SEIU Local 503, OPEU
I NONPROFIT ORGÍ
US POSTAGE
PO Box 12159
Salem, OR 97309-0159
PAID
SALEM OR
PERMIT NO. 202 I
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Vision to Action!
In this issue...
BOARD ELECTIONS:
Meet your candidates for
District Director and
Assistant District Director................. 2-7
What do you call a janitor from New York
City planning a rally in Cleveland with
an accountant from Columbus? ............ 8
uencrai Wurrrcri . ... .................. —
SHU International
Convention
Bargaining Team members from Evergreen nursing homes begin historic first contract negotiations.
June 19-23,2004
503 welcomes Nursing Home
Workers
N union elections late last year, 800 workers
in fourteen nursing homes from Ashland
to Milton-Freewater have joined SEIU Local
503, OPEU. Our newest, members work for
nursing homes owned by the four leading
nursing home chains in Oregon - Avamere,
Evergreen, Marquis and Prestige. We expect
Id have elections at eighteen more nursing
homes in the coming year.
I
An Unusual Process
Workers in these facilities joined our union
through an unusual process. For'the first
time in our history, we convinced private
sector employers to stay neutral when workers
began to organize. The employers agreed to
let the workers make up their own minds
about unionization without a lot of pressure
and intimidation coming from management.
In exchange for neutrality, SEIU Local 503,
OPEU provided the political strength to do
what the industry had been unable to do
alone: pass a "provider tax" through the
Legislature that will bring more federal
Medicaid money into Oregon nursing homes,
without requiring any additional state funds.
The Bush administration is currently with
holding support for provider taxes, which
would give a lot of money back to the states
for senior care. If Bush refuses to approve
this badly needed funding for seniors in
nursing homes, SEIU nursing home members
throughout the country will take actiorft^
San Francisco, California g
NOTICE OF DELEGATE
NOMINATIONS/ELECTIONS
Local 503 nursing home members are
currently sending postcards to the Governor,
urging him to work with the federal govern
ment to move the process forward as quickly
as possible, sb that the dollars begin to flow
to provide better patient care.
The SEfU International Convention is held
every four years.
SEIU Local 503, OPEU is entitled tó 28 delegates.
The four elected statewide officers áre auto
matic delegates by virtue of their office.
Nominations for the additional 24 slots ©pen
March 8,2004 and close March 30,2004.
Voting will take place at SEIU Local 503, OPEU
Headquarters in Salem on Saturday, April 10,?
2004 (11:00 9 k - noon) during the Executive
66 The union will make a big
difference on wages, health
insurance and the way we feel
about our jobs. By belonging to
the union, we're stronger
because we stand together. 99
Committee meeting.
Members wishing to vote, butwho are unable
to attend the April 10 meeting in person, can,
vote absentee. For nomination forms, or to
request an absentee ballot, Contact Karrie
Layne atSElU Local 503, OPEU Headquarters
in Salem' at 503-581 -1505 or ,
1 -800-452-2146 (outlyi ng areas).
Marilyn Willard
Certified NursingAssistant, Prestige Porthaven, Portland
Quality Care for Residents
Contract negotiations for our first group of
nursing home members began February 19.
The members' proposals address our need
for respect and dignity at work, as well as
basic union rights like seniority and a
grievance procedure. The members also
expressed determination to make our
facilities better homes for the residents
who live there.
If you have friends or family members who
work at an Oregon nursing home and are
interested in forming a union, have them call
Steven Ward at 1 -800-527-9374 ext 114.
Our staff to resident ratio is almost double the norm. At our bargaining
session we presented a petition to management. We need to bring this
ratio down to provide quality care to residents. 99
Angela Simon
Absentee ballot requests must be received by
5:00 p.m. March 30,2004 and the ballots will
be mailed on April 1,2004. Absentee ballots
are due by 5:00 p.m.,'Thursday, April 15,2004
and will be cbunted Friday, April 16,2004.
BOARD ELECTIONS
DISTRICT DIRECTOR AND
ASSISTANT DISTRICT DIRECTOR
Ballots will be mailed on March 15, 2004 and
must be received at Headquarters by 5:00
p.m. April 5,2004. Ballots will be counted at
Salem HQ on April 6, 2004. Election results
will be on the SEIU hotline 503-581-OPEU
(6738) or 1 -800-473-6738, posted on the web
site, and published in the 503 Voice.
Candidate statements are printed exactly as
submitted by the candidate. All photos are
used as supplied by the candidates.
Members may run for District Director and
Assistant District Director as a write-in on the
ballot. Ballots will accommodate write-in
candidates.
Certified Nursing Assistant, Evergreen, Milton-Freewater
March 2004
SEIU Local 503, OPEU - STRONGER TOGETHER
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