Vote NO and end UAW "Mis-representation"

As many of you are aware, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the governmental agency responsible for oversight of worker’s rights, has ordered that an election be held At SVMMC to determine if the majority of the nursing staff no longer desires to maintain the UAW as their legal representative. This election, called a DECERTIFICATION election, is being conducted because almost 400 of St. V’s nurses signed a petition indicating that they DO NOT want to be represented by the UAW.  The NLRB will oversee the election process, which will be conducted on the SVMMC campus over the course of several days. 

According to UAW President, Ron Gettelfinger, “All workers have a right to decide for themselves whether or not they want a union”. Now the power to determine the destiny of St. V’s nursing staff lies firmly where it belongs; in the hands of the nurses themselves. Over the coming weeks the St. V’s nurses will be bombarded with flyers, posters and political lobbying by UAW representatives intending to coerce the nursing staff to vote to keep the union as their legal representation. Of course all of this will be paid for with your dues.  We ask that you become an informed voter!!  DO NOT BELIEVE everything you hear.  You don’t have to take our word for it, DO YOUR OWN HOMEWORK!!  If you hear the union making a claim find out if it is true for yourself.  You will find out the UAW uses half truths and scare tactics to keep themselves in power.

UAW Fiction vs. Actual Facts

After receiving a letter in the mail from our UNELECTED Chairman, we are in awe at the consistency with which the very people who claim to represent us, intentionally misinform and mislead us - OK - actually lie.

UAW Fiction No. 1:  “A small group of people led by one nurse want to take away our right to have a union at St. V’s”

The Facts:  This is not an effort led by one employee or even twenty, to decertify the UAW.  Close to 400 nurses signed the decertification petitions to get rid of the unwanted UAW.  This decertification election was spearheaded by many nurses.  Contrary to UAW distortions, we are not trying to stop “your right to have a union”.  We are simply trying to stop the UAW from being that union!  We want to stop throwing away our money in dues to a failing union.  See unionfacts.com for more info on how the UAW throws away our money.

UAW Fiction No. 2:  The UAW has helped to improve nurse/patient ratios

The Facts: Throughout the original unionizing campaign the UAW spoke passionately about unsafe nurse to patient ratios. Regardless, they have done absolutely NOTHING to positively affect them FOR THE SIMPLE REASON THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE THE POWER TO DO SO. DURING BOTH COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT NEGOTIATIONS, THE UAW FREELY NEGOTIATED AWAY WHAT IS CALLED “MANAGEMENT RIGHTS”. This is a contract term relating to who has authority in operational issues. The hospital has every legal right to have any nurse/patient ratio they want and the UAW IS POWERLESS TO STOP THEM BECAUSE THEY GAVE THAT RIGHT AWAY.

UAW Fiction No. 3: The UAW can protect your Weekend Job.

The Facts: If the hospital wants to abolish the WEEKEND nurse program (or any other program) they are fully entitled to do so WITH OR WITHOUT UAW‘s PRESENCE OR APPROVAL. FYI: #1) The hospital initiated the weekend program, not the UAW although they would like to claim otherwise; #2) St. Anne’s and St. Charles both have a weekend program as well without a union “securing” these positions. So for the UAW to continue to tell nurses “if you vote us out, you will lose your weekend jobs” is completely inaccurate, and worse they are knowingly giving you false information in hopes of SECURING YOUR UNION DUES, not your job.

FYI: ST. V’S HAS ELIMINATED MORE JOBS IN THE 7 YEARS THE UAW HAS BEEN HERE, THAN IN THE PREVIOUS 40+ YEARS. (After that we quit counting.) Weekenders could lose their positions next weekend and other than an impressive drama show, the UAW can do nothing. The same goes for conditions of employment. If the hospital decides to require weekend nurses to work weekday HOLIDAYS, the UAW can do nothing. IT’S CALLED MANAGEMENT RIGHTS. (See Article 5, page 19 of your contract for more info).

UAW Fiction No. 4:  The UAW can prevent standardizing nursing uniforms.

