Statement by SEIU Healthcare Chair Dennis Rivera

Today's announcement by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) marks an incredibly powerful and hope-filled moment for more than 600,000 healthcare workers and Catholic hospitals across America.

"More than ten years ago, Catholic Bishops issued the landmark paper: A Fair and Just Workplace. This report presented key tenets of Catholic social teaching to guide and inform Catholic health care and ensure fairness and respect throughout our healthcare institutions.

"Respecting the Just Rights of Workers builds upon these tenets and renews the Bishops' call to Catholic health care employers to support the rights of workers to choose to join a union free from intimidation or harassment. At a moment when some in the business community are focused on diminishing the voice of workers, the Bishops are standing up for what is fair and what is just: that it is up to workers--not bishops, hospital managers, or union leaders--to choose to join a union.

The following principles underscore the Bishops' commitment to social justice and to the inherent dignity of the caregivers on the frontlines of our healthcare system:

• Respect. No negative campaigning by either side.
• Equal Access to Information. Both employer and union representatives agree to an equal number of communications and have access to the same communications.
• Truthful and Balanced Communications. No statements give misleading impressions about the advantages and disadvantages of joining a union.
• Pressure-Free Environment. No aggressive or coercive behavior.
• Fair and Expeditious Process. Proceed in a timely manner without undue delays or legal haggling with a National Labor Relations Board-supervised election or other mutually agreed-upon mechanism.
• Meaningful Enforcement of the Local Agreement. A "local agreement" set at the beginning of the organizing campaign would outline the specific rules and measures that will be used to apply the principles. Enforcing the agreement can be done by a neutral third party or other means.
• Honoring Employee Decisions. Neither employer nor union would attempt to reverse the outcome of the workers' decision on whether or not to unionize.

"For decades the Catholic Church and working men and women have fought, advocated, and marched to change our healthcare system for the better, and raised their voices on behalf of the millions of men, women and children that system has left behind. In part, Respecting the Just Rights of Workers grew out of our common goal of ensuring comprehensive, affordable healthcare for all, and our shared mission to deliver the highest quality of care to our patients.

"Within the next 60 days, it is the hope of the working women and men of our union, as well as millions of Americans, that Congress will present healthcare reform legislation that creates the foundation for affordable, high-quality healthcare that for every man, woman, child in America. It is also our hope that the principles shared today become a living document to ensure fairness and respect for every healthcare worker on the frontlines of that healthcare system."

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