Image provided by: SEIU Local 503; Salem, OR
About Dignity (Salem, OR) 200?-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 2009)
The Newsletter for Homecare Workers Local 99^------ SEIU Local 503, OPEU October 2009 Care Providers Unite and Win Big Victories at the legislature Partway through the legislative session, it seemed like everything was stacked against us. We were facing huge cuts to the program that included: personal income tax on families making more than $250,000 to keep homecare and other services strong. • elimination of services for clients receiving less than twenty hours a week We reversed a 38% cut |n homecare hours and saved 3,868 jobs to protect thousands of vulnerable Oregonians. We even stopped a $16.7 million cut to our health care, but failed to stop a $1.1 million cut to our insurance and a $2.8 million raid on our health care reserves. We maintained funding for our wages and strengthened our coalition with other senior advocates like AARP and the Oregon Health Care Association. • reductions in hours for thousands of other SPD clients • cuts to homecare providers' access to health insurance and paid time-off Through our union, we rose up and spoke out to defend our services by lobbying in Salem, calling legislators, attending community forums, signing petitions, telling stories and even marching through the streets of Portland. Our lawmakers made brave decisions to raise the revenue through an increase in the corporate income tax and the Oregon is a better place for our clients because of member involvement to fight for funding for homecare services. *%*%%%%%** Bargaining Update » Page 2 Vote “Yes’for Fairness Campaign k Page3 Frequently Called Referral Numbers k Page 8 ..»And More! Homecare workers lobby State Senator Prozanski to protect services for seniors and people with disabilities during the last legislative session.
