SEIU members
making a difference...
Lobby Days
2007
by Kurt Kessler, CAPE Chair
SEIU 503 members made a huge difference
in the last election. We're now poised to
make a huge difference in the lives of working
families in the coming years. In addition to
our victories in the candidate races, we
defeated anti-worker ballot measures, and
we expanded the Prescription Drug Pool,
which will be a huge benefit to Oregonians.
It was a landslide for working families.
In light of that victory, we are organizing at
work and turning out for lobby days, creating
the unity and visibility that will win us fair
contracts and proactive legislation. But we
also need to build on the political success of
'06. We need to ensure that our victory is
not a one-time windfall, but a foundation
for future successes. Please, get involved in
CAPE, our union's
Political Action
We are making sure that our legislators see the
importance of the services we provide the people
of Oregon and that they understand the issues that
are central to the livelihoods of Oregon's working
families. Motor Carrier Enforcement Officers went
to Salem to regain the authority they needed to
ensure trucks on our roads are safe.
Committee and the driving force behind
our union's political program. CAPE is what
a political action committee is supposed to
be - an opportunity for average Americans
to pool their resources and support the
issues they believe in. So contribute your
2-cents an hour ($50 a year), and your voice
to the most effective grass roots political
program in the State. Talk to your steward
and sign up for CAPE today!
Nursing
Home
care
providers
lobby to
increase
staffing
levels for {
better
I
patient
care.
Because the child care agreement
must be funded by the 2007 Legislature before
the improvements will go into effect, child care
providers from around the State - some with
kids in tow - have been trekking to the
Capitol to make their stories heard. Pictured
are providers meeting with Brian Clem.
An added
"bonus"of
Lobby Days -
making new
friends.
Over the past three months, 400 members had
face-to-face conversations with legislators. Pictured are DHS members Jill Sipt
from Klamath Falls and Gina Santacroce from Portland with Rep. Tina Kotek.
« Mi
Having the right people in office doesn’t, in and of itself, improve our
lives. We've got the pieces on the board, but we still have to win the game,
in our worksites, as well as in Salem and in Washington, DC. Members from Jackson,
Curry and Baker counties went to DC to secure funding for services in rural timber counties.
WELCOME BACK CRAIG DAVIS!
Joining together to improve care for clients and
build security and benefits to sustain their families
Craig Davis, Water Distribution Tech, has been a City of Beaverton employee for over
20 years. He had a total knee replacement on Oct. 9, 2006. In late December, he was
released for light duty - only management wouldn't give him any. He's now back to
Adult Foster Care Organizing
work thanks to the support of his co-workers!
How co-workers got the City to make the right decision:
w
SEIU family child care providers
reach historic agreement
Five thousand family child care
providers are the newest members of
our union. These hard working men and
women work in their homes, caring for the
kids of low-income Oregon families. For
their work, they receive an hourly "subsidy"
payment from the Department of Human
Services.
In December 2006, SEIU family child care
providers reached an historic agreement
with the State that improves Oregon's child
care system. The Agreement calls for the
first subsidy rate increase ever. It also
lowers parent co-payments and increases
the income limit for participation in the
subsidy program to help more working
parents qualify for child care assistance.
Providers currently earn between $1.60 to
$2.20/hour per child, while caring for a
maximum of 3 children. Even if they care
for three children at a time, they earn a lot
less than minimum wage, and they have no
health insurance or Workers' Compensation.
The Agreement was reached after many
months of tough negotiations with input
- from providers, state agencies, the
Governor's office, and child care advocates.
It will bring some (though not all) providers
up to minimum wage.
Providers like Portia Moye have been
lobbying every month. If you ask Portia
why she keeps coming back to lobby
lawmakers, she will tell you, "Our stories
make a difference. This agreement is going
to help all of Oregon's working families."
According to SEIU Local 503 Executive
Director Leslie Frane, winning collective
bargaining rights for these members "will
enable us to reduce turnover, to improve
quality, to advocate for the kids we care
for, and to professionalize the work our
members do, day in and day out to
protect and to nurture our children."
The Governor's recommended budget for child welfare
cuts the funds for 100 Social Service Assistants (SSA's).
DHS members testified about the important role SSA's
play in the lives of Oregon’s most vulnerable children.
■ In mid-January, Craig contacted Steward Mike Sterle about running out of paid
leave and not being allowed light duty. Mike arranged a meeting with Operations
Managers and Human Resources to get all the facts.
■ The City reported that unless Craig had a date when he would be released at 100%
capacity, they wouldn't even consider light duty. Craig's water crew was told that
they would be hiring temps to do light duty work that Craig was capable of doing.
The crew expressed their concerns to management.
■ Mike teamed up with Steward Kathy Gaona. Together they spoke with the head of
Human Resources about the injustice of temps doing what Craig could do.
■ Both stewards decided that raising awareness and raising money for Craig's health
insurance must happen quickly.
■ Beaverton union leaders and activists enlisted members from across the City to sell
raffle tickets and spread the word.
■ On February 21, Craig came back to work on light duty after getting another
positive report from his doctor.
■ On February 26, Faye Turner, a Support Specialist who lives in Tigard, won the raffle
for a weekend at the beach - congrats Faye!
