Last Saturday, over 700 healthcare workers met in San Francisco to hold the official founding convention of their union, the National Union of Healthcare Workers, a new, democratic, member-led union founded in California.
Here's what the convention looked like:
And for those interested in what the founding of a democratic, member-led union reads like, here's the Full Convention Report. For a great rundown of the meaning the convention please read this great post at DSA's Talking Union by Carl Finamore.
In the spirit of May Day and the tradition of workers expressing their voices, I'd also like to bring your attention to an online program that was part of the convention. Hundreds of workers who could not attend our founding convention shared their support for NUHW by sending comments through our web site, and we posted all of their comments on a wall for everyone to read at our Founding Convention.
You can read a broad selection of these inspiring comments at the NUHW Member Blog at our website...and here's a very small sample below:
I can’t be at the convention but I support NUHW completely! Thank you for standing up for us as members and actually caring!
-Velvet Chamberlin, Stockton
This is a historic moment in the witness for workers’ rights and democracy. Union victories have never been easily won, but this is a battle worth fighting. Keep our union for the workers!
-Kathryn Kassem, Orchard MOB, Downey, CA
That NUHW continue to pledge to the rank in file to fight to improve the lives of our members and their families, contiune to make sure every member have a voice in decisions that affect them and our patients/ residents. Continue to ensure every member work in digity and respect and will not knowingly wrong a member or see a member wronged if it is in our power to prevent it.
-Brenda Washington, Grove Street Ext.Care & Living Center
The path of NUHW is not for the weak or faint of heart. It is won through due diligence, knowledge, action and the courage to stand up for your rights. Our path, Our vision, Our voice, Our Union
-Patricia Hardwick, Sonoma Co IHSS
There comes an opportunity in everyone’s lifetime to do something significant for future generations - NOW is the time to truly bring a DEMOCRATIC UNION to fruition. To get this done, we will have to make sacrifices and put in the time and work needed to succeed.
-Charlotte Scipioni, Woodland Hills
Inspired by our convention and recognizing important challenges ahead, NUHW activists are on the move.
Here's NUHW activists rallying to protest layoffs and employer collusion with SEIU at CPMC and Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in the last week:
And in Fresno, 100+ homecare workers packed a meeting to protest wage and benefits cuts and SEIU's failure to adequately represent them.
Fresno, Calif.—Over a hundred Fresno homecare providers packed the Fresno County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday to oppose an agenda item that would reduce their wages and benefits to $9.50 an hour. But they weren’t just there to protest the wage cuts—they also pointed to the repeated failure of their union, SEIU, to support them in stopping the cuts.
“SEIU just failed to stop a different set of cuts last week,” said Flo Furlow, a homecare worker. “Now the county wants to cut our wages even more, and this time SEIU isn’t even going to take it to arbitration. How many times can we let this happen?”
With elections upcoming in Fresno County and ongoing at Doctor's Medical Center San Pablo, NUHW activists are reaching out to progressives nationwide and asking for your support today.
You can be a part of the member-led, democratic movement represented by NUHW by joining us SIGNING UP at our website or by joining our growing FACEBOOK SOLIDARITY PAGE for the latest updates.
{Paul Delehanty is an employee of the National Union of Healthcare Workers.}