SEIU Prematurely Declares "Victory" as the Voting Continues

In Fresno, homecare workers are nearing the end of the first week of their two-week, mail-in representation election.

Even though the election is only half completed, SEIU leaders yesterday declared victory in an apparent effort to create a sense of inevitability about the election's outcome and to suppress participation by thousands of homecare workers who have not yet cast their ballots. The balloting does not conclude until June 15th.

SEIU leaders have waged a win-at-all-costs campaign consistent with SEIU Executive Vice President Dave Regan's directive to "drive a stake through the heart of the thing called NUHW."

Homecare workers and their families have reported hundreds of instances of threats, misinformation, harassment, and even vandalism of NUHW supporters' homes. SEIU'S multi-million dollar campaign has all of the characteristics of an anti-union boss campaign.

For example, homecare worker Odilia Dominguez reported that she was harassed multiple times by various SEIU staff who attempted to get her to change her vote. "SEIU not only lied to me," said Odilia, "they threatened me in front of my four-year-old grandchild."

"The first time, Sharon, a woman from Washington State, told me that I would lose my chance to have health insurance because I voted for NUHW. The second time, Gloria, a woman from Los Angeles, cursed and yelled at me in front of my grandchild when I told her I voted for NUHW. The third time, SEIU told me that if I voted for them, they would give me a purple bag and a t-shirt."

Earlier this week, SEIU-UHW published on its website a statement that homecare workers will lose their Kaiser Permanente health plan if they vote to join NUHW.

The website statement, from an SEIU organizer, indicates how SEIU organizers have been systematically misinforming workers that they will lose their wages and benefits if they vote for NUHW.

The statement says the following:

"The health insurance issue is big with both members I talked with today. One has the insurance and doesn't want to lose it, and the other wants to be put in the pool in the next negotiations. They both understand that it's union health insurance and they could lose if NUHW got in."

These statements are patently false. Under California labor law it is illegal for Fresno homecare workers' employer to discontinue or even to modify the current health plan as a consequence of homecare workers voting to change unions.