FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 
December 30, 2024

OAKLAND, Calif. — In a significant ruling for California dialysis workers, a federal court concluded the National Labor Relations Board has sufficient evidence of violations of federal labor law and ordered Satellite Healthcare to reinstate a fired employee, restore raises that were denied to union members in 2023 and 2024, and immediately cease anti-union activities.

The decision is a landmark victory for frontline healthcare workers who have long struggled with chronic understaffing, low pay, and unsafe working conditions at dialysis clinics, where patients with critical kidney failure receive life-sustaining dialysis treatments multiple times a week.

“This is a huge victory for all dialysis workers,” said Cathy Mendoza, a registered nurse at Satellite Vallejo. “Satellite unjustly fired and intimidated workers to discourage our union efforts, but now, they’re being forced to follow the law. This ruling proves that we have the power to hold our employers accountable. Now, we can shift our focus back to bargaining a contract to ensure the best care for our patients.”

In October 2024, caregivers represented by SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW) were forced to strike for a week in response to unfair labor practices and illegal union-busting tactics by dialysis companies such as Satellite Healthcare, Fresenius, US Renal, and DaVita. These workers were demanding an end to violations of their rights and retaliation against caregivers who had been advocating for better patient care and improved working conditions.

Later that month, in a rare action limited to the most egregious and blatant cases, the Regional Director for Region 20 (San Francisco) of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) filed a Petition for Injunction under Section 10(j) of the National Labor Relations Act with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The petition sought to force Satellite Healthcare to correct violations that were deemed harmful to employee rights, including an alleged wrongful termination, withheld wage increases, and canceled bargaining sessions.

The court’s decision covers approximately 210 frontline healthcare workers. As part of the ruling, Satellite Healthcare must immediately reinstate a registered nurse who was wrongfully terminated, grant wage increases previously denied to employees who unionized, and end delays to contract bargaining, including the withholding of information needed for fair negotiations.

This ruling is a significant victory for workers at Satellite Healthcare and underscores the severity of the company’s actions. The National Labor Relations Board rarely seeks 10(j) injunctions, and even fewer are successful. Of the 14 injunction requests authorized in 2023, seven settled, six remain pending, and only one resulted in a court order, highlighting just how egregious Satellite Healthcare’s violations against its workers were.

SEIU-UHW represents hundreds of frontline healthcare workers at Satellite Healthcare, including registered nurses, licensed vocational nurses, patient care technicians, certified clinical hemodialysis technicians, and receptionists.

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SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW) is a healthcare justice union of more than 100,000 healthcare workers, patients, and healthcare activists united to ensure affordable, accessible, high-quality care for all Californians, provided by valued and respected healthcare workers.