SEIU LOCAL 250
These cartoons were drawn during the SEIU Local 250 union organizing campaign at my workplace, Mercy General, a Catholic Healthcare West hospital. The campaign began Sept, 1997, and ended Jan, 2000, when the union vote failed. (In a decision dated May 24, 2001, the NLRB determined that Mercy Sacramento's conduct had been unlawful and as a remedy Mercy was ordered to hold a second election.)

However prior to the NLRB decision, as part of the contract agreement with CHW hospitals in the Bay area, CHW signed an agreement not to interfere with SEIU Local 250's organizing efforts and a new union campaign began in April, 2001.

On November 14, 2001, a second union election was held. When the votes were counted, healthcare workers at CHW hospitals in Sacramento won resoundingly in the Service bargaining unit, but failed to win in the Technical unit. However a significant number of technical votes were challenged, and these votes were submitted to an arbitration process.

Mercy Hospitals in Sacramento joined other CHW hospitals in California for the contract negotiation process which began right after the union election. The negotiations went through various harrowing stages, but a great contract was finally bargained, and was ratified on April 19, 2002.

As per the techs: It was decided in April 2002 NOT to go through arbitration with the challenged technical unit votes, and instead to hold another election for the techs. This time, on May 22nd, 2002, the technical unit voted 244-157 to join the union.

Cartoons will be added as union events transpire. Campaign 2001/2002 cartoons are titled in orange, 2003 in purple, 2004 IN RED.

The most recent cartoon will be at the bottom of the list.

Cartoons drawn for events unconnected with Local 250.