■ The $860 raised through generous contributions will be kept in the City of
Beaverton local's Hardship Fund in case this happens again.
Restructure in effect Sept.’O8
SEIU Local 503, OPEU General Council delegates voted 92% in
favor of approving the plan designed to restructure our local.
The new structure reflects how our union has changed.
by Michael Simpson, SEIU Local 5U3 DHS member
As far as I know, sooner or later
everyone dies. If we are fortunate enough
to live a relatively long life, but suffer the
misfortune of needing help with our daily
activities, we may be faced with finding a
home and someone to provide a safe and
nurturing environment for us to live out
our years. Many of us do not have family
or friends who can fill this need and that
can be unfortunate. But there may be a home
for you, and perhaps an adoptive family,
through the Adult Foster Care (AFC) Program.
AFC providers in Oregon are in the process
of joining our union. They know that by
organizing, they can improve care for their
clients and build security and benefits that
will sustain their families and the services
they provide.
On March 1,2007,1 began a two-month
leave of absence from my employment
with the Oregon Department of Human
Services as a member organizer, or MOC,
to work on the Adult Foster Care (AFC)
campaign. We are organizing those
Oregonians who provide essential care in
their home to seniors and people with
disabilities in need of medical care and/or
supervision. Adult Foster Care provides a
home for medically fragile seniors and
Oregonians of all ages with physical and
mental disabilities. Care is provided in a
home environment rather than an
institution such as a nursing home or
assisted living facility, and it's done in a
pleasant and nurturing environment for
about a third of the cost paid to institutions.
I have personally visited almost 200 AFC
homes and have had the privilege of
meeting even more AFC providers. Our
team has made thousands of such visits
and met an equal number of providers.
We have found them to be intensely caring
and dedicated to the residents with whom
they frequently not only share their homes,
but their families as well. It is not
uncommon to encounter situations where
residents have been members of the
household and family for many years and
as such, have shared the joys, the sorrows,
triumphs, defeats, and significant events in
one another's lives.
Adult Foster Care (AFC) providers exist in
just about every type of community, urban
and rural. It could be a large luxury home
or mobile home, apartment, solitary trailer,
or a distant and isolated farm. Providers
range from medically-trained professionals
to friends or neighbors who open their
home to people they know or care about.
It's very gratifying to help these providers
organize. There may come a time in our
lives when we need quality, affordable care
from someone in our Care Providers
Division. This is our chance to give some
thing to them while we're still sound and
able-bodied enough to do so.
As called for by the resolution, the plan was put in writing and
adopted into our Constitution and Bylaws (C&B) and our
Administrative Policies and Procedure (AP&P) documents.
These changes will go into effect Sept 1,2008. Our next union
election will be run under the new Constitution and Bylaws.
Local 730/0D0T Notice of Nominations
Secretary (1 position) & Treasurer (1 position)
Nominations Close at 5 pm on Friday, May 11,2007.
To nominate a candidate(s), or yourself, please contact Sharon Brogan at
SEIU Local 503, OPEU Portland Field office for a nomination form, at
503-408-4090 x469 or brogans@opeuseiu.org
Nomination forms must be received at SEIU Local 503, OPEU Salem HQ
by 5 pm, Friday, May 11,2007.
All candidate(s) must read the job description on the nomination form, and
sign the signature line to accept the nomination. For the nomination to be
valid, each candidate must be verified as a member of SEIU Local 503, OPEU.
The nominee information will be compiled into a ballot which will be sent
to all ODOT members the following week.
2007 Board
and Executive
Committee
meeting
dates
May 19
June 9
July 14
August 11
September 8
October 13
November 17
December 8
Board
Executive Committee
Board
Executive Committee
Board
Executive Committee
Board
Executive Committee
The 503 Voice is published by SEIU Local 503, OPEll.
Contact: Kathie Best bestk@opeuseiu.org
LOCAL 503
Salem Headquarters
& I am not out here every month for myself; I am
out here because of the children. Kids need a
safe environment to grow and learn. That place
is hard to find when the State is only willing to
put in less than two bucks an hour. 99
Portia Moye, Child Care provider, Portland
Craig Davis (left) is back to work thanks to the support of his co-workers and stewards
Mike Sterle (right) and Kathy Gaona (missing from pic).
Adult Foster Care provider, Portland
SEIU Local 503, OPEU - STRONGER TOGETHER
PAGE 2
SEIU Local 503, OPEU - STRONGER TOGETHER
1730 Commercial St. SE
PO Box 12159, Salem, OR 97309-0159
503-581 -1505/ 800-452-2146 (Fax) 503-581 -1664
& The winds of change have opened the curtains surrounding
the critical needs of medically fragile seniors and disabled
Oregonians living in Adult Foster Care. We need to ride this
wind until justice shines on every AFC home in Oregon,
if not the nation. 99
Claudia McDuffie
PAGE 3
Portland Field Office: 503-408-4090 / 800-527-9374
Bend Field Office: 541-385-8471/800-832-0593
Corvallis Field Office: 541-752-0183
Eugene Field Office: 541-342-1055 / 800-521-3446
Medford Field Office: 541-779-4324/ 800-452-7965
Pendleton Field Office: 541 -276-4983 / 800-452-8146
www.seiu503.org
SEIU
Stronger Together