Date of Award
12-2018
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Community Development and Planning (CDP)
Department
International Development, Community and Environment
Chief Instructor
Ramon Borges-Mendez
Second Reader
Kathryn Madden
Keywords
labor, unions, care work, healthcare unionism, social change, working class, women of color, gender, patient advocacy, organizational inequality
Abstract
This paper analyzes women in health care unions by specifically examining the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) as a case study. Moreover, this paper asks: what motivates these health care workers; is it primarily patient care, or are there other significant issues? How do workers think about their product of care, and how does this affect unionism? And how is gender connected to these issues? After interviewing six health care workers in SEIU, this paper found that the motivation of health care workers is partially motivated by patient issues, but that this occurs in a negative sense. Union organizational limitations cause health care workers that are focused on their patients to become disillusioned with the union, despite helping patients being a motivator for the work itself. This paper also concludes that a large motivating factor is positive associations formed with unions at an early age, and the affect this has had on broader socio-political values. This paper concludes that there are necessary changes needed in union organizations such as SEIU. Nevertheless, unions remain vital for women, health care workers and workers more generally, even when unions perpetuate glaring imperfections
Recommended Citation
Rothfelder, Alex, "The Social Value of SEIU Women" (2018). International Development, Community and Environment (IDCE). 225.
https://commons.clarku.edu/idce_masters_papers/225
Included in
Gender and Sexuality Commons, Health Policy Commons, Inequality and Stratification Commons, Politics and Social Change Commons, Work, Economy and Organizations Commons