DISTRICT 1: Assistant District Director Coni. (3 positions available)
What are your qualifications
for this office?
Name
Gina M.
Santacroce
Current Statewide CAPE
Secretary, Local CAPE Board
member, Steward, Member o f
the Statewide Newsletter
Committee.
DHS
Union Experience:
I attend all local Steward and
District meetings as well as
attending all SDA 2
Labor/Management meetings. I
attend all Board o f Director
Meetings. I have attended the
AFL-CIO conference in Albany
and I have participated in the
LERC conference in Eugene. I
have attended Chief Steward
Trainings. I am a political
activist and had numerous
letters to the editor published
in local newspapers.
Why are you seeking
this office, your goals?
I am seeking this honorable
position o f Assistant District
Director to expand on the pas
sion I have in incorporating the
innate and fundamental rights
that all working men and
women have a voice in their
workplace. My goals are to
share my knowledge o f our
plight to persevere in the face
adversity. To lead, motivate,
educate and inform out mem
bers that we must continue to
fight for a voice, to unify our
solidarity and keep are hands
firm ly together.
Goals for your District?
1) For District 1 to have in
place by summer 2004, our
website link fo r Local 200 up
and running by summer of
2004
2) To work with our members
to increase our awareness
on our workload campaign
and to integrate the urgency
that is needed for solutions.
Biggest single issue/how
to resolve?
I n t. . ,
Other info.
The biggest single issue for SEIU
Local 503 is our upcoming
negotiations for our 2005-2007
contract. We will face one of
the toughest fights in memory
to retain affordable health care
and a viable wage for all our
hardworking men and women.
We must educate our mem
bers to have the commitment
to solidify our cause. We must
retain our step increases and
cost o f living increases. We
must inform our members to
be ready for increased worksite
participation. My hope is that I
inspire each member and ignite
the passion they have for a
healthy, happy and safe work
environment.
DISTRICT 2: District Director (4 positions available)
What are your qualifications
for this office?
Name
Paula K. Allen
• M em ber fo r 14 years
• Steward fo r 9 years
Revenue
• Currently the Chief Steward
fo r Revenue Local 150
• Representative from District
2 to the statewide Steward's
Council
• Bargaining delegate several
times
• General council delegate
several times (district and
local)
Lynda K. Clure
DHS
(A
Xóchitl Esparza
DHS
Lee Meyers
Homecare
Ginger Redlinger
Education
t
\
ÍS Í)
Anne Webb
Revenue
Union Experience:
• Participant in phone bank
ing, signature gathering,
and/or canvassing
• Planner & participant in
worksite actions
•Advocate/activist fo r union
• Delegate to the Oregon AFL-
CIO Convention
• Planning and coordinate fund
raising activities
• New employee orientations,
groups & individual
Why are you seeking
this office, your goals?
Having become more involved
at the district level over the
past couple o f years, I would
like the opportunity to actively
serve in a leadership role.
Goals:
•T o improve communication
from Local 503 down through
the district level to the locals
and members
•To educate members and
increase awareness of worker
issues and unionism as
national o r international
movement
•T o see more of the locals rep
resented at General Council
Goals for your District?
•T o increase participation by
locals at the district level
•T o reach out to locals that are
troubled, isolated, and unin
volved
•T o educate members about
the structure and governance
o f the union
Biggest single issue/how
to resolve?
It is difficult to single out one
issue. Certainly health
insurance, retirement benefits,
step increases, colas, and con
tracting out or privatization are
right up there. I don't know
how to resolve them, but I
know if we all work together
we can find solutions and
maybe fix some o f it. By 'all' I
mean a coalition of
individuals, union, community
groups and leaders, religious
groups and leaders, national
groups and leaders, interna
tional groups and leaders mak
ing a concerted effort. We can
start by electing a labor friendly
President.
I
.
. ,
Other info.
Purple is my
favorite color.
• Member o f the SEIU
Relationship Committee
• Co-secretary fo r District 2
•A u th o r and photographer for
Revenue Local 150 website
• Frequent member o f the
arbitration screening commit
tee
• Much more...
I've been a member with
SEIUOPEU Local 503 fo r over
25 years. I've been an activist
since becoming a member. I've
been through 2 strikes; I'm cur
rently an Executive Office for
Local 200, Chair sub-local 200-
18, and a steward. I've been an
Assistant District Director for
District 2. I’ve been an
Executive officer for Local 461,
a Dist-3 Rep fo r Local 461,
Chief Steward for Local 200,
served on 2 Flying Squadrons,
Chair the Women Council, a
Rep on the women's council.
I try to keep up on what is
happening with the Union. I've
been a delegate at the last 8
General Councils and a
bargaining Delegate since 1988.
I marched on the World Trade
Center in Seattle, Washington.
In 1995 during the strike, I
marched on the Capital in
Salem. I've been an activist
since I joined the Union in
1978.
I talk with members daily; The
Union has lost some o f its
credibility with members.
