Image provided by: SEIU Local 503; Salem, OR
About The 503 voice. (Salem, OR) ????-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 2004)
Oté Nonprofit Organization U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit No. 202 Salem, Oregon Address service requested Vision to Action! SEIU Local 503, OPEU PO Box 12159, Salem, OR 97309-0159 ■■ Ballots are due 8 pm Tuesday, November 2. Mailed or hand-delivered ballots must arrive at a drop site or County Elections office by 8 pm Tuesday, November 2nd. To find your County's drop sites & Elections Office information go to: http://www.oregonvotes.org/drop.htm also strive to improve corid^ions'for their clients as well. According to bargaining team member Erin McIntosh, "Training will be crucial this time, because if we get better trailing, we are able tb deliver higher quality care to our clients." Contract Campaign 2005 Begins! by Leslie Frane, Executive Director, SEID Local 503, OPEU Ninety percent of our members will be bargaining new contracts in 2005. Over the past few months, SEIU Local 503 members who work for the state, in both the DAS and OUS bargaining units, and SEIU homecare workers have begun planning for the tough contract fights ahead of us. DAS and OUS: State workers,have held two bargaining conferences so far. At the f i rst, we adopted the theme^Refuse to Choose" to highlight our determination both to win-raises and to protect'our health insurance. DAS mpfhoers elected their bargaining team members: Team chair Greg Ledbetter (DCBS), Anne Webb (Revenue), PhillMewtuSh (DHS), Rochelle Begin (Employment), Randy Davis (Oregon State Hospital), George Goldman (OYA), Cory McIntosh (DMV), and Rod Stein (0DF,W). At the second bargaining conference, we analyzed the result^of our contract surveys. Winning back Our steps was the top-priority on the wage front? ^However, bargaining delegates recognized that all workers are struggling to keep up with increases in thelr familles^xpense^. in the words of Frank Ryals, a bargaining delegate from Employment, "The important things that / Everyone needs are costing a lot more these days, so all state workers need a * Cost-of-living increase - and the step increases they were promised when they were hired. In order for ourcontract to be acceptable, we need both." The Challenge: OUS also elected a strong bargaining team, composed Of Team chair Maggie Neef (OSU), Star Holmberg (U of Q)? Sophia Smolen (¿OU), Michael Q'Coqnor (EOU), Keith Carlton (WOU), Merrill Frink (OIT), and Jennie" Rowland (OSU). Homecare: State economists are predicting another big budget deficit for 2005. Winning good contracts will not be easy. We are putting together regional strategy groups tGKhelp plan the campaign to put pressure^ the ‘ state. The strategy groups' fir^t challenge will be to plan worksite-based activities’ to Support our DAS bargaining team on December 6, the first day of fdce,-to-face negotiations with the’statd. ** The bargaining'CQnference-.j^r homecare . workers will take place on November 13. t To prepare, homecare workers are meeting throughout the state to. elect regional IS bargaining team rqpresentatfy^s.-and to disGuSs idj^as for contract- proposals, ^proving.employees' health insurance, winning family^overage, and.protecting our hard-won-Workers' Compensation benefits are key issubs. iAs ^ays, homecare worke^ In this Issue... Statewide Officer Election Results . .2 Long fought victory for DMV...........2 Lobby Days........................................... 2 Worksites "Purple Up" ....................... 3 Portland Public Schools' Victory .. .4 Message from the President............. 4 General Council Album .. .inside flap When it comes to health care, members are equally determined to protect fully-paid family health insurance premiums and to avoid increases in out-of-pocket costs: OUS/DAS Integration: A central table for a stronger voice For ten years, We have been trying to re-unite, DAS and OUS bargaining, since we have more power together than separately. , Now, for the first time since the legislature spun off the higher education system from .the DAS unit in 1995, we may have&ggj opportunity to bargain wages and benefits for both groups at a central table. Bargaining delegates are committed to achieve this goal. CRISIS AT THE PARRY CENTER: Labor Commissioner Dan Gardner, and Representatives Jeff Merkley and Diane Rosenbaum joined members at a press conference this month to bring attention to a crisis in chil dren's care at The Parry Center, run by Trillium Family Services. Trillium is refusing to address the issue of high staff turnover and is insisting on a three-year wage freeze. SEIU Local 503, OPEU - STRONGER TOGETHER PAGE 7
