Ben Affleck, Boston Workers and Bad Faith CEOs

You gotta give it up for Ben Affleck. The guy showed up yesterday for an event with no glitter and glam but a whole lot of people simply trying to better their lives -- the healthcare workers at Boston's teaching hospitals who are struggling to get the CEOs of these institutions just to agree to let them have a fair, supervised union election.

But the CEOs are cringing like a bunch of shrinking virgins whose date just tried to cop a cheap feel, as if they've never heard of such an inconceivable outrage. They have called the SEIU's list of requests for fair elections both "undemocratic" and "unnecessary" given the fact that the NLRB has rules regulating such things.

Dear me. Let's have a look at those outrageous demands:

• Management agrees to abstain from spending any patient care resources on efforts to dissuade employees from unionizing.


• Both the union and the employer agree not to disparage each other and to present only factual information.


• Employees are allowed to exchange and discuss information about unionization.


• Management does not take a position on unionization, but allows employees to make up their own minds.


• Employees are given access to union representatives and information at the workplace.


• Management agrees to schedule an election without delays and respect the decision employees make.


• Management and the union agree to a fair, timely and binding enforcement process for these guidelines.

"If it's already illegal, it shouldn't be so difficult to agree to it," said the SEIU's Dana Simon.

As we saw in the California and Nevada nurse's strikes, union busters like Larry Arnold and Brent Yessin are regularly contracted by hospitals to come in to harass and intimidate workers who support unionization (in an attempt to skirt the NLRB's regulations). Moreover, the NLRB is not immune from the politicization that has characterized so many government agencies under the Bush administration. They recently reached back to a case from 2000 -- the Carney Hospital and SEIU case -- to decide that the appropriate penalty for a hospital who illegally suspended a pro-union worker was basically to pay the employee for the time he was suspended and promise not to do it again.

Ouch. That'll leave a mark.

Paul Levy, chief executive at Beth Israel (and also a blogger) clutches his pearls and scolds the SEIU for having held up construction of a new facility in New Haven. "What kind of healthcare service union would stand in the way of a cancer center in New England? That strikes me as the kind of union we don't want," Levy said.

He didn't address the fact that the workers who are trying to unionize have neither the incomes nor the health insurance benefits to be treated in the hospitals they work in.

Given that one in six jobs in Boston is in the healthcare sector, Mayor Menino (who endorses the union's efforts) was also at the press conference. And the Boston City Councilor will be voting today as to whether they should recommend that hospital CEOs agree to hold fair, supervised elections.

Said Andy Stern:

Today is a historic day. Workers have stood up to ask for the basic right to choose a Union without interference from their employers, for being able to deliver quality care to all residents of Boston. We are so appreciative that Mayor Menino and the other public leaders have spoken out and asked the executives of the huge medical centers in Boston to recognize that quality care can only be delivered by workers who have been given the basic human right to vote for a union without fear of reprisal.

Most of all, it was an inspiring day of bravery of hundreds of workers who publicly said, we are not afraid because workers rights and patients rights are too important to stay silent.

This is an important fight. As Paul Krugman notes in his new book The Conscience of a Liberal, "middle-class societies don't emerge automatically as an economy matures, they have to be created through political action."

This is a prime example of that kind of political action.

Pretty exciting.

Jane Hamsher blogs at firedoglake.com

Follow Jane Hamsher on Twitter: www.twitter.com/janehamsher

Comments

[Levittown]

I remember my father coming home a little bloody from walking a picket line in the Thirties. The creation of the WPA gave my Dad a leg up. Eventually he worked in the New York Navy Yard for thirty years. Only with the help of unions or federal employment ( civil service ) did this country start to prosper. Now, the " have its " forget how they got to their present status. Bush has savaged the unions and working men and women. Our economy depends on employment under fair conditions. Too many are unemployed and their benfits have run out. The unemployment statistics like all stats coming from this administration are skewed in their favor. Medi-Care and the Prescription Drug policies were predicated on phoney figures and almost every department in the government are run by temporary inept cronies not approved by the congress. If we allow this adminmistration to bend and break laws without the media and Congress fighting back at every turn we will be giving the future to the Devil.

[aikoaiko]

There are many problems with SEIU's proposed agreement. It really is a wolf in sheep's clothing. What are "patient care resources"? Why shouldn't the parties be allowed to "disparage" each other, just as they already are doing? Why should the hospital pay employees to "exchange and discuss information about unionization"? Why shouldn't management be allowed to take a position on unionization? Why should the hospital pay employees for time meeting with organizers? Management agrees to schedule an election without delays? Why would management do this without a showing of requisite employee interest? In short, the agreement seeks to tilt the playing field in favor of the union. It is no wonder that management has rejected this stunt.

