Image provided by: SEIU Local 503; Salem, OR
About The 503 voice. (Salem, OR) ????-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 2003)
LOCAL 503 ^5 Member scholarship program awards seiu . over $20,000 for 2003/4 SEIU Local 503 awarded 36 scholarships totaling $23,500 through our member scholarship program. Recipients of $750 Scholarships are: Sherrie Soleim (Springfield), Emily Keys (Tigard), Jessica Cole (Springfield), Sarah Alexander (Portland), Kent Neal (Eugene), Wendy Wall (Baker City), Jodi Herold (Salem), Peggy Carlson (Athena), Mark Moser (Grants Pass), Genevra Csipkay- Brehm (Portland), Laci Gaskey (Sweet Home), Kalah Grover (Enterprise), Dawn Moser (Grants Pass), Garth Stacey (Oakland), Stephanie Proctor (Veneta), Stephanie Hobbs (Siletz), Loradona May (Aloha), Rebecca Grinde (Rogue River), Sara-Lena Katz (Medford), Cara Kaser (Sublimity): ’ $500 Scholarships were awarded to Heather Whisenhunt (Roseburg), Kathleen ■ Walro (Eugen e);BenjaminWeaver- (Milwaukie), Jennifer Sargent (Lakeside), Lisa Brauer (Portland), Chloe Hansen (Ashland), Austin Charron (Corvallis), Mikaylee Oconnor (Corvallis), Travis Phillips (Medford), Briita ’' Orwick (Corvallis), Larae Guillory (Wallowa), Michelle Morris (Tigard), Megan Murphy (Sutherlin), and Kendal Vreeland (Salem). The Jessie Bostelle Memorial scholarship was awarded to Paula Mentzer-Leclair, a homecare member from LaGrande. Paula is a teaching major who has been very active in the arts and who hopes to teach art and social studies at thejunior and high school level. The Tony Lowery Memorial scholarship was awarded to Amanda Schnell from Gresham, who coordinates the Teen to Teen program for the Cascades AIDS Project. Two children of SEIU Local 503 members were recipients of scholarships from the International. Steven Harney (son of James) is attending the University of Oregon and was awarded a four year scholarship of ^OOO'p^Fy^r^'MaUra’Rosenblit(daughter of Joel) received a scholarship of $1,500 and is attending Tulane University. 66 / think it's a good thing that the union takes an interest in the future success of members' families. In my daughter Stephanie's case, every dollar of scholarship assistance that she got helped in a big way. Steve Proctor Revenue Agent, Eugene For more information on SEIU Local 503's scholarship program, contact Rebecca Kozisek at 1 -800-452-2146. Application forms for 2004/5 will be available mid-December. Member action continues to make us stronger together... by Leslie toise, Executive Director, SEIU Local 503, OPEU 2003 saw SEIU members in struggle on every front. Ninety percent of members were in bargaining this year, in the toughest economic and political climate in recent times. In many contracts, including DAS and OUS, we won significant victories by protecting our health benefits but accepted little or nothing in wage increases. Our 13,000 Homecare members made history by winning employee-only health insurance and workers' compensation coverage for the first time. From Umatilla to Springfield, local government and private non-profit members won contracts that included, in many cases, more progress for members than we originally thought possible find members rally at -the university o? Oregon as -they Viyht -tahebachs by -the Oregon university System. At the legislature, member and staff lobbyists fought back privatization schemes and blocked bills that would have limited collective bargaining rights. Our members', lobbying on PERS prevented some of the worst PERS proposals from passing, but what did pass was so unacceptable that we are suing to have it reversed. The final state budget, shaped in part by our members' phone calls, e-mails, and face-to- face lobbying, contained some painful cuts in services, but it also included $800 million in new revenue. Unless our opponents succeed in overturning it through a referendum, this revenue package will go a long way toward protecting public services and our jobs Our union has grown this year, as employees in the Department of Fish and Wildlife, Housing and Community Services, Mid-Columbia Council of Governments, and Addus Healthcare have chosen to join SEIU Local 503. Since our power comes from our numbers, our newest members mean more strength in the future. As this newsletter goes to press, nine hundred nursing home workers and 1,200 Department of Judicial Services employees are in the process of organizing into our union. As always, members' daily struggles in workplaces across the state are our union's lifeblood. In Salem, Marion County workers have joined together publicly to demand accountability from arbitrary and disrespectful managers. In the Department of Revenue, members are organizing to demand more respect for minority staff and clients. These are the activities that will keep our union vibrant and strong. They prepare us well for the challenges of 2004. tr“ «fp« PAGE 2 SEIU Local 503, OPEU - STRONGER TOGETHEI
