Homecare ballot revealed

Here's the ballot for this week's pseudo-ratification. In case you missed the mailer or phone call from Zombie UHW it was Tuesday at the community center in Petaluma, Wednesday at the library in Healdsburg and Thursday at the Santa Rosa UHW homecare office all from 4-6 PM. So 6 hours total to ratify all during rush hour/dinner prep time.

Here's what is says. Emphasis added by me.

"Sonoma County IHSS Public Authority                      UHW

"Ratification Vote                  United Healthcare Workers
September 22, 23, and 24, 2009            ============== West

"YES! I vote to accept the agreement recommended by the bargaining team.

"NO, I reject the agreement and direct the team to return to the bargaining table. I understand that if we reject the agreement, the employer can propose different terms that may be worse for providers and that we can got [sic] for an extended period without wages and benefits protected by a contract."

Their claims for voters who vote no are completely false. Should the contract have expired the wages and benefits would have stayed the same until a replacement contract was ratified or NUHW filed a petition to change representation. Between going back and negotiating a contract without huge giveaways or losing 4700+ dues paying members, which do you think SEIU feared more?

This ratification was flawed in 3 major ways.

Strike 1. From what I've heard a great number of people weren't mailed and/or called.

Strike 2. A mail-in ballot would have been MUCH more convenient especially for anyone who does not live in the above mentioned cities, doesn't have a car, and/or can't get the time off work to vote.

Strike 3. Finally, those who were aware of the vote and showed up but weren't willing to blindly vote yes were subject to harassment, intimidation, and under no circumstances allowed to read the tentative agreement without Zombie UHW staff sitting right next to them.

This would never have happened when UHW was under democratic control. Ahhhh, the good old days!

Here's the flier bargaining team members and Zombie UHW staff handed voters upon entering the room for a "consultation".

I knew they were holding back on something, and now the whole world can just what SEIU was holding back.