MEMBERS GOT INVOLVED IN A BIG WAY
We accomplished these key goals because members got
involved. Week after week workers came to the Capitol and
told their stories. Because of the size of our union and
members' clout, legislators were forced to listen to what we
had to say. DMV workers explained what it meant to go two
years without a raise. ODOT workers told the story about what
it means to have insufficient health care. Homecare workers told
what it means to care for the dying on $9/hour with only one
paid day off a year. Child welfare workers had legislators come
to their workplace to see firsthand the impact workload issues
have on abused children - and blocked legislative efforts to lay
the blame on workers for breakdowns in the system. Lincoln
County members marched on the business owned by a legislator
who said he was for affordable health care, while he was
maneuvering to kill the legislation.
This report is about our successes and failures. We stood
up for ourselves. Nearly 700 workers attended Lobby Days.
Many more bird-dogged legislators at home-district town halls.
CAPE'S NEXT STEPS FOR 2006
Our next step is to elect pro-worker candidates in 2006, so we
don't have to tolerate some of the anti-worker legislation we
defeated this session. The issues that we report on here serve
as a key guide for CAPE leadership. CAPE leaders are members
elected to our Political Action Committee Board. They, along
with our Board of Directors and the SEIU State Council, make
decisions on which candidates to elect or defeat. If as many
members get involved in that process as in our lobby efforts,
we'll be able to enact a truly pro-worker agenda in 2007.
"Seeing dozens of SEIU members
from all over Oregon in the
Capitol really made me feel like
I'm part of something big.
Knowing we were all there to
push for affordable health care
made me feel proud to be an
active retiree."
John Hawkins
SEIU Local 503, OPEU Retiree, former
Linn County Employee