Image provided by: SEIU Local 503; Salem, OR
About The 503 voice. (Salem, OR) ????-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 2006)
DISTRICT 2: District Director (4 positions available) What are your qualifications for this office? Name Ginger Redlinger Education Robert (Bob) Williams DCBS Melody Williamson WOU Alan J. Youse Agriculture Why are you seeking this office, your goals? Other union experience: Goals for your District? Biggest single issue/how to resolve? The biggest "single issue" is to continue to support the structure of our union so we can accomplish multiple, critical goals: Protecting worker's rights to organize (grow the union), access to health care, right to a respectful workplace and family-wages, while defeating anti-union campaigns, electing pro-union candidates, and holding anti-union/anti-work- ing family politicians accountable. Other info: I care deeply about the issues I have described and the goals and members of our union. I take the role of District Director very seriously. I will represent all members of D2 to the best of my ability. Thanks for considering me for D2 Director. I am currently a D2 Director, President of my local (Education Local 581), Steward, participated in bargaining activities, attended General Council, and I am a CAPE contributor. I participate in a wide variety of labor activities to support the goals of SEIU Local 503. Prior to working at the Oregon Department of Education I taught, and was a leader in the Oregon Education Association (OEA). I was a leader in my local, served on the OEA Board of Directors, attended bargaining conferences, leadership trainings, and was a delegate to the NEA convention. I wish to continue to help the members of my district lead the union towards accom plishing our goals; help the union grow in membership and in the capacity to influence policies to support working families. I want to use this two-year term to help district members and leaders organize in a way to support union members, and maximize the impact of union activities by increasing participation. Work with other District 2 Directors, ADD's, and local D2 leaders, to improve communication and organi zation of district activities to increase participation at the local level. Continue to communicate needs of members in District 2 to the SEIU Board and bring information back to D2 members. I have had the privilege for the past ten years to serve the members of this union as a steward and for the past seven years as the chair of SEIU 503's Committee to Protect Injured Workers. While in highschool & as I worked my way through college I was a Teamster & a Steelworker member I would like to offer the Union my experience, background (15 yrs @ Workers' Comp Div.) and leadership in the areas of Safety, Health & Workers' Comp. I feel these are vital aspects of our working conditions, and thus core to our bargaining issues. I will work for effective, two way communication between the membership of the Dist & the Board. I know we face greater battles in the future over maintaining our fully paid health care insurance. I believe by bargaining smarter on safety, health, & Workers' Comp issues, we can reduce insurance costs and preserve our benefits. I have been active in SEIU for more that 10 years in various positions: Local VP, Local President, Chief Steward, Bargaining Rep, Higher Ed Council Rep, General Council Delegate, CAPE delegate, assistant District Director. I have been a MOC organizing on the OSU and WOU campuses during Contract Campaigns; I have been part of Volunteer Organizing during part of the homecare campaign; I was an SEIU Hero during the Kerry Campaign in 2004; I have done lobbying and candidate assessments/interviews. I am looking forward to work ing with people during the next two years in transitioning from the current structure to whatever will take its place. I believe SEIU 503 has always been the most forward looking, democratic union there is but I am hoping to bring new voices forward from the rank and file that have been under represented in the past. 1. Clear communication between leadership & rank & file members 2. Solicit ideas, issues, solutions from district members in a simple, clear process. 3. Increase CAPE membership 25-50% 4. Increase participation at meetings by bringing pertinent issues to agenda for discussion Health Care, Health Care, Health Care. We need to elect worker friendly legislators, congressmen and push them to work with us to bring our ideas to fruition. I greatly enjoy working with my union brothers and sisters and feel it is time for me to bring issues forward that have been overlooked or given low priority in the past. Served Six years as President of Agricultural Local 603, Bargaining Delegate, General Council Delegate, and shop steward. As a consumer advocate, I served on a national USDA-HUD consen sus committee to implement the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000. From 1969 to 1975, as an employee of Trans World Airlines, I was a member of the International Association Machinist Union. I am seeking this office because it is my desire to do so and to continue as an activist within the next level of SEIU Local 503's chain of command. One