Image provided by: SEIU Local 503; Salem, OR
About The Oregon public employe. (Salem, Oregon) 1981-???? | View Entire Issue (April 1, 2002)
Leadership Column ----------------------- ------ by Kathie Best SEIU Local 503, OPEU President Something worth fighting for... Dear FeUow Members, Healthcare is an issue that is so large, so complex and so expensive that it is almost beyond our comprehension. But, the birth of my first granddaughter, Tessa Maxine, on February 1, reminded me that she is. what the healthcare debate is all about. There are many parents and grandparents in our membership who may have had the same realization. As we age, we must worry about the health of our parents, too. Others may have chronic illnesses that need on-going attention. costs. The inmate population in our state prisons is growing older with its attendant health concerns. The rising costs the Oregon Health Plan faces was the subject of Considerable discussion in the public hearings the Governor held on February 14 and 15. The United States is alone among so-called “first world” nations, in that it does not provide health insurance for all of its citizens. In Europe and Japan, this isn’t a matter o f whether the social democrats or the conservative party is in power; in their view, it’s what civilized nations do. our children and our grandchildren; it’s about our families and ourselves; it’s about money in our pockets. This is not just an Oregon Campaign, but an SEIU national-eampaign. Oregon is one of the first states targeted to receive New Strength and Unity dollars for this effort. SEIU International recognizes that in order to give the national government the political will to address this issue in a meaningful way, some states must act first. SEIU Local 503, OPEU has made a commitment to the improvement of healthcare in Oregon. I t has been thrilling to watch m y granddaughter, The members of our bargaining teams have struggled for years to maintain accessible and affordable healthcare. Their broad knowledge of healthcare issues is passed along to the membership so that we, appropriately, can assist in critical decisions that affect our health insurance. We also have a tremendous resource in Leslie Frane, our new Executive Director, who has spent the past 14 years with SEIU Local 1199 New England, which represents 20,000 public and private healthcare workers. We welcome her to our Local and look forward to learning from her. Tessa Maxine, being bom and experiencing the Our health and how we will pay for first days of her life. At Union meetings and at the workplace, at the Capitol and in the media, care is something many o f us worry in the days and weeks about every day...ifs about our and months.. .perhaps children and our grandchildren; it’s years.. .to come, as we about our families and ourselves; talk about the Health it’s about money in our pockets. Security Campaign, we’ll talk about millions, even billions, o f dollars. We’U talk SEIU Local 503, OPEU and SEIU about “issues” and say nationally have been leaders in pushing Kathie and Tessa they are part of a for health security for all. Here in “ fight” or a “straggle.” Oregon, SEIU is committed to taking on But, behind it all is a very gentle thing, a the big issues, including ones that provide newborn baby, or someone with a dreadful benefits to more than just our membership. Our health and how we will pay for care is disease who is frightened and feels alone. It We’ve been a leader since the mid-70’s in the something many of us worry about everyday, involves a homecare client, whose mind is lucid area of healthcare. With the formation of the whether it’s routine examinations, prescription and focused, but whose body has fused into Bargaining Unit Benefits Board (BUBB), we drug costs or a catastrophic illness. Members immobility or an older person fearing they can’t were able to control the design of healthcare reveal this in conversations with one another afford to maintain their dignity in their last plans in order to keep costs low, to provide and SEIU Local 503, OPEU leaders. Ask years. coverage to all bargaining unit members with no someone about future DAS and Higher Ed out-of-paycheck premium charges and to insist contract negotiations and the worry is whether In part, our Health Security Campaign ought to on a certain level of wellness participation. our raise will be eaten up by premium increases. be about pride; in ourselves, in our state and our More recently, we’ve won representation of Our local government and nonprofit locals are nation, and in our Union that, once again, is homecare workers, thus improving the stability facing this Rattle as well. Pick up the newspaper taking a leadership role on this issue. of a service that will enable all Oregonians to and find “strike” in the headlines; healthcare is continue living in our own homes and to remain one of the strike issues. In Strength and Unity, independent as we grow older. More and more of the state budget goes to cover rising healthcare costs - and not just for state workers. The K-12 education budget is . absorbing spiraling increases in healthcare Here’s what’s important to know about the Health Security Campaign: It involves an issue that we all feel acutely ahd personally; it’sabout " T H E OREGON PUBLIC EMPLO YEE PAGE 3
