Sal Rosselli
Encyclopedia
Sal Rosselli is president
of the National Union of Healthcare Workers
. He was the president of SEIU United Healthcare Workers West
until 2009, when the local union was placed into trusteeship by its parent union, SEIU.
NUHW was formed by Rosselli and former members of UHW-West following the trusteeship. UHW-West's leadership had refused to support the transfer of 65,000 homecare
and nursing home
workers into a different SEIU local union
. The local had also been critical of deals struck by SEIU that prohibited nursing home employees from reporting safety concerns to authorities. After a brief standoff, SEIU International President Andy Stern
placed UHW-West in trusteeship, removing its leaders and appointing two senior SEIU staff members to run the local. The ousted leaders, together with other disgruntled members, announced the formation of NUHW just days later. SEIU filed a federal lawsuit against NUHW and several former SEIU-UHW staff members in 2009, alleging they breached their fiduciary duty for opposing SEIU's efforts to impose a trusteeship and for working to build a rival union while still employed by SEIU. On April 9, 2010, a jury awarded a total of $737,850 in damages to SEIU.
In 1969, Rosselli worked with Dorothy Day
of the Catholic Worker
group, and later spent two years in the Peace Corps
. He also worked with the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club
in the 1980s, becoming president of the club in 1984. He is a board member of Rainbow/PUSH
. He has served as grand marshal of the San Francisco Pride
parade and is one of the most prominent openly gay
labor leaders.
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of the National Union of Healthcare Workers
National Union of Healthcare Workers
National Union of Healthcare Workers is an independent labor union based in Oakland, California. It was formed after a split with the SEIU United Healthcare Workers West...
. He was the president of SEIU United Healthcare Workers West
SEIU United Healthcare Workers West
The SEIU United Healthcare Workers West is a statewide local union of the Service Employees International Union in California in the United States. It has a membership of 150,000....
until 2009, when the local union was placed into trusteeship by its parent union, SEIU.
NUHW was formed by Rosselli and former members of UHW-West following the trusteeship. UHW-West's leadership had refused to support the transfer of 65,000 homecare
Home care
Home Care, , is health care or supportive care provided in the patient's home by healthcare professionals Home Care, (also referred to as domiciliary care or social care), is health care or supportive care provided in the patient's home by healthcare professionals Home Care, (also referred to as...
and nursing home
Nursing home
A nursing home, convalescent home, skilled nursing unit , care home, rest home, or old people's home provides a type of care of residents: it is a place of residence for people who require constant nursing care and have significant deficiencies with activities of daily living...
workers into a different SEIU local union
Local union
A local union, often shortened to local, in North America, or a union branch in the United Kingdom and other countries is a locally-based trade union organization which forms part of a larger, usually national, union.Local branches are organized to represent the union's members from a particular...
. The local had also been critical of deals struck by SEIU that prohibited nursing home employees from reporting safety concerns to authorities. After a brief standoff, SEIU International President Andy Stern
Andy Stern
Andrew L. "Andy" Stern , is the former president of the 2.2 million-member Service Employees International Union , the fastest-growing union in the Americas. SEIU is the second largest union in the United States and Canada after the National Education Association.Stern was elected in 1996 to...
placed UHW-West in trusteeship, removing its leaders and appointing two senior SEIU staff members to run the local. The ousted leaders, together with other disgruntled members, announced the formation of NUHW just days later. SEIU filed a federal lawsuit against NUHW and several former SEIU-UHW staff members in 2009, alleging they breached their fiduciary duty for opposing SEIU's efforts to impose a trusteeship and for working to build a rival union while still employed by SEIU. On April 9, 2010, a jury awarded a total of $737,850 in damages to SEIU.
In 1969, Rosselli worked with Dorothy Day
Dorothy Day
Dorothy Day was an American journalist, social activist and devout Catholic convert; she advocated the Catholic economic theory of Distributism. She was also considered to be an anarchist, and did not hesitate to use the term...
of the Catholic Worker
Catholic Worker
The Catholic Worker is a newspaper published seven times a year by the Catholic Worker Movement community in New York City. The newspaper was started by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin to make people aware of church teaching on social justice...
group, and later spent two years in the Peace Corps
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping...
. He also worked with the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club
Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club
The Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club is a San Francisco-based association and political action committee for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Democrats. Founded in 1971 by activists Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, Alice was the first organization for gay Democrats in the United States. It...
in the 1980s, becoming president of the club in 1984. He is a board member of Rainbow/PUSH
Rainbow/PUSH
Rainbow/PUSH is a non-profit organization formed as a merger of two non-profit organizations — Operation PUSH and the National Rainbow Coalition — founded by Jesse Jackson. The organizations pursue social justice, civil rights and political activism.In December 1971, Jackson resigned from...
. He has served as grand marshal of the San Francisco Pride
San Francisco Pride
The San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Celebration, usually known as San Francisco Pride, is a parade and festival held in June each year in San Francisco to celebrate the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their allies...
parade and is one of the most prominent openly gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
labor leaders.
External links
Rosselli's bio formerly at official SEIU United Healthcare Workers websiteRosselli interview at Labor Notes- Matt Smith, "Stern Reprimand", SF Weekly (June 12, 2007)
- http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123258659253004653.html?mod=googlenews_wsjKris Maher, "Union Resists SEIU Effort to Centralize Control", The Wall Street JournalThe Wall Street JournalThe Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
(January 22, 2009)] - http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/02/03/BU1L15LO03.DTLGeorge Raine, "Ousted SEIU Leaders Push Decertification Vote", San Francisco ChronicleSan Francisco Chroniclethumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
(February 3, 2009)] - Steven T. Jones, "Fallout From Union Clash", San Francisco Bay Guardian (February 4, 2009)