'Change to Win' a loss for workers

Andy Stern and his "Change to Win" coalition are continuing their bid to take over United Healthcare West, the part of SEIU that organizes many of the lowest rung of the health care profession, LVNs, nursing home employees and home health workers. Andy Stern's union is agreeing to substandard contracts compared to the current situations or proposals fought for by UHW. Below are comments from a home health worker at a rally in San Mateo opposing Stern.

I'm disappointed in my union leaders. When we were in Los Angeles, we were all one. Now that we are a statewide union, it's like Communism used to be. They want to tell us how to live and what to do. I work with paraplegics as a home care worker. I've been taking care of disabled people all my life. My job is 24/7. Whatever my clients need, I have to be there for them. I just got a van and put a lift in it for one of my disabled clients.

But my union leadership is not there for us. I say if our union leadership won't give us the same respect we give our clients, then we don't need them. You go to Kaiser and man it's beautiful in there. They treat you like a human being. But as a home care worker, it's totally different. I have to be on call all the time.

Andy Stern in his Cadillac and with all his money does not know what we need. I'm mad about Stern leadership not giving us the help we need. There are some really deep issues he is not dealing with. To him they may be little things but it's about life. Stern leadership doesn't recognize that my work is life and death.

--Luis, home health care worker

Home l News & Letters Newspaper l Back issues l News and Letters Committees l Raya Dunayevskaya l Contact us l Search l RSS

Subscribe to News & Letters

Published by News and Letters Committees