(43,000) Kaiser workers to stay in service employees union

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Omaha World Herald-AP

By SAM HANANEL

WASHINGTON (AP) - Thousands of California health care workers at Kaiser Permanente have decided to stay with the Service Employees International Union rather than bolt for an upstart rival.

The voting was the nation's biggest private sector union election since 1941.

The National Labor Relations Board said Thursday that 62 percent of Kaiser's 43,000 workers voted for the 2 million-member SEIU over the newly created National Union of Healthcare Workers.

The new union was started last year by former SEIU leaders ousted by the larger union in a bitter power struggle. The protracted fight has been a major distraction for organized labor, with union advocates saying resources should be spent winning over new workers instead of fighting over existing members.

Read more: http://www.omaha.com/article/20101008/AP05/310089987

[inna]

1. I'm conflicted on this, actually, and need more info before I can form an opinion.

I heard some good things about "the new Union", led by Roselli - such as being more on the workers' side vs. finding compromises with Big Business.

[Omaha Steve]

2. The members decided on what they wanted

That doesn't mean there won't be another vote like this down the road.