The County Budget: Why I voted “No”
Commentary by Roberta MacGlashen

Oakland, CA – For the members of the Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers-West (SEIU-UHW), a look back at 2009 reveals a successful year of reengaging members, settling contracts, and improving jobs, wages, and healthcare in spite of the economic crisis.

“This past year demonstrated the power of 150,000 members to make a significant impact on the lives of workers and the people for whom they care. SEIU-UHW members continued to make strides on many fronts, despite a terrible economy, a hostile Governor, and the need to repair damage done by previous leadership,” said Dave Regan, trustee of SEIU-UHW

SEIU-UHW 2009 by the Numbers
Settled Contracts Covering Workers at 21Hospital facilities, 42 Nursing homes, 5 Clinics, Home Care Providers in 2 Counties, 1 Strike at Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center resulting in strong, new contract.

Protecting Wages in a Bad Economy; 4.3% Average wage increase for SEIU-UHW-represented hospital workers for the first year of a contract settled in 2009, 2.3% National average wage increase for the first year of a contract settled in 2009, 2 Home care contracts that protect providers’ wages and maintain healthcare benefits despite the economy and the attempts by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to slash wages $2 per hour.

Reengaging SEIU-UHW Members; 1,700 Members participated in the October SEIU-UHW Leadership Assembly, 300 Member-leaders participating in the Union Wide Organizing Committee – four times the size of the old executive board and representative of all local members by occupation, geography, and division, 3 Meetings of newly formed Union Wide Organizing Committee, engaging member-leaders in planning the future of the union, including ongoing discussion of new bylaws and governance structures to bring the local out of trusteeship, More than $2 billion Federal funds to CA hospitals as a result of the hospital fee legislation SEIU-UHW members helped pass.

Saving Jobs; 2 Preliminary injunctions halting Governor Schwarzenegger’s efforts to dismantle home care by cutting hours and reducing wages $2 an hour, 21 Informational pickets at Kaiser facilities across the state after Kaiser management proposed position eliminations, 0 SEIU-UHW members who have lost a job as a result of Kaiser position elimination notices,

Demonstrating Strength in Unity; 68 Facilities with contracts settled in 2009, 0 Members lost in 2009, despite attempts by management and an organization formed by former local officials to decertify SEIU-UHW member.

SEIU United Healthcare Workers-West (SEIU-UHW) is the largest hospital and healthcare union in the western United States with more than 150,000 members. We unite every type of healthcare worker with a mission to achieve high-quality healthcare for all. SEIU-UHW is part of the 2.1 million-member Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the nation's fastest-growing union. Learn more at www.seiu-uhw.org.