Members in DHS were upset
when they didn't get a raise for
the 2003-2005 contract, and
lost step raises. I want to work
on building the trust and get
ting more members active. I
want members to understand
that it's their tim e to step up
and make the union strong
again, like in 1995 when 10,000
members marched on the cap
ital in Salem.
District 2 has the largest mem
bership o f all 6 Districts. We
need to get more people
involved in the Union; they
need to understand that to get
better contracts, they need to
be more active.
Failure of Ballot measure 30.
The cuts the government might
make in State Programs. The
deficit. I'm not sure how to
resolve it, but believe Oregon
does need some kind o f State
Tax to help. We need to keep
members informed. Getting
people active with the union.
We are stronger together.
I've been an active member
in our union since 2000 and
during that tim e I have
participated in various SEIU
Local 503 campaigns. In
addition, I have experience
being a board member in
fou r community-based
organizations whose vision
is in line w ith the labor
movement.
In my 4 1/2 years o f union
involvement, lhave served in
SEIU Local 503, OPEU in the
following ways: as a shop
steward, as the chair o f the
Latino Caucus, as a member of
CAPE as a delegate to the
Capitol Activist Program, and
as an activist communicating
campaign information to my
worksite members. I have
experience lobbying on SEIU
issues at both the state and
congressional levels.
I am seeking this office because
I am passionate about labor
and social justice issues; I am
dedicated and I feel I can make
a contribution to our board. I
bring experience, training and
public speaking skills. During
my term, I plan to contribute
to further the goals o f our local
and our union as a whole. I
understand the importance of
the work our union does and
that we are a part o f a bigger
whole.
In my district I plan to
collaborate with the existing
leadership to continue
communication regarding our
union's goals and campaigns
(local and national) in an
effort to increase member
involvement.
We are in a very difficult
economic and political climate
and I think that our union will
face many issues during my
term, the biggest being health
care for our members. I think
that it will take all of us working
together to resolve it. We need
to continue building a strong
union so that we all speak with
one voice.
I understand that
SEIU's local and
national
campaigns and all
the work that goes
on are part o f a
movement to
create a more just
society and
better working
conditions for
workers.
I am now an ADD and a
Homecare Council Director
fo r tw o terms.
Served as shop steward fo r the
new homecare contract. Do
new employee orientations.
CAPE committee, bargaining
team, homecare qualifications
committee.
The union has done so much
for me as a homecare worker
so I want to give back to the
union. I would like to see
homecare fully integrated into
Local 503.
To decrease % of fair share
Increase number o f activists
What to do about the PERS
changes and to address the dif
ferences between the
public employees and the
health healthcare empoyees
and to achieve unity.
As I've been with
homecare since
it's infancy in the
union through the
political process
now to the
outreach to the
nursing home
organization I feel
I can offer the
benefit o f my
experience to the
growth in that
I served on the Leadershp
Team and the Bargaining
Team this year. I am a steward.
I have volunteered fo r phone
banking and am politically
active fo r pro-union causes
and candidates.
I have served as a Board
Director in the Oregon
Education Association for my
local, served on leadership &
executive councils, served as
political action chair, and have
attended state and national
conventions.
Difficult times call for innova
tive leadership that maintain
the heart, solidarity and
strength o f the union member
ship. I have experience, heart,
and respect for our members
and want to help the union
move forward in the best inter
est o f all the members.
Goal 1 : Improve communica
tion & streamline entry o f new
member into more active par
ticipation
• M em ber in good standing of
Revenue Local 150.
• Member organizer (MOC) in
2002.
• Bargaining delegate at the
Special Agencies Coalition for
the last three contracts.
• Represented the coalition at
the Central Table in 2003.
Currently, I am serving my first
term o f one o f four directors of
District 2. My experience will
provide stability as we elect
new directors.
District meetings are important
for many reasons. One is that
it allows members to meet and
discuss issues with the District
Directors who represent
members on the Board of
Directors. I want to continue
to increase the number of
agencies whose members
attend the District 2 meetings.
•V ice President o f my Local.
• Current Director o f
District 2.
• Represent District 2 on the
Finance, Operational Audit
and CAPE committees.
March 2004
To increase number o f people
at district meetings
Goal 2: Provide support for
members who want to know
how to improve their profes
sional skills.
Promoting & ensuring the elec
tion o f pro-union candidates to
improve chances fo r successful
negotiation o f increases in
salary & benefits. Resolve:
through more political action &
provide evidence to the public
o f the high degree o f skills
workers have, and the bargain
the public is getting fo r its
money.
Our members are deeply divided
on social and political issues just
as our country is. We need to
learn how to talk to each other
so that every member feels
valued and respected by other
members. We must learn how
to talk to our families and
friends about how the United
States needs the labor move
ment to be strong. We need to
become visible in the mainstream.
We need to join our fellow citi
zens to improve our economy
and preserve our liberty
SEIU Local 503, OPEU - STRONGER TOGETHER
If elected, I will
do my best to
represent
members' interests
on the Board
o f Directors, in
politics, and in
other community
settings.
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