SEIU staffer Velvet Hazard, quickly earned the nickname "Wicked Witch of the West" due to her evil ways and Halloween-themed outfits.

Despite SEIU's scare tactics and misinformation campaign (sound familiar, Kaiser workers), on October 21 workers held a successful picket line that was covered in 3 newspapers and 2 TV stations. Check out this TV coverage on CBS news. And Lauren... you might wanna start researching your next career move here... http://www.tbglabor.com/ or here.

Salinas Valley Workers Vote for NUHW!

NUHW 408

SEIU 242

No union 13

...congrats to those workers!

Zombie trying "Flirt to Convert?"

Last month, many UHW members were shocked by the violent outburst of SEIU staffer Liz Castillo, who slapped an NUHW supporter--on video. Liz, reportedly, has "voluntarily left" UHW after her outburst. Now SEIU's Delaina Contreras (former Local 521 staffer) has been trying to get 'more bees with honey' at Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital, if you know what I mean.

Readers report that she has been "parading around the hospital in provocative clothing" and send flirty text messages to members.

Apparently, an NUHW supporter confronted her about her flirtatious ways and told her that if any of his friends vote for SEIU, it won't because of the issues--but because they like what she is wearing! Eek.

Reports also suggest that despite the come-hither approach of Delaina the workers are focused on real issues and are strongly supporting NUHW. The ballots will be mailed out on April 22nd.