This article is reprinted from the Speak Out Now healthcare newsletter at Highland Hospital in Oakland, CA.
Alameda Health System (AHS) workers are sometimes frustrated by the bureaucracy of their union SEIU, and talk about how it would be better to have a more democratic process. Workers dislike the “closed bargaining” practiced by SEIU, in which important decisions are made behind closed doors. Some workers feel like we don’t get as many updates from the union as we should when big negotiations are happening, like with the current layoffs. We pay our union dues and want to have a say in the process!
But instead of working to make our own union better, some workers talk about splitting off into multiple unions at AHS. Nurses hear rumors that nursing-specific unions could get them higher wages, and are tempted by joining a different union.
However, splitting off into separate unions would come with serious consequences for all workers at AHS. As we’ve seen at Kaiser, when workers are split into many unions, they cannot possibly have the same impact as a single cohesive union. Although they occasionally can pull off a single day solidarity strike, they don’t have the enormous power that we have at AHS when everyone threatens to walk out of the hospital on strike together.
Also, make sure you fact-check the salaries and benefits that are promoted as being higher at other hospitals. If workers really are making more at other facilities, we should be using that information in contract negotiations, not weakening our union power by splitting it apart!
Our union isn’t perfect but we can keep sharing ideas to make it better. With all of us united together, we have incredible strength and that’s not something we want to give up.
Click here to read the article printed in the 04-01-26 Healthcare Newsletter