The Facts: We don’t know if it is coming or not. The union INFERS that our UAW nursing bargaining unit maintains effective authority in any potential decision to mandate standardized uniformed styles or colors. But then the UAW INFERS a lot. ONE THING WE KNOW FOR SURE; YOU COULD BUY A LOT OF UNIFORMS WITH THE MONEY YOU SPEND ON UNION DUES. Or better yet, a few less rounds of golf, or a few less trips to those beach-side resorts and the UAW could foot your bill! (For some fun reading, check out the “UAW pays for fun, perks” article in the Detroit Free Press, 6/06)

UAW Fiction No. 5: The National Right to Work Legal Foundation (NRTW) encouraged us to decertify, or assisted us financially.

The Facts:  The NRTW Foundation did not encourage us to decertify, or assist us financially in any of our efforts.  After the nurses began this decertification process, the NRTW merely provided legal assistance to us in the face of the UAW harassment, intimidation, surveillance and other abuse.  The UAW does not want you to know that the National Labor Relations Board – a federal agency – has issued a federal complaint against the UAW over its harassment of St. V’s nurses, which is going to trial in May 2007.  The National Right to Work protected our rights in this election, not the UAW!  See for yourself: www.nrtw.org and www.nrtw.org/b/nr_594.php  The National Right to Work also won a settlement form the UAW which requires the union to stop using its coercive yellow “membership cards” at St. V’s and nationally, and properly notify all employees of their Beck Rights.  Some employees may even get refunds from the UAW as a result of these actions!

UAW Fiction No. 6:  “Other employees have tried and failed to decertify the UAW.”

The Facts:  Employees all over the country have successfully decertified the UAW.  To cite just one recent example, workers at Saint-Gobain in Massachusetts decertified the UAW in 2005 by a vote of 350 to 309.  Since 2000, more than 100 bargaining units around the country have filed with the NLRB to decertify the UAW. See http://www.unionfacts.com/unions/unionDecertification.cfm?id=218See www.gcatu.org for more information. 

UAW Fiction No. 7:  Sue Pratt is our “newly elected” Chairman of the nursing bargaining committee.

The Facts:  We ask “WHO AMONG THE NURSING STAFF VOTED FOR MS. PRATT TO REPRESENT THEM AS THEIR BARGAINING AGENT?” The fact is, the UAW didn’t even hold an election among the nurses, rather she was “voted” in by other UAW leadership. MS. PRATT IS THE UAW’S REPRESENTATIVE, NOT OURS.

UAW Fiction No. 8:  The UAW is prepared to “voluntarily participate in an election”.

The Facts:  They are being forced into an election by the NLRB (due to just under 400 RN signatures requested such an election). THE UAW KNOWS THAT THEIR "BLOCKING CHARGES" AND OTHER DELAYING TACTICS HAVE FAILED AND THAT AN ELECTION WILL SOON BE ORDERED BY THE NLRB.  THE UAW IS PUTTING ITS OWN "SPIN" ON THE FAILURE OF ITS OWN TACTICS.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE YOU VOTE:

·         The UAW is desperate for your dues! Should the nursing staff vote the union out, the UAW will lose hundreds of thousands of dollars in future income that they desperately need. DESPERATE INDEED! Amid massive layoffs and closing of UAW facilities well documented in local and national news, the UAW is tapping its strike fund to recruit new members ($40 million), with the UAW freely admitting healthcare is one of their primary targets. When UAW officials were asked about how the $$$ was being spent, they responded “We will report out to convention delegates in 2010 how this money has been expended.” Wow! Talk about autonomy!

·         According to the UAW, nurses leverage their bargaining power via: 1) representation of democratically elected representatives and leadership and 2) “by the clout that the withholding of their member’s labor affords them to be truly strong at the bargaining table during contract negotiations.” (Paul Rickman, UAW Financial Secretary). THIS IS CLEARLY NOT THE CASE AT ST. V’S. WE HAVE NEITHER.  OUR UNION, THAT WE PAY FOR, HAS EFFECTIVELY GIVEN UP ALL LEVERAGE THAT OUR UNION TELLS US WE NEED. We have an UNELECTED Chairman and a no-strike clause, bottom line.