Michelle Ringuette, 202-341-7057
Issued January 27, 2009
Statement of Andy Stern, President of the Service Employees International Union, on the Trusteeship of United Healthcare Workers-West (UHW)
Found Guilty of Financial Malpractice and Efforts to Subvert Democracy in SEIU by Outside Hearing Officer Former Secretary of Labor Ray Marshall, Rosselli and Leadership Team Removed after Rejecting Hearing Officer's Conditions to Avoid Trusteeship
WASHINGTON, DC--Today we bring an end to a sad chapter in the life of a local union with great members, whose leadership lost their way, engaged in serious financial wrongdoing, refused to end their attempts to subvert the democratic processes of this union and failed to take action against reported decertification efforts. This trusteeship is grounded in the clear facts found in Secretary Marshall's report and the direct actions of Sal Rosselli and the leaders of UHW.
"Today's action is being taken to correct financial malpractice, restore democratic procedures and safeguard the collective bargaining relationships of UHW. We will move now to correct these problems and we are committed to work with everyone to open a new chapter for this local union that ensures its members are protected and guaranteed the opportunity for success. At a time when our members face an unprecedented budget crisis in Sacramento and workers throughout the state are losing their jobs and seeing their healthcare and other benefits cut, we must all move forward to meet the challenges and opportunities before us."
MEDIA NOTE: Background and documents related to this matter, including today's trusteeship order, Secretary Ray Marshall's Report and Recommendations, the IEB Resolution, SEIU and UHW Hearing Briefs, and Hearing Transcipts can be found at http://www.seiu.org/a/ourunion/trusteeship-documents.php
With 2 million members in Canada, the United States and Puerto Rico, SEIU is the fastest-growing union in the Americas. Focused on uniting workers in healthcare, public services and property services, SEIU members are winning better wages, healthcare and more secure jobs for our communities, while uniting their strength with their counterparts around the world to help ensure that workers--not just corporations and CEOs--benefit from today's global economy.
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Updated Jul 15, 2015