NUHW leaders speak in Seattle

SEATTLE--Nearly 100 people gathered at the Labor Temple on August 3 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. There were also speakers from UNITE HERE denouncing the SEIU's raid on their union.

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.

UHW leaders and members had protested that their home care worker members should have the right to vote on whether to stay in UHW, or become part of a larger statewide SEIU local. UHW also objected to SEIU's refusal to guarantee that members affected by contracts get a major say in negotiations.

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.

The NUHW representative was followed by speakers from UNITE HERE, who described the SEIU's raid on their union as part of a battle that began within the merged union. The raids have united many other unions against the SEIU International.

Most audience members were sympathetic to the NUHW and UNITE HERE. Brian, a retired public worker, said, "Just as important as increases in wages is a voice on the job. You can't have that if there is no union democracy."

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.

The opinion in the room however wasn't unanimous. About a dozen members of SEIU Local 775, which represents home care workers in Washington state, echoed the position of the SEIU International. These members had been flown to Fresno, Calif., to help 1,000 SEIU staffers and members prevent NUHW from winning a new certification vote to become bargaining agents for a local of home care workers.

This is also part of the pattern for the SEIU International. It brings in rank-and-file workers who don't understand all the issues to promote its agenda of corporate top-down unionism.

One of the Local 775 members echoed SEIU's position that UNITE HERE should agree to arbitration over the raids. The UNITE-HERE representative paraphrased union leader John Wilhelm's response: When a burglar steals everything you own, you don't ask an arbitrator to decide how to split the loot between you and the burglar.

Besides the Local 775 members, only one SEIU member spoke. He opposed SEIU's attacks on UNITE HERE and Andy Stern's corporate unionism, but noted that SEIU had passed a gag rule on members supporting decertification of SEIU locals in cases where they are being challenged by the new NUHW.

Most people left the meeting more committed than ever to trying to restore democracy and a fighting spirit to the labor movement.