OAKLAND, Calif.—Security officers employed by Inter-Con to protect Kaiser Permanente patients and staff have conducted a week of pickets and activities across California, culminating in one-day strikes and pickets today in Hayward, Fremont and Sacramento. The strikes and pickets are being conducted over unfair labor practices committed by Inter-Con at several Kaiser locations in Northern California. SEIU members, community and elected leaders and Inter-Con workers are also holding support rallies in Oakland and Los Angeles today.

During pickets and actions this week, the civil rights violations and unfair labor practices committed by Inter-Con management have intensified. On Thursday, workers filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and charges continue to pile up as Inter-Con managers break the law.

Workers on picket lines this week have been speaking out on some of the problems they’ve faced with Inter-Con management.

“We needed to come out here because we’ve been struggling for more than two years for a voice on the job. Inter-Con should let us make up our own minds about forming a union instead of scaring people. They’re pulling us aside to ask us who is going to picket or strike, who’s a union supporter,” said Angelito Morales, an Inter-Con officer at Kaiser Union City Medical Center, near the Hayward facility.

“We’ve struggled for two and a half years for a voice and respect on the job. But Inter-Con has fought us every step of the way. We’re tired of being intimidated and interrogated. We need a voice on the job,” said Allen Newland, an Inter-Con officer at Kaiser South Sacramento Medical Center.

Despite the on-going intimidation, officers are clear on the reasons they wanted to form a union in the first place.

“It’s hard going to work everyday knowing that we’re the only ones in the building without protected rights, a voice on the job, and a living wage,” said Mohinder Poonia, an Inter-Con security officer at Kaiser Fremont Medical Center.

“I work to protect patients and hospital workers, but can’t even take a day off when I’m sick because we don’t have sick days,” said LaRonda Lynch, an Inter-Con officer at Kaiser Sunset Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Since November 2005, 1,500 Inter-Con security officers at Kaiser Permanente have been working to improve security and working conditions by forming a union with SEIU. They are possibly the only group of workers at Kaiser —either direct employees or subcontracted workers—who are being denied the right to form a union and left out of the Kaiser’s Labor Management Partnership.
 
Across California, SEIU members from all professions are uniting to stand behind Inter-Con security officers at Kaiser in their struggle, joining them in activities and rallies.

Inter-Con workers across the state have vowed to do what it takes to hold Inter-Con accountable. They’ve pledged to increase their protests in the coming weeks and months, preparing to picket and even strike at other Kaiser facilities if Inter-Con management continues to break the law and violate workers’ rights.