Member Voice, Member Vision,
Member Victory
Holding Politicians Accountable Paid Off
Members of SEI U Local 503 work hard to hold
candidates accountable for their actions. In
2004, we refused to support legislators who
voted to attack our pensions. In 2006, we held
the Governor accountable by backing his
opponent in the primary. We also challenged
then Speaker of the House Karen Minnis and a
number of other incumbent legislators who
worked against working families.
to provide quality child care on a sub-minimum
wage. They testified about how hard it is for
working parents to get access to affordable
day care. Based in part on their testimony,
legislators voted to improve funding for the
Employment Related Day Care program and to
reduce the co-payments charged to low-
income parents who participate in this program.
As a result, Oregon will move from being
ranked 49th in the nation on child care afford
ability to being well above average compared
to the rest of the country.
In many of these fights, we stood alone, with
few allies. But all that time phoning and door
knocking paid off. The money contributed to
CAPE and all the activity in the worksites
brought success. We changed the composition
of the legislature, and we changed our
relationship with the Governor. We won the
opportunity to make a difference for our
members and all working Oregonians in the
2007 legislative session.
Bill Morris and dozens of other front-line
workers at the Eastern Oregon Training Center
traveled across the mountains to tell legislators
about the service they provide for their devel
opmentally disabled clients. Their testimony
played a key role in stopping an effort to close
their facility in Pendleton.
When 600 members came to the Capitol to
make their voice heard during lobby days, we
took advantage of that opportunity. Their
work, along with the work of thousands of
members who flooded the Capitol with post
cards, phone calls, and letters made possible a
long list of legislative victories.
Mary Wood, a homecare provider from
Lincoln County, testified about being treated
as a second-class worker because she does not
have mandatory workers' compensation coverage
to protect her from on-the-job injury. The leg
islature passed legislation to provide homecare
workers that protection.
What did Local 503 members win?
These are just a few of the examples of SEIU
members fighting for ourselves, for our clients,
and for quality public services.
■ Funding for our contracts for state, higher ed,
homecare and child care workers.
■ Collective bargaining rights for child care
workers and adult foster care providers.
■ Mandatory workers' compensation coverage
for homecare workers.
■ Significant improvements in funding for
higher education.
■ First steps in setting up a universal health
care system in Oregon.
■ The right to bargain over safety and staffing
for State Hospital and Oregon Youth Authority
workers.
■ Huge improvements in child care access for
low-wage working families.
■ Improved staffing requirements for nursing
home workers and clients.
■ Across-the-board interest rate caps on
payday loans.
■ Expansion of the Oregon Prescription
Purchasing Pool to cover every Oregonian.
■ Restoration of cuts in funding for child
support enforcement.
■ Suspension of the corporate kicker ($309
million) to pay for needed services.
Behind each of these victories are SEIU members
who spoke up and moved the legislature. Here
are just a few examples:
Child care providers Virginia Santillan and
Portia Moye testified about how difficult it is
What are the next steps?
Contribute to CAPE. If you value victories like
the ones described above, please contribute to
CAPE. If you already give, please consider
increasing your contribution. CAPE forms can
be obtained from your local officers or SEIU
Field Office. Elected officials stood up to some
powerful special interests. They stood up to
the drug companies and the hospitals, the
insurance companies and the bankers, the
privatizers, the lobbyists who seek tax
loopholes and who try to avoid paying their
fair share for the services Oregonians rely on.
Your contribution goes to elect men and
women who share our values. We cannot
compete dollar for dollar with the big corpora
tions, but we give our allies a fighting chance.
We put them over the top when we help out
knocking on doors, making phone calls, and
educating our co-workers about pro-worker
candidates.
We Continue the Fight for Children’s Healthcare
SEIU has been on the front lines of the fight for
children's health insurance.
State Children's Health Insurance Program
(SCHIP) is a national program in the United
States that provides health insurance for
families who earn too much money to qualify
for Medicaid yet cannot afford to buy private
insurance.
A year after winning their jobs back through a
court order overturning an illegal privatization
decision, Portland Schools custodians are once
again under attack. The Portland School
District is now proposing to cut custodians'
pay by up to 30 percent, citing "market
comparators." And if that weren't bad
enough, the Board also wants both
custodians and nutrition service workers
to shoulder 100% of the increased cost of
health insurance!
In the last year Congress has been trying to
reauthorize funding to keep and expand SCHIP,
but President Bush has opposed this plan.
Last summer, at a convention in Baltimore
attended by T9 Local 503 members, SEIU
launched "SEIU Healthcare," a union-within-
the-union aimed at focusing our nationwide
efforts to organize healthcare workers and win
comprehensive healthcare reform. As the
largest healthcare union in the country, SEIU
Healthcare lead the fight to pass SCHIP.
SEIU members in Oregon collected over 9,000
of-the one million petition signatures gathered
in support of the State ^Children's Health
Insurance Program. Bruce "Bubba" Jones, a
homecare worker in Portland, made this effort
a priority and collected almost 1,200 signatures.
With encouragement from SEIU members
across the country, Congress passed a strong
bill to provide health insurance for kids.
Unfortunately, President Bush vetoed the
SCHIP bill, which would provide health coverage
to 10 million uninsured children, and Congress
failed to override the veto. In Oregon, 50,000
more children would have received coverage
under this plan.
