Healthcare workers protest SEIU’s illegal tactics in union election
Thursday, June 25, 2009 at 1:04PM Caregivers at Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital demand re-run
Hollister, Calif.—Caregivers at Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital are requesting that their election be re-run in light of SEIU’s widespread use of illegal tactics to poison this month’s election. Workers petitioned the Public Employee Relations Board for the election more than three months ago so they could quit the scandal-plagued SEIU and join the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW).
“SEIU completely crossed the line in this election and made it impossible to have a fair vote. We are filing objections to this election with the Public Employee Relations Board and are requesting a new and fair election,” said Patsy Myers, an Environmental Services worker at the hospital for 12 years. “SEIU told workers to bring their ballots to SEIU organizers and to vote in front of SEIU organizers in the hospital,” said Patsy Myers. “They should not be allowed to get away with this.”
California’s Meyers-Milias-Brown Act (MMBA) makes it illegal for a union to threaten, coerce or do anything against any employee for choosing a union or for participating or not participating in union activities. Despite SEIU’s violations, they were unable to win over a full majority of eligible voters.
Eleven votes could swing the outcome of the election. Based on SEIU’s illegal conduct, healthcare workers in NUHW are filing objections to the election and demanding the election be re-run.
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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. Nearly 100,000 workers in hospitals, Kaiser Permanente facilities, homecare, and nursing homes have petitioned to join NUHW since January, with 40,000 more expected to petition in the next few months.