NLRB blocks work-site elections by new union

http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2009/02/23/daily20.html

Monday, February 23, 2009

Sacramento Business Journal - by Kathy Robertson Staff writer

Efforts by a new union to woo away members of Service Employees International Union hit a roadblock last week, when the National Labor Relations Board put work-site elections on hold in order to investigate unfair labor charges field by SEIU.

The new union has also been asked to explain why elections are begin sought at Catholic Healthcare West, since it appears a signed contract is in place. If true, new elections cannot be held until the contract nears expiration.

Eleven petitions for new elections were halted last week; two more went out Monday and others are expected, said Tim Peck, assistant to the regional director of the NLRB in San Francisco. The office has received 27 petitions and expects to halt them all, he said.

Other petitions filed with the NLRB office in Oakland have also been put on hold, Peck said.

The petitions requesting new work-site elections were filed by leaders of the National Union of Healthcare Workers. The union was formed Jan. 28 by former leaders at SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West the day after SEIU took control of its 140,000-member local following a year-long internal spat and charges of misuse of union funds.

“We got the petitions and then started to get charges filed by SEIU,” Peck said. “We decided we should block elections while we investigate.”

FULL story at link.