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Why are we having an election?

It's our right under federal law to choose which union we want to represent us. 29,527 Kaiser co-workers in the service and technical unit signed petitions to join NUHW, and submitted them to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), and they just finished voting on October 4. Now, almost 2,000 more of us in the MSW, IBHS, and Optical units will get our chance to vote beginning October 18. The NLRB, an arm of the federal government, will run a government-protected, secret-ballot election[external link] so that we can make this choice for ourselves.

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What happens to our contract when we change unions? Do we keep our raises?

All of our raises and benefits are protected by law[external link] when we vote to join NUHW. SEIU has threatened us that we'll lose our raises and benefits. And Kaiser management tried to see if they could get away with taking back a raise from professionals and RNs who joined NUHW in January. But the federal government has used its strongest enforcement power[external link] to protect our raises and benefits. 

From United States District Court, Memorandum of Points and Authorities in Support of Petition for Temporary Injunction under Section 10(j) of the National Labor Relations Act:
 
"...Respondents [Kaiser] violated 29 U.S.C. Section 158(a)(5)...by committing unlawful unilateral changes by withholding and/or cancelling scheduled annual across-the-board raises, tuition-reimbursement benefits, and union-steward training programs for employees represented by the Union [NUHW]."

It is settled law that employees have the right to change unions, and that the terms and conditions of their contract stay in place. You can call the National Labor Relations Board for yourself at 1-866-667-6572, and ask them about our rights under the "More Truck Lines"[external link] decision.

See the Documents:

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Are our benefits safe under SEIU?

SEIU told us our benefits were safe. But they didn't tell us about the healthcare benefits takeaway committee[external link] they agreed to in our 2010 contract. The stated purpose of the Partnership health benefits committee[external link] is “researching, developing, and proposing specific and concrete options to control KP’s overall health care benefits costs.” SEIU agreed that the committee would be a “top priority for labor and management.” SEIU-UHW is now required to participate in the committee, and must make proposals by May 2011 which “must contain concrete options and plans that deliver cost-control results[external link]” and “must contain a detailed plan for advocacy to, and education of, our KP and Coalition constituencies regarding the consensus recommendations.” SEIU’s 2010 contract also allows Kaiser’s $242 million cut to our pensions[external link] to stand unchallenged, and doesn’t address staffing problems that mean we have to work harder for less. When we vote to join NUHW, we will bargain a contract between NUHW and Kaiser that addresses all of these concerns.

See the Documents:

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When’s the election? How do we vote?
The Obama Administration's National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is overseeing all elections for Kaiser employees. This includes nearly 2,000 Kaiser co-workers in the MSW, Optical, and IBHS bargaining units. The government will mail ballots to our homes on October 18.

Balloting for the 44,000-member service and technical unit began on September 13 and concluded on October 4.

Our votes will be counted by the NLRB. To make sure your vote counts, carefully follow the voting instructions you receive with your ballot from the NLRB. Here's how to vote for NUHW.[external link]

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What’s NUHW’s track record?

For more than 20 years, the current leaders and staff of NUHW helped Kaiser workers negotiate the best healthcare contracts in California and win the strongest representation at work. When NUHW’s negotiators helped us bargain our 2005 contract[external link], we got bigger raises, expanded our benefits, and never accepted layoffs. Kaiser workers who have joined NUHW have already won big gains on their most important issues. RNs at Kaiser’s biggest Southern California hospital joined NUHW and won 171 new jobs. Right now, NUHW RNs and Pros are bargaining a strong contract with Kaiser, starting with what they had under SEIU, and based on a bargaining platform that NUHW members voted on. More than 5,600 healthcare workers at 15 healthcare facilities have voted to join NUHW, most by a landslide. Hear how they've improved their jobs with NUHW.[external link]

See the Documents:

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Why did Kaiser workers form NUHW?

Kaiser employees formed NUHW so we could get our union back under our control, and stop SEIU from making side-deals with management outside our contract and behind our backs. Our local union at Kaiser was taken over last year by SEIU officials from Washington, D.C.[external link] They removed the Kaiser workers we elected to run the union, and removed hundreds of our union stewards, and took over our elected bargaining committee. After SEIU's Washington, D.C. officials took over, 29,527 of us at Kaiser signed petitions to form NUHW. We want a union that is accountable to us, where Kaiser co-workers vote on every important decision.

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Why is SEIU helping to cut our benefits?

The officials in charge of SEIU-UHW were sent from Washington, D.C. to take over our local union last year. Instead of advocating only for the interests of Kaiser employees, they want to be partners with Kaiser management. Because we no longer have a voice of our own, many Kaiser co-workers feel our union is weaker, and managers doesn't respect us anymore. SEIU has made side-deals that give management ways to get around the protections in our contract. Kaiser cut our pension, eliminated more than 1,700 positions[external link], and turned good jobs into insecure “flex” positions[external link]—but instead of helping us, SEIU union reps just give us flyers and tell us we should vote for them. Voting NUHW will bring back the strong union we built ourselves, with a track record of winning and protecting high standards at Kaiser.

See the Documents:

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NUHW says our benefits are safe, SEIU says we'll lose them. How do I know who to believe?

It is established law that workers keep the raises and benefits in their contract when they change unions. You don't have to take NUHW's word for it—ask the National Labor Relations Boardexternal link, the federal agency that is overseeing our union election. The NLRB has used its strongest enforcement powerexternal link to protect our raises and benefits.

While the government has consistently explained that our rights are protected, SEIU officials are talking out of both sides of their mouth.

They told Kaiser co-workers we were at risk—but in a 2009 union election between the SEIU and a union called EAA, SEIU told EAA members that the "current contract remains in place" and assured them they wouldn't lose benefits or negotiated raises when they voted to change unions. SEIU posted it on their own website.external link

See the Documents:

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