County Officials Back Union’s Resistance to Consolidation Plan
During a news conference on Wednesday, officials from Sacramento and Yolo counties voiced support for the United Healthcare Workers-West labor union's resistance to a proposal by the Service Employees International Union to reorganize it, the Sacramento Bee reports (Lewis, Sacramento Bee, 12/11).
SEIU, UHW's parent, is trying to consolidate Oakland-based UHW as well as SEIU Local 521, based in San Jose; and SEIU Local 6434, based in Los Angeles (California Healthline, 11/24).Â
The news conference was hosted by Jim Provenza, a Yolo County supervisor-elect, and Sacramento County Supervisors Roger Dickinson and Don Nottoli in an effort to support UHW.
The men urged SEIU leadership to reconsider their plans to weaken or dissolve UHW (Sacramento Bee, 12/11).
Members have until today to vote on whether they prefer a 300,000-member local representing all SEIU-affiliated California health care workers or a slightly smaller 220,000-member local representing long-term health care workers (California Healthline, 11/24).
Michelle Ringuette, an SEIU spokesperson, said the international union is looking to consolidate the three unions because of a 2000 decision to bring together workers in locals who do the same work (Sacramento Bee, 12/11).
Opposition
SEIU President Andy Stern has said the proposed consolidation would help members organize and gives them more fuel in negotiations with internal corporations and state governments (California Healthline, 11/24).
Critics of SEIU's plan, however, say the parent union tends to favor deals that increase membership at the expense of negotiations.
Future
SEIU's internal executive board will consider the mergers the first week of January (Sacramento Bee, 12/11).
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