[Nooneyouknow]

Nice try, Repug.
"What are "patient care resources"? Um, resources, usually "money," that would and should be spent of taking care of "patients," not busting unions.
"Why shouldn't the parties be allowed to "disparage" each other, just as they already are doing?" Because it poisons the workplace, particularly if lies are employed. The union wants only facts to be used to argue the two sides. Now, it's true that facts have a well-known liberal bias... .
"Why shouldn't management be allowed to take a position on unionization?" Poorly worded; the rest of the sentence makes clear that the union doesn't want management trying to bend employees from their decisions.
"Why should the hospital pay employees to 'exchange and discuss information about unionization'? "Why should the hospital pay employees for time meeting with organizers?" The proposed agreement says nothing about hospital corporations paying employees for anything; it simply asks that the hospitals not interfere in the unionization process.
"Management agrees to schedule an election without delays? Why would management do this without a showing of requisite employee interest?" Well, obviously, if employees show no interest, there wouldn't be an election, would there? The union is only trying to get something like a more level playing field.
Yikes. The depths you wingnuts will go to to prevent people from making a decent living.

[peterg76]

At least they haven't pulled out the PATRIOT Act. Yet.

[Durango]

What group in America has the most powerful unions? And what group is the best paid?
Same people:Professional atheletes. If sports palyers who get paid millions and have their own agents feel that they need a union what does that make the rest of Americans (nonunion)?
SUCKERS!!!

[bigbear]

The system is rigged and broken. The corps. can do as they please-there are no penalties when they violate the LAW. I represented all working people in congress and testified in the Senate for the Emploiee Free Choice Act. I was fired and I talked to many like me who after years had no JUSTICE. The NLRB is a republican tool and unless we put the right people in office Unions will continue to decline.

[JusticiaParaTodos]

The bottom line is: If you are in a life or death situation, who would you rather have around? A six figured CEO or a nurse? Aside from counting beans and making him/herself look good by cutting costs, a CEO can do NOTHING for you in such a situation. A nurse on the other hand knows first aid, CPR, and can do a lot to help save your life!

In this country where healthcare is dominated and ruined by corporate pimps; patient to staff ratios are outrageous! This is why nurses who value their self respect and licenses are refusing to work in hospitals! My daughter recently became a RN and tells me that the patient to nurse ratio at her place of employment is 10-12 when it should be 4-5! Is it any wonder nurses burn out??

Ben Affleck has earned my respect for being a decent human who cares about others!

[UrbanAddictiondotcom]

Go Ben Affleck! Congrats on gaining so much meaning in your life when so many other celebs never get past needing Robertson Blvd. or TMZ. What an amazing set of parents your daughter has.

[saami]

As an RN of over 20 years, it is the same old story. Nurses are overworked and underpaid. We should be like a religious order that doesn't need to eat or pay rent. Teachers and nurses have traditionally been women and women are still second class citizens; we still make less money for the same jobs and our work is not valued (value means you are willing to pay a reasonable salary for the work.) Until Americans realize just how important the nurses that care for them are to their recovery it will not change. I worked critical care and literally saved lives yet I had to work two hours to have one hour of a welders time. How insane is that? Thank you Ben Affleck for standing up for us.

[gems]

Ben,
I have to confess I used to think you were just another movie star, now I think you are an amazing human being.
Sending my love to you and your family.
Gemma

[justfacefacts]

Each floor of my RN sisters hospital has a highly paid business major as its straw 'boss'. His job is to increase revenues at any cost in between his daily jogs during business hours, long lunches and endless business meetings nurses are forced to attend.

He has NO MEDICAL TRAINING but hammers the nurses constantly about increasing floor revenues, brings in costly machinery that clogs the hallways, demands its use to bump up the charges while eliminating nurses aids and 'excessive nurses' on the floor.

They treat 23 people each per shift-running their tails off just getting to meds, bandage changes and calls from patients.

STILL it is not enough. They are routinely threatened with replacement by Filipino nurses are willing to work as hard for less money.

They are already importing nurses who speak NO ENGLISH--isn't that genius? Ask for something from a nurse who can't respond to you--that is the PLAN. Can't help if you don't understand the request and look at the money saved with imported cheap staff. Yippee for corporate revenue. And care for human suffering? Ah, screw it.

[splashy]

All of that sounds like more problems caused by corporatization of our health care. How many have to die before we all stand up and STOP THIS?

We need universal health care that cuts out the corporatists (insurance and others) completely. Let them find some other way to make money!

[Sociallyconscious]

Ben Affleck for President!!! He is really a smart guy.

[usapatriot1973]

He earned some respect from me when he referred to the democrats in Congress as "those fucking people".

[Graywolf48]

Now see, I like Ben Affleck and do respect his opinion, but he loses me immediately with his excessive profanity. I've noticed when he's on with Bill Maher, almost every other word from his mouth is "fuck" or one of it's derivatives. Not to say that "fuck" doesn't have it's place in American speech, but too frequent use lessens its impact and makes it just, well, another trite vulgarity.

