MEDIA ADVISORY for Friday, April 4, 2008: Security Officers to Strike Inter-Con at California Healthcare Facilities

OAKLAND, Calif. - Security officers employed by Inter-Con to protect Kaiser Permanente patients and staff are preparing to strike, according to SEIU Local 24/7, California's security officer union.  Since November 2005, 1,500 Inter-Con security officers at Kaiser Permanente have been working to improve security and working conditions by forming a union with SEIU. They are possibly the only group of workers at Kaiser -either direct employees or subcontracted workers-who are being denied the right to form a union and left out of the Kaiser's Labor Management Partnership.  Inter-Con responded to these workers' organizing efforts with intimidation, threats and surveillance of their union activities in violation of law.

Inter-Con security officers in Northern and Southern California are planning a week of activities with SEIU locals across the state to protest to protest Inter-Con's unfair labor practices, leading up to a planned unfair labor practice strike at three healthcare facilities protected by Inter-Con security officers in Northern California on Friday, April 4 and a coordinated rally in solidarity with striking workers in Los Angeles.

"We protect patients and staff at healthcare facilities across the state, yet we don't even get sick days,"said Abdul Wahid, an Inter-Con security officer who protects Kaiser Hayward Medical Center. "Inter-Con is trying to silence us even though we're only trying to improve security conditions and earn decent wages and healthcare.  We're ready to strike to defend our rights and to improve security for patients and staff."

Across California, SEIU members from all professions are uniting to stand behind Inter-Con security officers at Kaiser in their struggle, and will join them in pickets, rallies and for leafleting activities.