Several weeks ago I posted a diary on behalf of Norma Amsterdam, a nurse leader at SEIU 1199-United Healthcare Workers East. She wrote about how the Alameda County Superior Court quickly overturned a temporary restraining order against SEIU once it was evident that the move was just another CNA publicity stunt. Yesterday, the court sided with SEIU again, issuing a tentative ruling that found no “credible claim of violence or threat of violence” for CNA to have filed the petition. Because such efforts to suppress free speech are a violation of the “SLAPP” statutue SEIU is now entitled to recover attorney’s fees associated with its defense.

Today, delegates at the SEIU Convention in Puerto Rico recognized the harm the CNA vs. SEIU struggle is having on workers and unanimously passed a resolution calling for more unity and alliances among labor organizations, particularly within the health care industry.

To find out more about the resolution go to www.shameonCNA.com.

~Karen, SEIU

I’m Karen Backus, a registered nurse on staff for SEIU, posting this statement on behalf of Norma Amsterdam, RN, MA, Executive Vice President of SEIU United Healthcare Workers East.

It’s amazing how the California Nurses Association continues to cling to its distorted version of events, no matter how much evidence there is to the contrary. When confronted with the facts, the CNA seems to respond by ramping up the rhetoric, embellishing their stories even more, and then throwing in a few publicity stunts-like seeking a temporary restraining order against SEIU.

Today the Alameda County Superior Court vacated the temporary restraining order. In the same court, SEIU also filed an “anti-SLAPP” motion to prevent the CNA from further engaging in dishonest efforts to silence its critics.

It’s time for the California Nurses Association to stick to the truth:

· The alleged “stalking and harassing” by “mostly male staffers” was actually a registered nurse and respiratory therapist from Ohio-both women-knocking on the doors of CNA board members to ask for their help. See them at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…

· The only visual evidence of violence at the Labor Notes conference produced by the CNA is a photo of SEIU organizer Rachael Holland being injured by a conference security guard, which you can see in the CNA’s video here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiMH20aJiXg. Read Rachael’s heartfelt response here: http://www.openleft.com/showCo…  

Clearly, the CNA is hoping their tall tales will divert attention away from the reason for the protest in Dearborn and the hospital workers’ attempts to meet with CNA board members-namely, the deplorable actions of CNA organizers that destroyed the chance to form a union for 8,000 nurses and other hospital employees in Ohio.

One of those nurses, Susan Horne, RN, tells it like it is. A videotaped interview with her in Dearborn was featured in a video recently posted on You Tube by the Labor Video Project: http://youtube.com/watch?v=QsK… It’s well worth watching for those who want to know what this is really all about.