News
Two More Recertification Victories!
Two more bargaining units, City of Milwaukee Staff Nurses Council and Rock County Nurses, won their first recertification election this month. Joining the Professional Patient Care Unit (PPCU), this is the third recertification victory for SEIU Healthcare Wisconsin.
Under Governor Walker’s Budget Repair Bill, all public employee unions must hold annual elections and win 51% of the bargaining unit electorate, not just those who vote, to maintain their bargaining rights and status. Unions have been held to a higher standard for these elections than the Governor or the legislature in their elections. The legality of this provision, however, currently being debated in court.
Both groups voted overwhelming to remain represented by SEIU Healthcare Wisconsin. City of Milwaukee Staff Nurses voted 93% yes and Rock County Nurses voted 91% yes.
Town Halls: Meet the Recall Candidates!
2011 was a pivotal year for Wisconsin. What started nearly fourteen months ago with Scott Walker ramming through legislation that reversed 50 years of collective bargaining rights in Wisconsin has grown into a movement to take back our state.
Working families are tired of shouldering the entire financial burden and having politicians represent corporate interests over middle-class values. Join others in your community to tell the candidates about the issues that matter to you—issues like good jobs, funding public education, protecting vital healthcare programs, and restoring workers’ rights.
Portions of Walker’s Union-Busting Bill Ruled Unconstitutional
A federal court ruled that portions of Act 10, Governor Walker’s union-busting and anti-worker law, are unconstitutional by denying general public employees’ equal protection and violating their First amendment rights. With this decision, working families are one step closer to reclaiming their rights and state. The court ruling struck down two key provisions of the law designed to weaken workers ability to act collectively through their union; Walker’s restriction on bargaining rights for public sector employees was upheld.
Here’s the good news:
- Union members will no longer have to hold annual recertification elections in order to maintain their membership and protection in the union.
- Walker and the state can no longer prevent public workers from paying their union dues by payroll deduction
Judge William M. Conley ruled that the state immediately halt the recertification elections, and restore payroll deduction of dues by May 31, 2012. The Judge set this date to give the State time to appeal his ruling to the higher court, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
This is a tremendous victory for working families, but our work is not finished.
What started nearly twelve months ago with Scott Walker and the GOP senators ramming through a Budget Repair Bill that reversed 50 years of collective bargaining rights in Wisconsin – despite falsely claiming to have campaigned on the proposal, has grown into a movement to take back our state.
Quality healthcare in our community is at risk!
Management at Kindred Nursing Homes are lowering the hours that workers can spend caring for the residents at Colonial Manor, Eastview, and Northridge Nursing Homes.
This reduction in hours doesn’t just affect the caregivers – it reduces the quality of care for every resident. Shift overlap will be eliminated and caregivers will also no longer be able to provide the next shift with valuable updates on resident medical conditions. Unsafe staffing levels aren’t just dangerous for the staff, they lead to an increase in accidents and other preventable conditions like lower fluid intake, UTIs, and skin breakdowns. The workers at these homes desire to provide the best possible care for the residents but are struggling due to under-staffing and high staff turnover.
Rock Co. & Milwaukee Staff Nurses: Election Ends 3/28!
Starting on noon on Thursday, March 8th, we as Rock County Nurses & Milwaukee Staff Nurses Council members have the opportunity to stand up for our rights and livelihoods by voting yes in our very first recertification election. To cast your vote, Call 1-866-458-9862 (toll free) anytime between noon Thursday, March 8th and noon Wednesday, March 28th.
By voting yes, you’re not just voting to protect your right to bargain, you’re also standing up for your ability to have a voice in your workplace. Being in a union is not just about wages and benefits. As union members, we’re entitled to many protections on the job. Over the years, SEIU Healthcare Wisconsin has protected members from unsafe staffing levels, unfair terminations, and draconian mandatory overtime practices.
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Affordable Care Act Turns 2: Call to Action For Nurses!
Nurses see it every day in their care settings—patients who have delayed treatment, who don’t know how to access care or whose 
lives are shorter and sicker because they don’t have healthcare. For the 99%, access to quality, affordable healthcare is a matter of life and death. The 1% live almost 5 years longer than the 99%, and extremists are doubling down to make sure that trend continues through their efforts to eliminate the President’s Affordable Care Act and their drastic proposals to cut healthcare funding, including state budgets, Medicaid, Medicare and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
March 23rd marks the two year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act becoming law. The working women and men of SEIU fought for more than a decade to achieve more affordable, secure healthcare and better health for our patients, our communities, our colleagues, our families and ourselves. As the most trusted voice in healthcare, SEIU nurse were critical to the passage of the law.
SEIU Nurses have been invited to purple up and bring their scrubs to participate in several fun and important days of action over March 26-28. Here are some highlights: (more…)
Reclaim Wisconsin Rally: One Year Stronger
On March 9th, 2011, Governor Walker and his legislative allies acted outside of the open meetings law and passed, anti-worker legislation under the cover of night. To commemorate this anniversary, over 65,000 people rallied in Madison Saturday to reclaim our Wisconsin. The rally capped off weeks of events across the state to commemorate a year of protests and grassroots action in support of union rights. Included in the crowd were allies from Public Services International affiliated unions in Canada, Australia and others, on hand to learn how they too can fight back on attacks on public workers in their countries.
Wisconsinites know that Walker’s policies are wrong for working families. In his short tenure in office, Governor Walker has promoted a radical agenda that puts the interests of working Wisconsinites dead last. His policies add to the real cause of our revenue problem —the global economic crisis caused by Wall Street and the failure of corporations and the wealthy to pay their fair share. Walker has forced public employees and the middle class to bear the entire burden while handing out millions in corporate tax cuts.
“This is not about one person or one bill. This is about people reclaiming democracy and reclaiming the true Wisconsin. A Wisconsin that is fair. A Wisconsin that honors justice. A Wisconsin that treats its workers with dignity and respect.” – Mary Kay Henry, SEIU president
Reclaim Wisconsin!
One year ago today, Governor Walker and his legislative allies acted outside of the open meetings law and passed, under the cover of night, legislation to ram anti-worker legislation down the throats of poor and middle-class Wisconsinites.
This weekend, we’re standing up to reclaim our Wisconsin. We won’t forget Walker’s extreme power grab that puts the interest of working Wisconsinites last. Click below for a live feed of highlights from March 9th and March 10th. (more…)
March 9th: Candlelight Vigils Across Wisconsin
The people of Wisconsin will never forget that on March 9, 2011, despite massive citizen protest, Gov. Walker and his legislative allies rammed through the rights-stripping bill in an illegal meeting in the dead of the night. Candlelight vigils will be held on March 9th throughout the State as stand up to reclaim our Wisconsin: (more…)
Bus Information for 3/10 Rally
The Reclaim Wisconsin Tour is culminating at the State Capitol in Madison on March 10th. SEIU members are encouraged to join SEIU International Pres. Mary Kay Henry as we come together in solidarity with workers from across Wisconsin.
Madison
Due to limited parking in Downtown Madison, we will have shuttle buses operating this Saturday, 3/10 from the Alliant Energy Center (corner of John Nolen Drive & Rimrock Road) beginning at 10 am until 5pm. Parking costs $6 per car, and the shuttles are complimentary.
Milwaukee
- Starting Pickup Location - SEIU State Council (600 W Virginia Street)
- Departure Time- 9:00 am
- RSVP here: https://hcwi.seiu.org/page/signup/march-10th-rally-signup
