Oakland, Calif.—The following statement was issued today by the National Union of Healthcare Workers:

“In less than five weeks, 91,000 healthcare workers have petitioned to quit SEIU and join NUHW, repudiating the corrupt and undemocratic practices of SEIU’s appointed officials like Dave Regan and Eliseo Medina.

“It’s no surprise that SEIU has resorted to extreme measures—including threats, lies, and now baseless lawsuits—to lock healthcare workers into an organization where they have no voice.

“These acts of increasing desperation are turning SEIU into a laughingstock. SEIU is riddled with corrupt officials that President Andy Stern promoted and protected, like Tyrone Freeman, Annelle Grajeda, Rickman Jackson, and Byron Hobbs. SEIU is laying off at least 80 of its own staff, in part because of financial blunders like their failed efforts in California. But instead of addressing these problems and creating a union that workers would want to be a part of, national officials are trying to hold healthcare workers prisoner by wasting more of their dues dollars on frivolous lawsuits.

“No lawsuit will change the fact that tens of thousands of caregivers across California have rejected SEIU. Healthcare workers have the right to decide what union will represent them, and they’re choosing NUHW.”

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The National Union of Healthcare Workers is an independent, member-led union, dedicated to improving the lives of healthcare workers and the people they care for. NUHW is building a national movement of caregivers to hold healthcare corporations accountable to the public interest and win affordable, quality healthcare for all.