The following is from an SEIU press release on the latest in the more-than two-year battle between the purple behemoth and leaders of its former California mega-local.
GARDEN GROVE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–More than 300 workers at the Prime Healthcare-owned Garden Grove Hospital in Orange County have voted to remain in the Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW), handing another loss to the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW). The vote was 119 for SEIU-UHW to 98 for NUHW, with 5 voting no union.
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This is the second union election at a Prime Healthcare hospital where workers voted to stay in SEIU-UHW. In March, Prime Centinela Hospital Medical Center workers in Inglewood not only defeated NUHW but stood up to an intensive campaign by Prime to discourage workers from remaining in their union.
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This election is just the latest setback for NUHW since its founding more than two years ago. After 28 months and multiple strikes, NUHW has yet to negotiate a single contract for any hospital worker, and many of the workers they represent have faced a series of cutbacks and layoffs.
NUHW was created by former SEIU-UHW officials who were removed from office for misusing millions in union funds and violating members’ democratic rights. In April 2010, a federal jury ordered NUHW and its leaders to pay a combined $1.57 million in damages to the members of SEIU-UHW.
Frankly, the SEIU’s boastfulness is really somewhat amusing. Considering the SEIU’s multi-million dollar warchest devoted to beating the upstart union (compared to the much smaller resources of the NUHW), the NUHW only missed by 21 votes.
