Image provided by: SEIU Local 503; Salem, OR
About The 503 voice. (Salem, OR) ????-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 2003)
¡/[[(M &003 Nonprofit Organization U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit No. 202 Salem, Oregon Address service requested In this Issue... Working to protect public services in Oregon Scholarship Winners....................... 2 AFL/CIO Convention....................... 3 Year in Review............................ 2/3 Notice of Elections......... outside flap PERS Counseling ............ inside flap Crossword Puzzle............. inside flap General Council ......... outside flap/4 Our chance to get involved in the 2004 campaign 66 Anytime anybody asks you to write or call your congressmen, do it! I've done it before, but after I met with our representatives and read the newspapers the next day, I saw it really does make a difference. Lonny Morgan 4 Reasons to Get Involved Building Maintenance, Jackson County by Rachel Chartier and Lonny Morgan, Jackson County members This was the first time either of us attended the Member Political Action Conference in Washington, DC. There were about twenty Local 503 members at the conference. We felt honored to be involved. 1,600 SEIU members from around the country stormed the Capitol as we lobbied for protections for overtime pay, affordable prescription drug coverage, and access to . college for U.S.-raised children of immigrants. We met with our state's members of Congress and the next day Congress voted to protect overtime pay. (But President Bush has pledged to veto the bill so 8 rrfitfion workers could lose paid overtime.) When we were waiting to talk to Senator Wyden, he came down the hall towards us. Recogn¡zing bur purpIFslTnrts, Ke ex^ "The purple people! I always love seeing all the purple people.", Presidential Candidates Interviewed Some of us were able to talk directly to presidential candidates - eight of the nine were at the conference! My group met with Howard Dean and11 asked about his support for Healthy Start. He said that he started an early intervehtion program in Vermont and as a doctor he believes ip Healthy Start. The Heroes Program SEIU President Andy Stern introduced Heroes Program - a way for 2,004 members to take paid time off work to educate voters about what's at stake in the 2004 election. Federal action affects funding for public services (including wages and benefits), ; overtime pay, health care, education, worker safety, privatization, and the right of workers to form a unibn. The Heroes Program wil& provide training and payment for Local 503 members who come off thbjob to work on educating people about political issues. If you're interested in taking a paid leave to do political work, contact your organizer. O Schools in Oregon are underfunded by more than $338 million. Our children are paying the price in shortened school years and class sizes in excess of 50 students. 0 8 million workers - in every sector - could lose paid overtime if the President vetoes pending legislation. At a time of record unemployment, spending on training and employ ment programs has dropped from $300 to $160 for each unemployed worker. O SEIU 503 members met Senator Wyden when they lobbied in Washington, DC. L - R: Mary Miles- Breedlove, Lonny Morgan, Senator Wyden, Steve Barrett, Rachel Chartier, and Mark Gronso. .EADERSHlP ^ pemy O 40,000 working poor have been kicked off the Oregon Health Plan and 85,000 more are in jeopardy of losing their coverage. . . Training to help new leaders build strength in the workplace 66 / think this is a great idea because the more leaders we have, the stronger we'll be.^ Mary Springer We all know we need tb have more power and more leaders in the workplace. Our union has terrific rank and file leaders throughout the state who have provided strong leadership for SEIU for many years. They always tell us that more leaders are needed to,share the rewarding and often difficult task o| j building the union - and making us stronger on the job. With many of our leaders nearing retirement, the need to replenish our ranks is even greater. Information Specialist, DMV - . headquarters, Salem The Leadership Academy will focus on helping new leaders build skills that are essential for a strong and powerful union. The program combines classroom training with direct follow-up mentoring and training in the field. This year-long program is scheduled in blocks of three months of one-to-one mentoring interspersed with training sessions and conferences. Each staff organizer will work with three new member leaders. In consultation with their staff organizer, each member leader will design their program to match their needs. By focusing on field work, new member leaders will be able to practice and see results of new skills as they learn them. Contact your organizer for more information. SEIU Local 503, OPEU - STRONGER TOGETHER PAGE 1
