Peter Sidhu, UNAC/UHCP state treasurer, is a critical care RN and health care advocate. He has experience in organizing and mobilizing his fellow union members and negotiating contracts. He has a track record of taking strong, clear action against the employer when necessary, yet working as a partner to accomplish the best for UNAC/UHCP registered nurses, health care professionals and advanced practitioners.
Peter is committed to building strong connections and engaging the health care communities in addressing care inequities and chronic conditions.
Prior to joining the UNAC/UHCP executive team, Peter was most recently a staff representative, serving his home affiliate Kaiser Woodland Hills Registered Nurses Association (KWHRNA), the Kaiser Permanente Specialty Care Nurses of Southern California (SCNSC) and the Midwives and Wound Ostomy Nurses. Peter led a bargaining team that negotiated the SCNSC local collective bargaining agreement in 2018. In addition, he has co-led negotiations at the tables of Sharp Professional Nurses Network (SPNN) and St. Francis Registered Nurses Association (SFRNA).
Nursing Roots
He was raised by a single mother, a nurse, who strongly hinted, but never forced him, to follow in her footsteps. He had attended school for finance and eventually landed in nursing nearly 20 years ago as a medical-surgical nurse, progressing to relief charge nurse in ICU in 2005.
He became involved in the union after seeing his then-staff representative, Denise Duncan, RN, in action. He soon became contract specialist, then treasurer, and then hospital president for the KP Woodland Hills affiliate.
As the hospital president, he was a part of the blue book bargaining team that negotiated the first Just Culture language.
As a staff representative, Peter distinguished himself as a negotiator, leader, and activist. He joined the staff of UNAC/UHCP in 2012 as the first staff representative for both SCNSC and KPMWON. In 2014, he became the staff representative for KWHRNA, where he led the safe staffing campaign and increased our strength by adding 75 new full-time positions.
In 2015, he assisted the St. Francis bargaining team and attended Cornell University’s program in labor relations to sharpen his bargaining skills, including learning how to draft collective bargaining agreements.
In 2018, he led negotiations for SCNSC. In that year, he also played a large role in member engagement, working with UNAC/UHCP’s communications department to bring daily video updates that were also followed by the employer and which amplified our power.
The following year, 2019, Peter served as the co-lead for SPNN bargaining in San Diego, also winning a contract there. Peter also led a significant victory in Woodland Hills—the first successful staffing grievance against Kaiser Permanente. As a result, UNAC/UHCP negotiated a break relief program ensuring our members get their contractual breaks.
In fall 2020, Peter was elected to UNAC/UHCP state office as treasurer.
Featured Media
- Chasing the Virus: A Nurse’s Diary (April-May 2020)
- CBS Los Angeles: Nurses Set the Record Straight About the Controversial Stethoscope Statements Made on “The View” (September 2015)
- KTLA 5: Ebola Safety Training (November 2014)