Recent events, political action and news updates from SEIU Locals around the country in New York, Ohio, Maryland, California, New Hampshire, Washington, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Florida.
SEIU Pulls Support for Health Care "No" Vote - SEIU is making good on its promise to refuse to support candidates who don't support workers by voting against the health care reform bill. On Friday, 1199SEIU and SEIU Local 200 announced they would no longer support Representative Arcuri in his re-election bid. Rep. Zack Space of Ohio will also be sans SEIU support this election year due to his "no" vote on health care.
"Awash in Purple" -- MD Lobby Day Makes Big Impression in Annapolis
Describing Annapolis's historic Lawyer's Mall as "awash in purple," the Washington Post detailed the 200+ rally crowd of 1199SEIU members that turned out for the 2010 Maryland Lobby Day. Members rallied against healthcare cuts in the budget, to demand that Medicaid continue to expand, and to support continuing funding for the financially troubled Prince George's County hospital system.
What Does Health Care Reform Mean in LA County? In LA County, health care costs have doubled over the past 7 years, and during bargaining last year LA County initially proposed to freeze its contribution and pass rising costs on to employees. Read what public employees from SEIU Local 721 have to say about the immediate impact the health care bill will have on the lives of their patients, their clients and themselves.
Protect Health Care Services, Not Banks - SEIU Healthcare 775NW, SEIU 925 and SEIU 1199 held a rally outside of Chase Bank in downtown Seattle last week to protest more giveaways for big banks. In the face of a $2.8 million state budget crisis and more cuts to long-term care, healthcare, childcare and education, Washington is giving a $67 million tax loophole to the very same big banks that crashed our economy and took billions of dollars in taxpayer-funded bailouts.
Click here to send an email to your legislators urging them to close the bank tax loophole.
Court Employees' Contract Best Solution "For Everybody" - New Hampshire's court system employees have agreed to a new contract that includes up to 17 furlough days and will help prevent layoffs in the face of a $3.1 million budget cut. The contract covers 363 employees -- many of them recently organized by the SEANC/SEIU Local 1984 under the state's card check system for public employees.
Saving Florida Nursing Home Safe Staffing - Shortly, Florida legislators will decide whether to pass a new bill which will allow nursing homes to shift staffing from CNAs to nurses performing administrative and supervisory duties. This will give nursing homes the right to cut CNA hours back to 2.7 hours/day--resulting result in each resident losing 12 minutes of hands-on care per day. Tell legislators cutting staffing in nursing homes could cost lives and will cost the state millions it can't afford.
Hey, Candidates, How Will You Rebuild California? Thousands of California SEIU members took part in an unprecedented "Rebuild California Town Hall" meeting on Saturday, in which candidates running for statewide offices showcased their plans to lead the state out of a deep recession and invest in our future. Through 11 video-linked sites, the town hall enabled 700,000 members to hear firsthand from candidates for Governor, Insurance Commissioner and more.
In the coming weeks, SEIU California will announce its official endorsements in their June primary voter guide.
Governor Rell's Phony Prescription for Connecticut's Economic Illness - Nearly two months after the CT coalition of state workers unions put forward "win-win" proposals to close the budget gap, Gov. M. Jodi Rell has rejected common sense solutions in favor of petty politics. Her demands include a letter sent to union leaders, including CSEA/SEIU Local 2001, pandering to the scapegoating of public service workers by some gubernatorial candidates on the campaign trail. Read In a letter replying directly to Gov. Rell, SEBAC leaders make it clear that the Administration's recent proposals are nowhere near a good faith effort to initiate dialog or solve the economic crisis.
Reason # 1,678,921 We Need Immigration Reform - Watch the "CNN Live" interview of SEIU 32BJ member and building cleaner Santos Reyes, as she makes a personal plea for immigration reform for her 19-year-old son. Santos's son came to Virginia from Honduras just four years ago with the dream of being a pilot for U.S. Air Force and serving in Iraq--until being deported this past June.
Mental Health Advocates Call for Changes to DMH Services - On March 23rd, members of SEIU Local 509 united with mental health advocates and participants to call on Legislators to address flaws that have left people with mental illness without needed services. "My recovery started the day I realized I had the rights and responsibilities to direct my life," says Rachel Klein, a self-advocate recovering from mental illness. "We need a mental health system that supports the rights of individuals to make choices."
LA Families Can't Wait for Justice - 200 LA County court employees filled the steps of the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in Downtown LA on March 17, to dramatize the impact of layoffs and court closures have on the families, children and crime victims who use the court every day. Courts were closed because of budget cuts, but employees held signs reading "Families and Children Can't Wait" that looked like take-a-number tickets.
Cleaners hold St. Patty's Day Rally - More than 70 Team Clean custodians and supporters rallied outside of the School Reform Commission meeting this St. Patrick's Day for a different type of "green." The SEIU Local 32BJ workers, who clean 22 of Philadelphia's largest high schools, took action for better pay and quality, affordable health care coverage.
Local 615 Urges Immigrants to Stand Up and Be Counted - As part of the ya es hora! campaign, SEIU Local 615 joined Boston Mayor Thomas Menino to promote full participation in the census by traditionally undercounted immigrants. Local 615 steward Doris Cristobal told the crowd, "Years ago, there were signs in business windows reading 'No Irish Need Apply,' but the Irish community came together and rejected their invisibility. Today, we need to do the same. Let's join together, raise our voices and say, 'Count me.'"
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