"It was a great victory for our kids and,for
America when Congress passed SCHIR" said
Bruce "Bubba" Jones. "The Presidents veto of
this legislation is appalling. We must continue
to fight for healthcare coverage for everyone
■this country, but first and foremost, for our
children. I encourage everyone to get involved
in the things you truly believe in."
Portland Public
School Offers
Workers a Double
Whammy
With the news that Congress would hold
another vote, SEIU decided to hold legislators
who were against overriding the President's
veto accountable. On October 11, SEIU joined
other community allies at Representative
Walden's office in Medford for a candlelight
vigil - to shed light on the need for SCHIP and
to ask Rep. Walden to reconsider his position
and help override the veto. We also ran radio
ads in his district to educate voters about his
anti-healthcare vote.
"We had at least 50 people turn out on a rainy,
cold night with only a few days prior notice.
We also got a lot of support from passing
traffic. It's clear that this issue is important to
Walden's constituents and to dur members.
Its also clear that our union was able to play a
key role in holding him accountable for his
deplorable decision to side with big tobacco
over the health care needs of America's
children," reportedKurtKessler; an SE1U 503
member and human services worker in
Medford who helped coordinate the vigil.
Walden again voted against SCHIP but the
vote became closer, and the fight isn't over.
SEIU members and leaders hope that we will
help pass a compromise bill soon, so that
fewer kids in Oregon go without necessary
health care.
Please contact Rep. Walden today and let
him know that SCHIP is a priority for you.
He can be reached at 800-533-3303.
66 We must continue to fight for healthcare
coverage for everyone in this country, but
first and foremost, for our children.
Mark Freimark, the head custodian at
Llewellyn Elementary in Sellwood and 23 year
employee with the District takes pride in the
service he and his co-workers provide. "We
have ownership of our building," states Mark.
"That’s what 'custodian' means, - custody. I'm
responsible for the safety and security of this
building and all its inhabitants. But I can't
afford to do that if the District cuts my pay by
nearly one third!"
Ellen Hagen, a food service worker at Arleta
Elementary states, "We're the lowest paid
workers in the district. Paying increased health
care costs out of our pockets would mean a
cut in pay, which is anything but fair."
Our members know that we can't provide safe
and secure buildings or nutritious meals for
Portland school kids if the District can't recruit
and retain qualified staff. And if our members'
pay is cu,t by one-third, or if health insurance
becomes completely unaffordable, holding on
to experienced staff will be next to impossible.
Bruce "Bubba" Jones ¡Ia Homecare provider from Portland
who collected 1,200 petition signatures for children's healthcare.
■■■■■
Women’s Conference examines the past and
plans the future
Raise Your.Vo ice. Yo u h av e a sto ry to te 11 an d
you have a role to play. Members speaking up
have led to a number of legislative campaigns.
Members led the fights around homecare
workers' compensation. ODOT workers led the
fight for highway safety. DHS workers are the
ones fighting for better protection for abused
and neglected kids. What do you see on the
job that needs to be changed? Are the priva
tizers ripping off the system? Are budget cuts
being proposed that are penny-wise and
pound foolish? No one knows better than
front-line workers how to improve public
services. We can make a difference when
members speak up.
Forty members of SEIU came together in
Portland on October 6 to explore women's role
in labor history generally and to honor women
who have helped shape Local 503 specifically.
"Women have always been an integral part of
the labor movement," stated Kathleen Lamar,
Chair of SEIU's Women's Council. ", I'm proud
of the Women's Council for highlighting the
plight of low-wage workers. Members
throughout SEIU worked hard to win a living
wage in this year's contract campaign."
Guest speaker Barbara Byrd, a union member
and labor educator for more than 25 years, led
the attendees in an exercise that explored the
strides that women have made over the past
century by exploring members' own family ;
histories and looking at the work our mothers
and grandmothers have done. Barbara
currently serves as Secretary-Treasurer of the
Oregon AFL-CIO.
Participants later split into groups and discussed
what they would include in a time capsule to
be opened by their grandchildren 30 years
from now. A popular response was to include
the quilt that hangs in our union hall, made
from SEIU 503 T-shirts over the years, each
representing an important campaign that our
union has taken on and won.
Participants also honored specific women
leaders, including members past and present,
who have contributed to the success of our
union. Remembering and learning from our
past gives us a solid foundation from which to
build our future.
Check www.seiu503.org for further updates
on PPS bargaining and how you can help
these workers win a fair contract.
The 503 Voice is published by
SEIU Local 503, OPEU.
66 Women have always been
an integral part of the
labor movement. 99
Kathleen Lamar is the Chair of
SEIU Women's Council. Sheisachild
support worker in Portland.
Contact: Kathie Best bestk@opeuseiu.org
Salem Headquarters
Stronger Together
1730 Commercial St. SE
PO Box 12159, Salem, OR 97309-0159
503-581-1505 / 800-452-2146 (Fax) 503- 581-1664
Portland Field Office: 503-408-4090 1 800-527-9374
Bend Field Office: 541-385-8471/800-832-0593
Corvallis Field Office: 541-752-0183
Eugene Field Office: 541-342-1055 1 800-521-3446
Medford Field Office: 541-779-4324/ 800-452-7965
Pendleton Field Office: 541 -276-4983 / 800-452-8146
www.seiu503.org
SEIU Local 503, OPEU - STRONGER TOGETHER
SEIU