NUHW was founded in 2009 by former members of United Healthcare Workers-West, a local of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), after the local was placed in trusteeship by a federal judge. The leaders of SEIU-UHW at that time, including President Sal Rosselli, resisted efforts by SEIU International to control the local's democratic decision-making process against the will of its members and in violation of the local's constitution. The local's leadership (Rosselli) and the international leadership were at odds over the proposed removal of 65 000 long term healthcare workers into the LA based local 6434 run by the corrupt Tyrone Freeman.[1][2][3] SEIU International responded by putting the local into trusteeship.
Following SEIU International's implementation of the trusteeship, SEIU-UHW rank-and-file leaders voted to form NUHW, and thousands of member soon voted to leave SEIU-UHW and join NUHW.
