Security Officers win historic victory as Kaiser Permanente ousts irresponsible contractor

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Examiner

by Ron Moore

Security officers responsible for protecting patients and staff at Kaiser Permanente medical facilities nationwide won a major victory over an irresponsible security contractor after a three-year struggle where officers seeking to join SEIU faced threats, intimidation and termination for union support.

Kaiser Permanente replaced the irresponsible contractor, Inter-Con, with a new contractor called Securitas, a company that is union in many industries and client sectors throughout California.

"We are thrilled and relieved that Inter-Con's scare tactics that we've endured for over three years will finally come to an end,” said LaRhonda Lynch, a security officer at the Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center. "Now we can decide for ourselves to join with SEIU so we can raise standards and improve security at our facilities."

Since November 2005, 1,500 Inter-Con security officers in California have been working to improve security and working conditions by forming a union with SEIU. They are the only workers at Kaiser--either direct employees or subcontracted--who do not have a union. The new contractor, Securitas, has committed to hire the security officers that currently protect Kaiser's facilities and has previously ensured that other officers in California had a fair process to form a union with SEIU.


Read more: http://www.examiner.com/x-2071-DC-Special-Interests-Examiner~y2009m1d19-Security-Officers-win-historic-victory-as-Kaiser-Permanente-ousts-irresponsible-contractor?cid=exrss-DC-Special-Interests-Examiner

[Tikki]

1. Yeah...we are SoCal KP patients and

this is the kind of progress we like to hear about.


The Tikkis