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may zi: Five molisana march for fairness
The streets of Salem were purple when we marched to the Capitol for affordable health care for all and a
fair contract - to make progress on wages, health insurance benefits, and to address the inequities created
by two years of a step freeze. We heard from members across Oregon: Nancy Weaver (Portland Metro
area), Deon Chandler (Eastern Oregon), Carol Ann Mickey (Southern Oregon), Barbara Casey (Statewide
Strategy Committee), Sonya Reichwein (Willamette Valley), Sandra Huckleberry (the Coast), and Greg
Ledbetter (Bargaining Team Chair). Legislators Jeff Merkley and Phil Barnhart gave their support.
Joe DiNicola, Leslie Frane, and Tim Nesbitt inspired us. But most uplifting was the great show of unity -
members with their families fighting for fairness.
legislators forced to go on record on health care
by Arthur Towers, Political Director
Senate Bill 501 would have required the
health insurance industry to report how
much'of our insurance premium goes to
PAGE 2
SEIU contracts reached
Non-medical expense fund and 3% for members at Baker City
Although chances to pass these bills may
look bleak, SEI U members forced legisla
tors to take a stand on health care. We
lobbied, wrote letters, came to rallies, and
marched for affordable health care for all.
•Here's what happened with the bilk iin the
affordable health care package. On June 27,
House Republicans defeated motions to
bring Senate Bilk 501 and 329 to the floor.
Deanna Berglund is a Grant Technician at the
University of Oregon in Eugene.
Members fa Baker City provide water treatment plant services, maintain
roads, and work in information technology, the planning department and
as front-1 ine office staff. Contract highIights include a 3% increase
each year of the three-year contract, adding a 3% step, and a $5,000
catastrophic farad (to he distributed by a committee)for non-medical
expenses, like driving ip Boise for cancer treatment.
The Oregon Senate passed legislation to
make health care more affordable, but at
press time, the Oregon House of
Representatives had denied a full debate
on the affordable health care package.
SEIU Local 503 members Melany Hammang,
Linda Ingham, Paula Allen and Barney
Gorter were among the many who testified
at hearings about the impact ovit-cff-Gontrol
health care costs have on working families.
More than 1,500 members of Local §03
and sister SEIU Local 49 led the lobbying
effort, as did a broad range of community
organizations. The session-long focus on
the profiteering and price gouging by the
health care industry helped to protect SEIU
members from a backlash created by talk
show hostiLars Larson, who criticized the
level of public employee benefits.
All those people, that energy! It was so inspiring to see
so many SEIU members and their families. I really felt a
sense of unity. We are truly part of a large, energetic,
forward-looking group that is out to change things. 99
City of The Dalles workers win 10-year battle to gain a voice
Bargaining team members felt this round of negotiations went better than
any other with City of The Dalles. Wages will increase 8.3% over their
three-year contract, plus workers will get an additional sfap. Members pre
sented a petition with 25 of 27 signatures demanding a Labor Management
Committee. After a 10-year struggle, this committee was finally established..
Workers at LCOG are able to maintain current health plan
SEIU homecare members joined thousands of seniors and people with disabilities in at rally at the
Capitol on April 20 to protect funding for services.
overhead, ad vertisi ng, and CEO pay
com pared to how much goes to provid i ng
health insurance.
Senate Bill 329 would have expanded the
State's prescription drug p u rc h as i n g pool,
al I owi ng h u n d reds of thousands m ore
Oregonians access to cheaper medication.
Both bilk were denied a fall debate by a
32-26 party I ine vote. Every Repu bl ¡can
voted against the two motions and every
Democrat voted for the two motions. Two
legislators were absent.
Senate Bill 1040, which would have
required hospitals to fully disclose their
SEIU Local 503, OPEU - STRONGER TOGETHER
pricing practices also passed the Senate, but
Is stuck ¡in the House Budget Committee.
All three bilk could come back to ilife, but
as the legislature enters its final days,
chances for the passage of affordable
health care legislation seem slim.
We put health care on the legislative agenda
and legislators had to choose between
standing up for people in our communities
or standing up for health care ¡corporations.
A majority Of Senators passed with flying
colors, but the majority of House of
Representative members failed.
Lane Council of Government workers managed to keep their current
Preferred -Provider Option plan rather than bei ng .forced to move to a
Health Reimbursement Account plan. Members purpled up every
bargaining day, came;to bargaining sessions, and held a tally to show
strength and reach victory. Workers also won protection against mis-use
of temporary employees, expanded grievance timelines, non-discrimina
tion and harassment language, and a.3% increase in each .year of the
three-year contract.
Wallowa County members get innovative retiree plan
Besides a 2.5% cost of living Increase (COLA) in the first year and a 2 -4%
increase in successive years (based on the Consumer Price Index), mem
bers who maintain roadsfa Wallowa got a new lead worker scale that is
2% above the top wage and an innovative plan for those retiring at age 60
or higher. These workers can draw on thei r retirement and come back
to work the minimum hours that allow them to pay for their health insur
ance and stay on the County plan. Courts workers in Wallowa won
strengthened vacation scheduling language in addition to their COLA's.
One of the finest
trade unionists
by Leslie Frane, Executive Director
KAREN THOMPSON
November 8, 1954 - May 9, 2005
Karen Thompson, president of our homecare local, passed
away after a long struggle with cancer. Karen died the way
she lived - with dignity, faith, and courage. Until the end,
Karenigx pr es s e d hergr^tittide ^nd love for h e r un i on
and sisters, whose struggle
to win health insurance for
home care workers enabled
Karen to receive good
medical care throughout
the final stages of her
illness.
it would be hard to over
estimate Karen's importance
to our union. As a leader,
as a so u rce of i n spi rati on,
as a symbol of our progress,
Karen gave every ounce of
her energy to build our union and to defend the home care
program from budget cuts.
When faced with anychallenge - whether in contract
negotiations or in her own medical needs — she maintained
a level of optimism and determination that was infectious.
That optimism helped the rest of us to keep struggling when
we mightotherwise have grown discouraged.:Karen wilI be
greatly missed.
SEIU Local 503, OPEU - STRONGER TOGETHER
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