National Union of Healthcare Workers
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| Founded | 2009 |
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| Country | United States |
| Key people | Sal Rosselli, President |
| Office location | Oakland, CA |
| Website | http://www.nuhw.org |
National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW) is an independent labor union based in Oakland, California. It was formed in 2009 after a split with the SEIU United Healthcare Workers West. It represents a diverse spectrum of health care workers around the United States. In 2012, the union's leadership announced plans to explore affiliation with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.
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[edit] History
NUHW was founded in 2009 by former members of United Healthcare Workers-West, a local of the Service Employees International Union, after the local was placed in trusteeship by its international union. The local's membership and the international leadership were at odds over SEIU's organizing philosophy and the local's financial management.[1] NUHW soon organized thousands of health care workers who were previously SEIU members, as well as workers who were not then union members.
In February 2012, NUHW announced it was beginning the process of affiliating with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.[2] The IAM is a trade union representing about 700,000 aerospace, automotive, and other workers. It is an affiliate of the AFL-CIO.
[edit] Membership
NUHW has won elections to represent more than 9,000 healthcare workers in California and Michigan.[3] The union lost an election in 2010 to represent more than 40,000 Kaiser Permanente workers who in California, who are still SEIU members. However, in July 2011 an administrative law judge threw out those election results and ordered a new election.[4]
[edit] Philosophy
Many of the former UHW-West members who later formed NUHW accused SEIU leaders of operating the union with a "top-down" philosophy, where union staff leaders hold all the power, rather than members.[5] Critics in the broader labor movement agreed, noting, for example, SEIU's replacement of hands-on union stewards with a toll-free number.[6] By contrast, UHW-West had a reputation for empowering its members[7] and NUHW was founded along the same principles.[8]
[edit] References
- ^ Evelyn Larrubia "Split decision in hearing on home care workers union", Los Angeles Times (January 23, 2009)
- ^ http://www.nuhw.org/media/2012/2/21/nuhw-and-international-association-of-machinists-form-partne.html
- ^ http://sacramento.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2010/01/25/daily26.html
- ^ http://www.californiahealthline.org/articles/2011/7/19/labor-board-could-call-new-union-election-for-43500-kaiser-workers.aspx
- ^ http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/01/kaiser-permanente-health-care-workers-vote-to-split-from-giant-service-employees-international-union.html
- ^ http://www.counterpunch.org/winslow07132009.html
- ^ http://talkingunion.wordpress.com/2009/05/01/nuhw-founding-convention-new-prescription-for-a-healthy-union-movement/
- ^ http://www.nuhw.org/about/
