SEIU Healthcare: The Right Approach—The Right Time
SEIU members have a lot of reasons to be proud—we’ve built the largest,
most effective, and most innovative healthcare union in the country;
and where we have united many healthcare workers, we have significantly
improved jobs and quality care.
But despite our successes, the
job is far from done. There are still too many places where workers
have not gained a voice, and that threatens the gains we have made for
quality care.
We can decide to take a different course.
We are the people who care for America. And rather than leave it to
chance, we can make the choice to change healthcare and create a better
future for all of us.
Imagine a healthcare system
where everyone has access to quality, affordable care. Imagine a
healthcare system where all workers are treated fairly and receive the
pay and benefits they deserve, and we can attract and retain the best
and most qualified staff.
Imagine a healthcare system
that always puts patients first, and recognizes that the only way to do
so is to respect front-line healthcare workers and involve us in
healthcare decisions, whether in our facilities, in consumer’s homes,
or at the local, state, and national levels.
We are at a moment where we can make that vision a reality. Our
challenge is to build a national healthcare union that meets the needs
of every SEIU Healthcare member and every patient, nursing home
resident, and home care consumer in the country. We can build an
organization that guarantees the full participation of all 10 million
American healthcare workers in having a voice in their work and in
controlling their own destinies. That includes participation inside our
union through the fullest member democracy … in the workplace through
the strength to enforce contracts and set high standards every day…in
our communities, where we will unite to bring healthcare to everyone in
America … and in our personal lives, where as union members we can
strive for a lifetime of economic security, professional growth, and
the satisfaction of serving those who need our help.
We are
the people who care for America. And rather than leave it to chance, we
can make the choice to change healthcare and create a better future for
all of us.