Funding for Public Services
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LERC funding secured
The Labor Education and Research Center is a program at the University
of Oregon helping rank and file union members hone their leadership
skills. Through recent budget cuts, LERC has been cut substantially. This is a small
program, but it is the one program in state government that specifically is geared
to labor union education.
In the final stretch of the legislative session, it looked unlikely that funds would
be earmarked for LERC. SEIU lobbied in coalition with other labor unions -in
particular American Federation of Teachers-Oregon and the AFL-CIO - to get
specific funding increases for LERC. However, the funds were going to be added
to a catch-all category from which LERC might not have been able to draw down
the money.
Senator Richard Devlin (D-Tualatin) stepped in. He has been a strong labor ally
for years. Senator Devlin stopped the LERC budget hearing to make a phone call
to the President of the UofO. He got the President to testify via speaker phone
that he would personally commit to ensuring that LERC would get the increased
funding. Committee Chair Larry Galizio also deserves special credit for helping
to get this on the record. LERC will be able to expand their important services to
hundreds of labor activists who want to build the labor movement.
Department of Human Services Still Fighting for Funding
One of our toughest fights this session was to improve the quality of
care for abused and neglected kids in Oregon. Front-line workers at the
Department of Human Services protect kids who are in danger. The state
wanted to increase case workers so that each case worker would have a
smaller case load. However, DHS wanted to pay for this by eliminating more
than a hundred assistants (SSAs). Case workers, assistants, and others who
protect these children were up in arms for two reasons. One, workload would
go through the roof and two, each child would have less protection and
attention.
SSAs and case workers across the state rallied to fight the cuts. They fought it
in labor-management discussions and in the legislature. Workers testified in
budget hearings. Child welfare workers from eastern Oregon made the trip
over the mountains and made a persuasive case. While we haven't won this
fight yet, we are working with legislators to get the funding in 2008.
"We worked hard to win funding last session for SSAs and
CETs, who serve a critical role for both child welfare staff
and client families. We have continued the fight since
session. Because we elected pro-worker legislators
they've had open doors to workers so that we can explain
why the management staffing proposal won't work."
Barbara Casey, DHS, CAPE Chair
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