National Union of Healthcare Workers leaders speak in Seattle

[Hannah Bell]

SEATTLE--Nearly 100 people gathered at the Labor Temple to hear representatives of the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW) explain why they had left the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and discuss the different model that their new union represents...The event was part of a speaking tour to win support for NUHW, with the theme of the evening being the importance of union democracy and rank-and-file involvement.

The NUHW representative explained the core of their new union used to a 160,000-strong local of SEIU, known as United Healthcare West (UHW), but members were forced to leave and form an independent union after the SEIU International put the local in trusteeship...

Today, NUHW describe examples of the SEIU International arriving at contract completely behind the back of the members. The International created massive locals of tens of thousands of members, and many are run by officials appointed by the International.

The SEIU justifies its methods with the claim that this is the only way for the union to grow. But this is part of a pattern in the SEIU that includes the International making agreements with corporations to "organize" new members that gives up membership rights--to strike or even to publicly criticize the company--as part of the bargain...One UNITE HERE member protested against the seizure of his local's strike fund during the SEIU raid. Former leaders of UNITE HERE colluded with the SEIU International to take the strike fund, which now puts workers at a disadvantage in coming contract fights.

Community and socialist groups as well as independent labor activists gave statements of solidarity and contributed money to help NUHW organize a more militant, democratic alternative to SEIU in the health care field.

http://socialistworker.org/2009/08/06/nuhw-forum-in-seattle