Episode Information: Members of SEIU Local 6434 rallied this week for an independent investigation of financial improprieties involving local President Tyrone Freeman, who is currently on a temporary leave. Member Karen Linzy: “If our International President, Andy Stern, has this investigated, it probably won’t go well, and we won’t get any correct answers. If they covered for [Freeman] before, I’m sure they’ll cover for him again.”

Episode Information: Two of UHW’s elected rank-and-file Executive Board Members, were interviewed on the popular morning radio program, Uprising. Ella Raiford, a homecare provider in Sacramento County, and Robert Hernandez, from Kaiser Baldwin Park, let listeners know that only one healthcare workers union in California will build the power, raise the standards, and win the contracts our patients, children, and loved ones deserve.

Episode Information: Michael Rivera – an elected rank-and file-member of UHW's Executive Board and respiratory therapist at Tarzana Regional Medical Center – talked yesterday with Southern California's KPFK 90.7FM and members of SEIU Local 6434 on issues central to UHW members' struggle to reform SEIU. Listen to highlights.

Episode Information: We made history by mobilizing more than 6,000 members to protest SEIU’s attempt to split our union in half. Listen to an on the scene report about the sham SEIU hearing that ran on the KPFK 90.7FM evening news.

Episode Information: (This audio report aired on KPFK radio on May 6, 2008.) The battle over the direction of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) intensified today as the first in a series of hearings was held to determine the fate of more than 60,000 long-term caregivers who are members of United Healthcare Workers -- West (UHW). UHW represents 150,000 caregivers in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and home care throughout California. The hearings are a staged attempt by SEIU leaders in Washington to dismantle UHW -- the fastest growing local union in the country – by stripping the union of 60,000 plus nursing home and homecare workers without a fair, democratic vote. In March, approximately 97 percent of the long term care workers who participated in an election conducted by an independent third-party voted to remain in UHW and voiced strong support of their statewide union of healthcare workers. That mandate from UHW members is being ignored by SEIU. "I'm not going anywhere," stated Rosie Byers, a homecare worker for 30 years and member of the UHW Executive Board. "UHW is my union, because we are committed to democracy, member empowerment, and have a proven track record of winning great contracts and organizing the unorganized. We voted to remain in UHW, so all healthcare workers can stand together to raise standards for our patients and working families." UHW members have faced an unprecedented attack from their own parent union, SEIU, for advocating for reforms designed to make SEIU more democratic and accountable to its members. These proposals have been denounced by Andy Stern, president of SEIU, who favors top-down, big business unionism by making secret, behind-the-scenes deals that exclude rank-and-file involvement. "It's appalling that SEIU leaders based in Washington have retaliated against rank-and-file members and threatened the future of UHW, because we don't agree with their top-down approach," proclaimed Patrick Forte, a chief steward at Diamond Ridge Healthcare Center. "Members should lead the way and have final say in all collective bargaining, contracts settlements, and union mergers. We are trying to reform SEIU to reclaim our voice and ensure democracy." This latest attack on UHW comes just weeks before the SEIU Convention in Puerto Rico -- a meeting held every four years to establish the direction of the 1.7 million member organization to make amendments to the SEIU Constitution & Bylaws. UHW and its allies have submitted various convention proposals to reform the direction of SEIU by ensuring rank-and-file workers have a real voice in contract negotiations, mergers, and other decisions that directly affect them. More information is available at http://www.seiuvoice.org. The 150,000-member SEIU United Healthcare Workers-West is the largest hospital and fastest growing healthcare union in the western United States and represents every type of healthcare worker, including nurses, professional, technical and service classifications. Our mission is to achieve high-quality healthcare for all.

Episode Information: UHW President Sal Rosselli and Executive Board member Stan Lyles, a rank-and-file leader from Northridge Hospital Medical Center, recently appeared on “Building Bridges,” a labor-oriented radio program on WBAI 99.5 FM in New York City. The discussion centered around our drive to restore democracy to SEIU’s decision-making process so that workers can advocate for themselves and the patients they care for. Host Ken Nash tried to get Andy Stern to appear on the program and talk about why SEIU is becoming less democratic under his leadership, but Stern would not participate.

Episode Information: Five members of UHW sued SEIU today for violating their federal right to speak freely and to participate in union activity. The plaintiffs are: Rosie Byers, a San Francisco home healthcare worker; Ella Raiford, a retired nursing home worker; Martha Vazquez, a radiology technician in Stockton; Mell Garcia, a medical assistant in Hayward; and Michael Torres, a respiratory therapist in Los Angeles. They allege that SEIU and its officials, including President Andy Stern, have subjected them to behavior “designed to limit, inhibit and chill their exercise of their rights of free speech and equal participation as active members and advocates for democratic policies within their union.” Among the attacks on workers were repeated requests to take down www.seiuvoice.org, which was set up as a source of communication by and for union members. Reporter Max Pringle at Bay Area Pacifica radio station KPFA has this report.

Episode Information: Hundreds of members of United Healthcare Workers-West gathered at their Los Angeles union headquarters Wednesday and declared with one voice that they will not tolerate attempts by SEIU International officers to centralize power and subvert union democracy. The rally came on the heels of a similar gathering last Thursday at UHW’s Oakland headquarters; both events saw a massive turnout demonstrating the resolve of members to resist attempts by SEIU President Andy Stern to chill internal dissent, marginalize political opposition and thwart union democracy. Leilani Albano of Los Angeles radio station KPFK filed this report:

Episode Information: On March 20, UHW rank-and-file elected Executive Board members Stanley Lyles, Mary Corson, and Michael Torres took to the airwaves on Los Angeles radio station KPFA, joining host Henry Walton for an episode of "Labor Review." The three are among the more than 70 elected rank-and-file members of UHW's Executive Board, representing 150,000 health care workers in California. The Board recently passed UHW’s Platform for Change at SEIU.

Episode Information: On March 6, Bay Area radio station KPFA aired an extended interview with UHW President Sal Rosselli. He and veteran labor journalist David Bacon discussed the history of United Healthcare Workers-West, the struggle raging inside SEIU, and the differences between top-down versus member-driven unionism.

Episode Information: by Michael Torres, Respiratory Therapist and SEIU-UHW member. This is my report from the SEIU "townhall meeting" 2/26/08 in Los Angeles. Members are concerned that participation is limited to only 7 members per local -- not really a townhall style meeting where any member can voice their opinions.