NLRB Upholds SEIU UHW as Union for 48,000 Kaiser Workers, Dismisses Bogus Petitions to Decertify

[Omaha Steve]

http://sev.prnewswire.com/government/20090409/DC9680308042009-1.html

SEIU UHW Kaiser Members Move to 2010 Bargaining Preparations


OAKLAND, Calif., and LOS ANGELES, April 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On April 7, the National Labor Relations Board officially dismissed a petition seeking to decertify SEIU UHW as the union representing more than 48,000 caregivers at Kaiser Permanente facilities stating that "the Feb. 26 petitions were clearly filed outside the appropriate window period and after the local and national agreements were reaffirmed for an additional two years, I find that a contract bar exists to the processing of these petitions."


The ruling protects SEIU UHW member contracts, wages and benefits, and ends any other organization's hopes of invalidating the contracts members won and ratified in 2005 and 2008. Last month, the NLRB also threw out a similar petition at Catholic Healthcare West, reaffirming contract and union protections for another 14,000 SEIU UHW members.


"I couldn't be happier with the NLRB's decision after all the months of harassment and deception by people trying to decertify our union," Diane Barton, SEIU UHW Chief Steward, Kaiser Santa Clara. "The government's decision just validates that we have a strong, secure union at Kaiser with SEIU UHW. Now it's time for us to get ready to bargain a great contract in 2010 together with the rest of the 26 unions in the Kaiser Coalition of Unions."

[pleah]

1. K&R Great news.