Running for Executive President of UNAC/UHCP
In 2020, healthcare workers’ lives and the work we did changed instantly with COVID 19. Overnight, UNAC/UHCP members were asked to carry the weight of a global pandemic while often working without the staffing, resources, and protective equipment needed to safely care for patients and protect one another.
As bargaining approached in 2021, the membership was confident that the sacrifices made over the previous years had placed the union in one of the strongest bargaining positions it had ever entered negotiations with. Coming off the heels of a worldwide pandemic, public support and perception of healthcare professionals was at an all time high. Healthcare workers were regularly labeled as essential workers and heroes. Many believed the union finally had the leverage necessary to force meaningful progress on staffing, working conditions, and the economic realities facing healthcare workers and their families.
That belief was not matched by the outcome.
After the 2021 contract was ratified, many members were frustrated with the contract and with UNAC/UHCP leadership.
Heading into bargaining again in 2025, the UNAC/UHCP membership believed that we had learned from the failures of 2021 and were finally prepared to deliver the results the membership had been waiting years for.
Once again, that belief was not matched by the outcome.
This past year forced difficult conversations across our union. Members stood on strike lines, lost income, spent time away from their families, and put themselves through one of the most difficult contract fights many had ever experienced.
On those strike lines, people showed up for one another, supported each other through uncertainty, and continued fighting because they believed the sacrifices being made mattered for the future of this union and the people within it.
The contracts that followed did not reflect, by any honest measure, what our members were fighting for. The lack of success at the bargaining table comes from disconnected leadership and a membership mobilized too late. This demands accountability.
A contract is not a win because leadership declares it one.
It is a win when the members who stood on strike lines, walked away from paychecks, and fought for safe patient care look at the outcome and say it was worth it.
That is the standard.
That is what I am running to deliver.
Strategic Approach
The conditions that weakened our position at the bargaining table were built over years of inconsistent communication, reactive mobilization, and a membership too often asked to fight before the proper foundation had been laid.
UNAC/UHCP has the numbers, talent, and leverage to operate at the highest level. What has been missing is the year round infrastructure required to consistently turn that strength into meaningful results across the entire union.
This campaign is centered on building a stronger, more connected union long before bargaining begins.
One built on trust, preparation, communication, and sustained engagement across every affiliate.
Real labor power is not built every four years. It is built continuously through relationships, credibility, and organizational strength that continues expanding long after negotiations end.
About Nate
Nate Poliakoff is an Emergency Room RN and Clinic President of KSDHCPA. He has worked at Kaiser Permanente since 2017 and has spent his leadership career focused on developing practical, long term solutions to challenges facing healthcare workers.
In 2024, his affiliate faced growing frustration around unsafe staffing and communication issues between the union and the membership. Those frustrations were beginning to negatively impact member engagement.
Working alongside his officer team, Nate helped implement a more direct and accessible approach focused on improving communication with the membership.
That work helped rebuild trust and increase participation, ultimately shaping the broader approach now driving this campaign.
Endorsements
Healthcare, Labor, and Community Leaders Supporting This Campaign
Nicole Lam, RN
Board of Directors, UNAC/UHCP
KPOC
Donnie Cobbler, PA
Affiliate Operations Officer, San Diego
Nikki Avey, RN
Hospital President, San Diego
Jessica Gutsche, RN
Labor Management Coordinating Officer
Javier Rodriguez, RN
President, South Bay
Adult Primary Care
Vycki Huynh, RN
Affiliate Vice President, San Diego
Christina Morales, FNP-C
Family Nurse Practitioner, KFRNA
Dr. Kim Carolyn Huynh, DNP-RN
Co-Chair, Sharp Hospital
SPNN, San Diego
Hospital Vice President, Zion San Diego
Lisa Nguyen, RN
Campaign Schedule
MAY18
The Call to Convention letter with full convention details will be mailed to every active member on May 18, 2026.
Important Deadlines
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Amendments Due: No later than Tuesday, July 14, 2026 by 5 PM (PT) / 2 PM (HT)
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Resolutions Due: No later than Saturday, September 12, 2026 by 5 PM (PT) / 2 PM (HT)
CALL TO CONVENTION LETTER MAILED OUT
MAY 21
12:00 PM
UNAC/UHCP Delegate Election
MAY 26
8:00 PM
MAY 27
MAY 29
AUG 17-21
AFSCME INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION
Chicago, IL — Monday, August 17 – Friday, August 21, 2026
TOWN HALL
Join via Zoom · Meeting ID: 949 2752 3640 · Passcode: 773889
rOUNDING san diego
Meet & Greet Location and Time TBD
rOUNDING san diego
Meet & Greet Location and Time TBD
Nomination and Election Timeline
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Nominations Open: May 21, 2026 at 12 PM (PT) / 9 AM (HT)
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Nominations Close: June 15, 2026 at 12 PM (PT) / 9 AM (HT)
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Challenge Period: June 15, 2026 at 5 PM (PT) / 2 PM (HT) through June 18, 2026 at 3 PM (PT) / 12 PM (HT)
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Electronic Secret Ballots Distributed: July 27, 2026 at 12 PM (PT) / 9 AM (HT)
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Voting Closes: August 5, 2026 at 3 PM (PT) / 12 PM (HT)
Campaign Contact
General inquiries:
info@natepforpresident.com
media@natepforpresident.com
Phone: 858 442 8280