April 12, 2009 New health care union grows in Sacramento By Seth Sandronsky Employees at nursing homes in Sacramento, Woodland and Pacifica, operated by North American Health Care, Inc., left the Service Employees International Union to join the new National Union of Healthcare Workers on March 17. “The new union tells us the truth about our contract negotiations with the employer,” said Ulette Bloomer, a cook and union steward on the night shift at Valley Skilled Nursing Home, by Sacramento... Sethsky Jim Knapp 2009-04-14T06:27:46Z 2009-04-14T06:27:46Z

I'll waste my time now...since your obviously employed by a union, and just a tad biased...Most nursing homes are funded through medicaid/medicare... Before medicaid, and before our culture spiraled down, families used to take care of their own elderly, not force the taxpayers. Since that time, the government has stepped in and offered to pay for this care, people shipped the elderly off to nursing homes. Like all social programs, there are unintended consequences to politicians wanting to appear benevolent (but actually just trying to buy the votes of seniors who vote en mass). Our governments need to step in and care for everyone who is elderly, pay for their medical care and all of their prescription drugs (regardless of personal income of the beneficiaries) has strapped us with TENS OF TRILLIONS of dollars in entitlement debt AND has helped rip the fabric in American families. People from other cultures do not do this, even if they live in America. Soon there will be less than 50% of the country working to pay for the social security and medicare for all of the baby boomers...but i bet you don't see this as a problem do you Pinelli...Obama will just print more money.

Jim Knapp 2009-04-14T06:27:46Z Pinelli 2009-04-13T13:40:45Z 2009-04-13T13:40:45Z

IF "nursing homes are funded by taxpayers" (where are the details for that claim?), and IF there were no unions to protect people from the absurd Randian-delusions of "people" like Mr. Galt, (who seems to think that those who work with sick people can be taken advantage of by denying them decent wages and health care themselves) all of the old and sick people you find too expensive to care for would be dead. I guess that's how "he" wants it!! Your idea of reality is really warped "Galt" and I hope you never take an IED to the head and need VA rehab cause then you will rue the day you decided to read the tripe Ayn Rand (an addictive, mentally-ill, child rapist) wrote.

Pinelli 2009-04-13T13:40:45Z Jim Knapp 2009-04-12T14:55:52Z 2009-04-12T14:55:52Z

Great, nursing homes are almost entirely funded by tax dollars... so now the unions get more of our tax dollars. The patients will get less care because of unionism and because budgets will have to be slashed to pay for higher labor rates. It defies all sound economic theories to raise labor rates during a recession, but the unions do not care how this will harm our country or patient care.

Jim Knapp 2009-04-12T14:55:52Z