[splashy]

Actually, that should be directed toward the Repubs far more than the Dems, considering that the Repubs are the ones that are stopping pretty much EVERYTHING the working people want in this country. Ending the occupation of Iraq, funding SCHIP, starting universal health care, stopping the spying on citizens, the list goes on and on.

It's the REPUBS that are to blame, NOT the vast majority of Dems.

[deadscout]

"extravagant pay"
Let's talk about this. When I graduated from nursing school 15 years ago I started work as a new grad making 16 dollors an hour and minimum wage was a little over 4 dollors an hour, which was what you made at McDonalds. I was making around 4 times minimum wage. Today I make 23 dollors an hour and McDonalds pays over 10 dollors an hour.
Another point....when you you look at the average salary of a nurse, it is very misleading. Most studies determine nurse's income by looking at their income tax returns. Many nurses make extra money by working nights and or weekends in addition, the majority of nurses work overtime. We all know teachers are underpaid and here in Louisiana they start out at 42,000.00 a year. If a nurse worked only weekdays, took off all hollidays and the summer, we would make less than a teacher.
Another point...average nurse incomes often include the salaries of masters degree specialist like nurse anesthetists who make over a hundred thousand a year.
I served a hitch in the USMC and worked offshore on a drilling rig for 3 years. Those are two hard and demanding jobs but not nearly as hard and stressfull as working in a busy ICU. (wartime could be worse)

[smallgal]

I worked for 3 months in a California hospital as a temporary replacement, alongside the full-time nurses - I was making $6/hour MORE than they were!

The USA is badly in need of educated-in-America nurses, but the hospitals apparently do very well depending on staffing agencies who recruit from foreign lands.

Fear of unions? Because someone's gonna lose some money.

I wish these medical workers all the best.

[janmB]

I worked for a company that held meetings begging us not to form a UNION --like that other plant in town. So--for ten years we stayed lower paid--small benefits and the company closed anyway when it was bought out. Meanwhile, the other unionized plant where people were paid twice as much is still open today.

[NABNYC]

Of course workers should unionize to better their working conditions. But the fact is that 2007 is not 1920, and the same struggle is not likely to yield the same result.

During the heyday of union strength in the U.S., you often had one group of workers fighting against one local business trying to get rights. Nowadays you've still got local workers, but the businesses have national or international ties, and may just shut down and move elsewhere to avoid the union.

What we really need is a worker's rights law passed at a national level which guarantees certain rights to all working people in this country. That would include a living wage of no less than $12/hour for any worker over the age of 18; job seniority and security; a prohibition against any business writing off any management compensation in excess of $250,000; mandatory funding of pensions and healthcare, with the monthly contributions removed from the employer's control and put into a separate secure trust account; mandatory vacations, holidays, and sick leave; and significant penalties for any business that tries to shut down and move out of the country.

These are the kinds of laws we need the Democrats to get passed. The piecemeal crumbs that have been thrown at working people by this Congress, along with vague promises, are not cutting it.

Whoever becomes president in 2008, and I have a horrible feeling it will be Hillary the Nafta Queen, it will be imperative for working people to stand up and demand national laws for their protection and benefit.

[leaglebob]

Right you are. But we could go even farther?

I'd like to see the continuing unaddressed excessive control of "top management." I'd start with CEO/top exec pay capped at a multiple of the average employee pay.

This would stop management games that actually injure the business/employees in order to maximize their private gain. It would add an incentive to pay employees well. It would encourage top management to think about their companies rather than their own pay-offs.

All kinds of reasons to stop this abuse. Mind you, it will never happen.

[tbone99]

Yeah but hospitals can't just shut down and move somewhere else., nor can bedside care be outsourced - although CEOs are bringing in thousands of foreign workers every year to do the job.After they fly to other countries to recruit,pay for housing and green card lawyers they could have afforded incentives (better staffing and pay) for American nurses.
Its not about the money -they want compliant workers who won't hold them to the standards they're legally bound by.Having a union is about people learning their rights to challenge authority.

[splashy]

Actually, taking health care out and putting in universal health care that cuts out the insurance companies for basic health care (like all the other "civilized" countries do) would go a long way toward fixing things. Having health care connected to a job is a bad thing.

I agree with all the other things, though. More power to that!

[TroubledTexan]

Thanks Jane,

For focusing this article on union nursing.

I say that because my little sister has been a nurse, in Missouri, for 30 years.

When Kim first got her nursing degree in Missouri she worked at a hospital in Kansas City.

She soon found out that she could make a lot more money in private care. She went into Alzheimers Care working 12 hour shifts, six days a week. That nearly destroyed her.

At no time did she have a union backing her.

Now that she is older, she has decided to work in the Doctor's Office, in our hometown, which doesn't have union representation.

She tells me that pharmaceudical companies constantly buy lunch for her whole staff, doctors included, and have it delivered to the Clinic. What do you want Italian or Mexican?

As for the doctors who supposedly run the clinic they have their retirements sourced out to another country.

Troubled