Strange Hospital Bedfellows

by | Mar 8, 2012 | Labor Relations Ink

The Machinists union (IAM) and the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW) made a surprise announcement last week that the two unions were looking into affiliation.  And while the marriage might seem a head scratcher, the rationale for the move is simple – NUHW has healthcare turf cred and the Machinists have money. The IAM has been in the headlines this year for their attack on Boeing through their friends at the NLRB.  NUHW is the infamous upstart union of Sal Roselli that broke away from SEIU in 2009 and then went to war with the purple Godzilla to maintain that autonomy.  NUHW continues to raid SEIU shops in California and Michigan and is establishing itself as the skilled organizing force to be reckoned with in healthcare, but organizing wars don’t come cheap. Meanwhile, the IAM, with cash still flowing freely from the dues of highly paid mechanics and machinists, would like a foot in the healthcare door.  But its been rough for the IAM selling machinists as having any handle on the needs of nursing home workers and RNs.

INK Newsletter

APPROACHABILITY MINUTE

GET OUR RETENTION TOOLKIT

PUBLICATIONS

Archives

Categories