( – promoted by SFBrianCL)

Hundreds of SEIU health care workers are on strike now at some of Sutter Health’s top hospitals, the California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC).

Sutter has nixed a mediators compromise offer, even after Pelosi, Boxer and Gavin Newsom
urged them to sign the agreement.

The strike is important because SEIU is trying to maintain staffing levels at safe levels. They are also trying to get a regional contract, which would give them better power in future negotiations. They also want a greater say in training and education programs. This would be done with joint employee-management ‘boards’ that would have some power to resolve disputes.

In short, SEIU is trying to give workers a more democratic voice in the workplace.

Andy Stern says :

The national SEIU has contributed $250,000 to a strike fund.

Ways to support them are below…

I visited the picket line earlier in the week, and spirits seem high. They had some good chants going, and some chicken grilling for lunch.

However, Sutter/CPMC, has hired out-of-state scabs (protected by Blackwaterish goons) and they are filling the positions of the strikers. There have been “three or four” workers to cross the lines, according to a striker, nothing substantial.

Sutter claims to be a non-profit, however they really aren’t as there are multiple layers of executives, for-profit yearly goals, and executive bonuses for meeting them. (They are currently being investigated by the City of San Francisco for violating their non-profit status)

Sutter executives have the reputation for being viciously anti-union, as well. I can attest to this because I have a friend who works as an assistant to one of their executives.

Besides writing local leaders, you can write to
Sutter at

Sutter Health
2200 River Plaza Drive
Sacramento, CA 95833

You can also call CPMC’s CEO, and I’ll post the number at my blog (not for traffic, but don’t know if it’s kosher at dkos). I called them and was called back by a hostile P.R. staffer, so the calls are having an effect. I’ll also post a pdf of the flier strikers are passing out.