Unions Continue To Spar Over Stalled Elections To Represent Kaiser Staff
On Wednesday, Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West said its rival National Union of Healthcare Workers refused to sign a so-called stipulation agreement that would set the stage for 45,000 Kaiser Permanente workers to vote in a union election, the San Francisco Business Times reports (Rauber, San Francisco Business Times, 7/14).
Background
In 2009, SEIU officials assumed trusteeship of UHW and removed its leaders amid disagreements over organizing and representing workers. The former UHW leaders started NUHW, and the two unions have competed for members since the split (California Healthline, 6/30).
Battling Over Election
NUHW originally petitioned for the election in June.
Steve Trossman, SEIU spokesperson, said National Labor Relations Board officials have given NUHW until July 22 to sign the agreement or its petition for elections will be discarded. He said that both SEIU and Kaiser have signed the agreement.
However, NUHW blames SEIU for the delay in scheduling a vote. It argues that NLRB can schedule the election without agreement from both unions (San Francisco Business Times, 7/14).
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