The Service Employees International Union won a hard-fought struggle for the right to represent California health care workers, getting 58% of the vote against rival union, the National Union of Healthcare Workers-California Nurses Association. The victory was SEIU's second against NUHW, after a previous 2010 election was overturned by the NLRB amid allegations of unfair practices, including intimidation of workers. Experts say the rivalry points to union strength in the healthcare industry at a time when unions in other fields have largely seen numbers and influence decline.
See "Battle at Kaiser Permanente is sign of vibrant unions in healthcare", Amanda Becker, Reuters, May 6, 2013