SEIU United Healthcare Workers-West of Oakland, Calif., was formed in early 2005 after the members of Local 250 in Northern California and Local 399 in Southern California voted to unify. The union s 140,000 members work in every facet of the healthcare industry including hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and homecare. UHW is among the fastest growing union in the nation as well as one of the most powerful health care unions west of the Mississippi. Health Care workers unionize as a way to achieve an effective voice to improve their jobs and quality of care they provide to their patients. The union is affiliated with the Service Employees International Union and the AFL-CIO.