of my goals will be to assist in promoting the recommendations of the Board/District Restructure Committee's efforts as described in an amended C & B #3 resolution during the 2004 General Council session. Goals are elusive and they tend to change. Change, the only true essence of life, is caused by events at the both state and national level. One important goal that I have for this district will be to commu nicate Agricultural Local 603's membership concerns and ideas, and decisively promote those ideas at the district level. I also believe it is incumbent upon each elected director to fully educate and inform each of their respective Local's membership the mission of the district. It is imperative for each district director, to promote activism and advocacy germane to the membership issues. The biggest single issue the union will face during this term will be outcome of the Board and District's Restructure Committee. Once the committee defines the "new-look", will each district support changes? How will we sell the "new look" to the membership? Will the Board implement the "new-look"? How will it impact our ability to do the membership's business? I am a visionary individual that does not believe in the status quo of life. I strongly believe in allow ing issues to unfold, and to periodically evaluate the merits of each issue, then restructure them if necessary to be both clear and meaningful. DISTRICT 2: Assistant District Director (4 positions available) What are your qualifications for this office? Name Kay Cullen ADDUS and Homecare Melany Hammang DHS PAGE 4 Other union experience: I was one of the original founding members of Addus 98. A delegate on the Bargaining Team for our first Contract 2003 and Co-chair of the second Contract 2005. Current President and active Steward for last two years. I graduated from Leadership Academy with an award. Have been attending many LERC trainings. Facing the battles of enforcing a new contract and the challenges of getting newly represented workers involved in their own local. I have actively participated from day one in becoming a union worker. I have seen the value of being able to challenge the Boss. We have been able to demand some respect but more importantly we can now enforce our contract Rights. We have been able to help members enforce the contract, to help members stand up to the Boss, and to also get some respect from the Boss. Workers have rights also. I have been a Union Steward for four years Have taken local Leadership Training one through three Attended the 2005 Leadership Academy Participated in Lobby Days 1 Testified before the Legislature in support of affordable health care, Parity,and as an individual whose family has been adversely affected by cuts to mental health and other medical programs. I have successfully recruited Site members and their families to attend Lobby Days, participate in rallies and marches, have recruited SEIU members to participate in Unity Breaks, sign petitions, call and email the Governor, and Purple Up on Wednesdays. Our site went from being sleepy to as high as 98% participation in organized activities during the contract bargaining. SEIU Local 503, OPEU - STRONGER TOGETHER Why are you seeking this office, your goals? Goals for your District? To gain better knowledge and experience in Local 503 To improve my knowledge and skills so I can be a better resource to the workers in my area I want to make 503 a better Union for the workers in District 2 and also I want to help the workers achieve some of their own goals by becoming a resource to them. I am seeking to be Assistant District Director in order to better learn the structure of our Union and how hands on leadership can work effectively. I have been successful at the individual worksite level and look forward to gaining a broader perspective on our collective ability to secure affordable health care and fair working wages for SEIU members and all of Oregon's workers. My goals are to encourage this district, in the seat of the State Government, to become quite visible in its political and work site actions supporting the goals of affordable healthcare and fair wages. February 2006 Biggest single issue/how to resolve? The biggest issue is out of control Health care costs. This is a real devastating problem and also cuts into real wage increases. We have to put in place common sense healthcare reforms and get corporations to pay their fair share, and elect legislators who represent people not corporations. Health care costs are spiraling out of control. The way to resolve this is to educate our members on the importance of supporting our Union's political efforts to remedy the situation by engaging them in voting, worksite actions and actions at the Capitol and Legislature. Other info: I am a hard worker, willing to take on any challenges that I may be faced with. I am willing to take on the responsibilities of the tasks which my be given to me and fill them to the best of my knowledge. I work well with others and respect their needs. Our Union is all about the power to make changes for the improvement of our quality of life, in the worksite and in our family's lives. I am inspired to be a part of that process.
