..Yes, I'm Back. And I am not happy...

Hi! I've been away for a while, but now I am ready to tell folks what is going on in my world...
Last Monday and Wednesday, I had the opportunity to talk to the SEIU representative assigned to WHC. I told her that we, as workers, had many issues involving failures by management to follow the terms of our collective bargaining agreement. We have many scheduling, assignment, and other worksite issues that need to be addressed and corrected. We, as employees, all know of decisions that managers have made that are just WRONG.
To this end,I met with the SEIU representative assigned to our facility. I talked to her about the need to set aside our SEIU/NUHW differences and work together for the good of the members. I told her that if she would be willing to be more available to work with our job stewards in terms of grievances, Committee meetings, etc. that I would keep her apprised of what we need and when we need her.
I also told her that I would no longer distribute information regarding NUHW at the facility.I wanted her to understand that I would work as a steward representing our contract, and only our contract, on matters involving union issues.

In the light of the current division in CHW facilities, including our own, regarding who is vs. who should be representing us (over 70% of our members signed petitions requesting a change of representation - a change that, by the way, could have been done by CHW without us having to wait for a vote), I felt that it was important to work with them (SEIU) ASAP.
There's a lot at stake here.
Our meeting seemed to be productive, and we were heading towards and understanding that would us focus on the work that needed to be done in the Hospital and Clinic.

Then the ball dropped. A dealbreaker was put in the mix. I was told that from this point on any of the stewards that has anything to do with NUHW or those working with NUHW will be removed as stewards in their facilities. I reminded her that any meetings that I or any other steward attends on our time is OUR business. Telling us who we can associate with is out of line and out of bounds. Period.
I will continue to meet and associate with who I please, as long as it is not against the law.

I was willing to forgo communicating with NUHW staff in order to build on a working situation with our SEIU representative -
what a letdown.

Now I've decided to sign up for the NUHW founding convention, and yes, I had dinner with our former union rep, Lydia, this evening.
So, I fully expect to be relieved of my position as job steward some time soon. I am not trying to "call their bluff", I am just doing what I believe is right.
I was already told that Celeste, Elaine and I could no longer go to contract bargaining, even though we were elected by you, the membership of WHC. Over 90% of the members of our contract bargaining team have been told the same thing - no return to bargaining. We are being kept away. This is the same team that Bargained raises of 7% for most of the CHW employees, while in other places SEIU was "proud" to get half (or less) for members.

* A Question-- why did the majority of our bargaining team not go to the last two sessions? We were upset about the way that the barganing was going to be handled. We knew that the people put in charge of the actual back-and-forth negotiating were not ready. We asked them to wait, they refused. We told them how we felt about that, they accused us of "boycotting" the sessions. We did not boycott the sessions - we boycotted the SEIU negotiating team. We just had no confidence in them.

SEIU is planning to hold new bargaining team elections at all facilities, including ours. Our names ( the 2008-09 team, the one that worked to obtain a contract with great improvements, especially considering the economic situation) will not be on the ballot.

If you choose to write in our names, they will not count your ballot. Your vote WILL NOT COUNT. Even now they are trying to find out which one of you will accept a position on their new bargaining team - hand picked, on their terms.

Do Elaine, Celeste and myself a favor - write us in anyway. Demand that your vote count. Give us the opportunity to finish what we started.

I would just love to hear the sound of their angry butts puckering...

More Later,
Joe the "coffee guy"