Press Release
September 19, 2022
No on 29 Launches Voter Education Campaign
For immediate release: September 19, 2022
Contact: Kathy Fairbanks (916) 813-1010
kfairbanks@bcfpublicaffairs.com
Ads warn of harm to dialysis patients, emergency room overcrowding, higher health costs for all
Sacramento – A coalition representing dialysis patients, doctors, nurses, social justice advocates and dialysis providers today launched its No on 29 voter education campaign to inform voters about the dangers of Prop 29 which will jeopardize patient access to care, worsen our health care provider shortage and increase health care costs for all Californians. This is the third ballot measure in as many elections bankrolled by SEIU-UHW and is nearly identical to Proposition 23, which voters rejected by more than 20 points in November 2020.
The initial launch of the statewide broadcast, cable, satellite and digital voter education campaign features three ads:
Dialysis Patient Angie, emergency room physician Dr. Greg Moran, and an ad called Dialysis Patients Like Me featuring multiple dialysis patients.
“Prop 29 is dangerous for dialysis patients, and we’re tired of being pawns in this abuse of the electoral system,” said DeWayne Cox, dialysis patient from Van Nuys. “Dialysis treatment is literally a matter of life and death for dialysis patients like me. This union doesn’t care about dialysis patients or they wouldn’t put our lives at risk every two years.”
Voters resoundingly rejected UHW’s last two failed ballot measures – Prop 8 in 2018 by 60%, and Prop 23 in 2020 by 63%. Every editorial board that has weighed in on Prop 29 has urged voters to reject it.
More than 80,000 Californians with failed kidneys need dialysis treatments three days a week to stay alive. Missing even a single dialysis treatment increases patients’ risk of death by 30%.
Care in California dialysis clinics consistently beats the national average. According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, on average, California outperforms the rest of the nation on quality of patient care and patient satisfaction.
Prop 29 would force every dialysis clinic in California to hire new administrators to be on-site at all times – even though they would not be able to provide direct patient care. The independent, non-partisan California Legislative Analyst’s Office said this provision alone “would increase each clinic’s costs by several hundred thousand dollars annually on average.” (page 4)
This unnecessary requirement would cost hundreds of millions statewide, forcing dialysis clinics in California to cut back services or shut down, making it harder for patients to access their treatments — putting their lives at risk.
The Prop 29 initiative shakedown is just a continuation of UHW’s broader corporate union organizing campaign against health care providers. Since 2012, SEIU-UHW has wasted $82 million of its members’ dues money on 60 ballot initiatives across the country either directly or through its 501c4. In California alone, UHW has filed 23 state and local initiatives at a cost of $58 million or about $600 per member in wasted dues money.