Image provided by: SEIU Local 503; Salem, OR
About The 503 voice. (Salem, OR) ????-current | View Entire Issue (March 1, 2004)
DISTRICT 5: Assistant District Director Con't. (2 positions available) What are your qualifications for this office? Name Jennifer (Jenny) Garner DHS Union member for 51/2 years while caseworker for DHS/Child Welfare. Willingness to travel as needed and a strong belief that union strength is vital to public employees. DISTRICT 6: District Director Name Janet M. Fei rris OYA /T V Union Experience: Member of a public employees union in Twenty-nine Palms, CA 1979-1983. Although I haven't had a long involvement with unions I am very familiar with the history of unions. Why are you seeking this office, your goals? With the failure of Measure 30 it is more important than ever to support a strong union. Unions become more impor tant the more difficult it is for employees to support them. Goals for your District? To continue to provide workers with safe working conditions and adequate pay and benefits for the work they perform for the public. To work to maintain good labor and management relations where they exist and make corrections to working conditions where they don't. Holding the line on current health care benefits in the face of state budget cuts. Family, friend and public material on how benefits impact retention of qualified, experienced work ers which directly effects the publics safety through quality of service. Goals for your District? Biggest single issue/how to resolve? DHS Other info: Strong background in accounting (30 years) which I nope to use to serve board and the members or Oregon's public employees. A strong belief that unions are a vital force for worker protection. available) Why are you seeking this office, your goals? Other info: What are your qualifications for this office? Union Experience: I am currently ADD for District 6,1 am on the Stewards Committee and I am a Regional Rep for the the Northwest area for Local 415.. I have attended every Board meeting and help coordinate the fall beach clean-up, also facilitated phone banking in Tillamook for measure 28. I am seeking office to continue to stay active and involved in union business. My goals are to improve member involvement to help strengthen the union. I have the same goals for the District, then I do for SEIU Local 503,1 truly believe there is strength in numbers, the more active members there are - the better chance of winning on important issues. Bargaining of the next contract - Getting back what we deserve. I propose to resolve it by getting District 6 members to join in the fight with other SEIU members to gain a fair contract step increase back and colas, fully paid medical. I have been encouraged to run for this office by union members and SEIU staff. Past 2 years SDA chair Past 2 years statewide Labor management committee Mock organizer Better information sharing between management & the union & better communication to union members Better communication to local membership The transferring of offices (SPD) to local Government The unions job will be to keep those transferred employees SEIU/union members. No photo available. X Donna Jo Stetzel Biggest single issue/how to resolve? DISTRICT 6: Assistant District Director (2 positions available) Name Debra Davis Homecare Jack M. Davis Homecare Jim Markle Lane Co COG Saundra Mies- Grantham Employment What are your qualifications for this office? jAniDistricWirector Union Experience: to the Homecare Council, District 6 South. Learning as I go, but learning fast. Delegate from District 6 to the Southwest Central Labor Council in North Bend, Shop Steward for Homecare Local 99. Have lobbied in Salem on Homecare issues. Attended "Great March" and March on the Capital. Shop Steward, Attending Leadership Trainings. Assistant district director - Homecare council 6S 503 delegate SW Central Labor Council cape delegate district 6S Shop steward/union Rep Presentator at SPD orientations I currently serve local 908 in the capacity of shop steward. I have experience in organizing and served on the bargaining team for the initial contract negotiated between the union and LCOG. I have good com munication skills. I have teach ing experience and worked for 6 years as a public school teacher in northern California. 1 have been a group facilitator serving in that capacity on the Branch Operating Committee for Adult & Family Services in Roseburg. I was given a First Contact Award for being the first person to contact the union to ask them to represent LCOG. My first union experience was walking the line with my moth er who was one of the first female school teachers to ever go out on strike back in the early 60's. My first union job was working as a parking garage attendant in Pennsylvania in 1973 where I was represented byAFSCME. I also worked briefly for the State of Pennsylvania under the same representation. I was the shop steward for the agency when I worked for the welfare department in Willows, Ca. As an AFS employee in Roseburg I campaigned door-to-door for Kitzhaber and walked the line and marched in Salem during the strike in '95. Participated in union meetings in the workplace. Attended District meetings for fiv6 years. Designated Cape Liaison during 2002 Election. Put together candidate public forum on issues relating to Health care and other reforms important to our members. Currently working on another public forum for candidates seeking our union's endorsement. Participated in numerous phone banks in get ting out the union vote here on the central Oregon coast. Attended Lobby day at Capitol/Homecare Blitz Recruiting for members & voter reg. Home visits. Help organize union meetings. Maintain Bulliten Boards/Recruit Activists & Leaders Participated & distributed flyers at the health care forum in Coos Bay Am currently assisting in the Coos courthouse pending strike Why are you seeking this office, your goals? My largest goal is to register voters, and to try to get our members more politically involved. It's the only way to change things on a state level. Goals for your District? Biggest single issue/how to resolve? Other info: To get more training for our leaders. And motivate our members to become more involved. The presidential elections. I've applied for the Hero's Program; and even if un-excepted will still push to get out the vote and register voters. I am learning and I love learning. Life is a journey and you can either be involved and try to influ ence change or sit back and watch it go by... I'd rather travel. To promote more open communication between the different Locals of our union so that we can more effectively solve problems that may arise. To promote more input from the general membership through informal questionairs. Besides getting Pres. Bush out of office before we all go broke I think we need to form a strategy for recruiting people who are willing to run for office. We seem to be spending money supporting the same candidates for office only because no one is opposing them. We need more worker friendly legislators. I have applied to the Heros pro gram in the hopes that I can devote full time to our causes. I am currently attending Lerc Leadership classes to hone my skills. The only way to get the job done is to get in and do it and I am willing. The biggest obstacles will be political agendas designed to cripple the collective bargain ing process. The resolution will be through education, consensus building, developing more solidarity, and making sure every member registers and votes. I believe in the union to the extent that I have been willing to put my job on the line to bring it into my agency. It is an opportunity to become more directly involved with our union on a state level. I want to help recruit, organize and Train our members so that the Homecare workers will be a productive Asset to this organization. I want to further serve my co-workers and the union. I want to work toward strength ening the collective bargaining process through political action. To make sure more pressure is not placed on our members by freezing wages, reducing benefit levels or downsizing our workforce. To improve public perception and overall recognition for our members at large for the day to day services they provide to Oregonians year in and year out. March 2004 I want to strengthen the Union’s position through better communication and consensus building with the rank and file coupled with political solidarity. To Give our locals and district a clearly defined vision for the next 5 years instead of constantly reacting to negative legislative & media attacl« on our workers. Give our members a reason to be proud of their work and dedication to public service in Oregon. Reduction in health care coverage or reimbursement levels. Develop coalitions with State Agency Exec Teams to ensure staff & mgmt are all working toward the same goal to provide a safe, secure work environment and workforce. SEIU Local 503, OPEU - STRONGER TOGETHER I was born and raised in Michigan. My background and knowledge of union participa tion started at a young age. I know the gains unions have made can all be lost without our due diligence and continued support of union goals. PAGE 7
