SEIU healthcare members began casting ballots this week in an advisory vote on two reorganization plans.
Members will have an opportunity to register their preferences on whether they want to be part of a new single statewide long-term care local union or a new statewide local representing a broader classification of healthcare workers.
"The SEIU Constitution requires that matter be decided by the IEB, but we feel it is important to gather direct input from rank-and-file members," said SEIU President Andy Stern. "We need to hear our members' voices."
The California reorganization is part of a long-term effort to modernize the Union. With the adoption of the New Strength Unity Plan by the delegates to the 2000 SEIU International Convention, SEIU launched a program of restructuring and modernizing local unions across the country. Since 2000, SEIU has reorganized local union jurisdictions in many states, including California, Florida, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Illinois and Washington.
The guiding principle behind this series of reorganizations has been the importance of uniting workers in the same industry in a single local union in the relevant geography in order to increase political strength, maximize bargaining power, and improve standards for SEIU members in each of the industries in which our members work. The reorganizations have led to the creation of larger, stronger local unions with the resources and capacity to improve members' lives.
The current process of determining long-term care jurisdiction in California began in 2006 when a first set of hearings was held. At that time, the IEB approved some changes in SEIU's long-term care structure in California, and recommended that the long-term care jurisdiction question be evaluated further in the future. That re-evaluation was the focus of the hearings held in May and July 2008.