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NUHW member and Kaiser therapist Ilana Marcucci-Morris was quoted in a short KQED public radio segment about our concerns that Kaiser is setting the stage to lay off therapists as it seeks to outsource more mental health services and invests more in artificial intelligence.
Compassus officially took operational control over Providence’s home health and hospice services, which impacts bargaining for NUHW members doing that work in Sonoma County. Becker’s Hospital Review reported that Attorney General Rob Bonta imposed several conditions on the agreement between Providence and Compassus, but did not block the deal.
Politico reported that NUHW members voted in support of endorsing Katie Porter for governor after the candidate forum at our Frontlines Leadership Conference.
CBS News reported that findings by The Trevor Project, an LGBTQ+ advocacy organization that provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services, show that amid a surge in anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, anxiety symptoms among this population rose from 57 percent to 68 percent; those reporting depressive symptoms climbed from 48 percent to 54 percent, and suicidal ideation grew from 41 percent to 47 percent. The study also found that a strong support network, such as living in an LGBTQ+-affirming home and access to health care, were shown to ease symptoms for some.
The NLRB sued to block California’s AB 288, which empowers the state’s Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) to enforce federal labor rights when the board cannot or will not act, such as when there is no quorum or if cases are significantly delayed. According to the Los Angeles Times, the NLRB claims that the recently signed law oversteps its authority to regulate private-sector union elections and labor disputes, and that California cannot regulate areas that are explicitly reserved for federal oversight.
Courthouse News reported that the California Chamber of Commerce successfully paused SB 399, which penalizes employers for firing or threatening workers or discriminating against them for refusing to attend meetings involving religious or political issues (including talk of labor unions). The U.S. District Judge ruled the law is preempted by the National Labor Relations Act and violates the First Amendment’s free speech clause.
