Ah, childhood memories...for most of us, these include certain instances of being sick and staying home from school. If you were fortunate, these recollections also include visits to the family physician or being forced to take medicine you probably didn't like the taste of.

For many families, being able to go to the doctor when an illness strikes or buying medicine from the drugstore when a family member gets a cold is simply not a reality. SEIU Local 21LA member Eula Williams thinks back on her younger years and remembers when her family was forced to use homemade 'remedies' including "fatback" and "cod oil" because they couldn't afford traditional medicines for ailments such as a sore throat or pneumonia. "I know what it is like to be without healthcare...I also know the devastating affects it has on others who simply cannot afford it," said Williams, explaining why she didn't hesitate to come to Washington, DC to promote healthcare reform as a Grassroots Lobbyist (GRL) for SEIU earlier this summer.

Eula works in Lafayette, Louisiana, as an early childhood education teacher with SMILE Head Start, a program that provides early childhood education and developmental services to low-income children. As a mother to six children of her own, Eula knows the hardships of providing for a large family when having insurance can mean little if it is not affordable, or doesn't provide the coverage you need. When Eula's husband had to have two open heart surgeries, the resulting high deductibles from the operations created a financial burden that has undermined her ability to help send her children to college--or save for her own retirement. "Whether we realize it or not, we are our brother's keepers--Every soul is precious. Every life is important, and what affects one, affects another," says Williams. "Healthcare reform is a priority. Yes, we can make it happen, now."

For Americans like Eula, real hope for changing the status quo of inadequate coverage and unaffordable premiums is now closer than ever. Last week, efforts towards reform cleared several hurdles, as three of the five Congressional committees working on legislation to reinvent the nation's health care system delivered bills seeking to lower costs, expand coverage, assure choice and be deficit-neutral. No one is more aware than President Obama that defense of the status quo is not acceptable. On Friday, the President said these words: "We are going to get this done. We will reform health care. It will happen this year."

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Note: Eula Williams spent five weeks as a Grassroots Lobbyist through SEIU's Change That Works campaign to support President Obama's Healthcare Reform Act.

Read more blog posts profiling SEIU Grassroots Member Lobbyists here and here.

Note: Athena Jones is an home care worker and Grassroots Lobbyist through SEIU's Change That Works campaign.

Students file in wearing colors mixed like an unsolved Rubik's cube--some wearing chords representing achievement and honors. Friends straighten each other's caps. The rainbow of the march is accompanied by a violin and the pomp and circumstances of cameras flashing. As smiles of achievement shine, each student's hard work and the pride of a family is represented with a cap and gown.

You would not notice or look twice at the needs of these high achievers. Each representing the overtaking of a struggle, brandished with the hopes of the Dream.

Onlookers could never have imagined Tuesday's commencement speech to be anything more than a student talking about bridging gaps to adulthood or hoping for the 10 year reunion. As she began to speak - I'll call her Anna - Anna spoke of her graduating from high school with honors and successfully completing college with a double major in biology and psychology. Her parents spoke to her of the hope, of education and the Dream of what America could be. She was the product of undocumented parents. They brought her here under the cover of a better future when she was eight, and she too was undocumented. Anna began to tell of the hurt she felt towards the only country she knew and the many opportunities lost because she does not have a 9 digit number assigned to her name.

Anna is a high achieving, college-educated student with honors. The U.S. government saw her as an illegal immigrant worthy of nothing better than being deported. Her undocumented status shadowed her amazing credentials. I imagine she never knew, regardless of her academic success, her ultimate diploma would be a letter of deportation.

Nine SEIU members and workers from key states across the country have relocated to Washington, DC this spring for a three-month long stint as a Grassroots Lobbyist (GRLs) on Capitol Hill. Our member lobbyists spend most days inside the halls of Congress, meeting with key legislative staff and speaking to lawmakers about creating change that works for their families and communities--affordable healthcare for all, the freedom to form a union, and restoring economic strength to Main Street.

Meet Susie Young, one of the amazing grassroots lobbyists who has spent the last few months fighting the good fight with SEIU here in D.C. "This has been one of the best experiences of my life," says Susie of her time spent as a GRL. "I have always enjoyed politics and watch a lot of CNN, MSNBC, and C-SPAN, but it is different and a lot more exciting to be a participant."

Read what Susie has to say about her experiences lobbying for healthcare reform, from the perspective of a front-line caregiver:

"Healthcare reform has been the primary focus since I have been here. I have attended all the Senate hearings on healthcare reform chaired by Senator Baucus, and also a couple of hearings in the House, and met with many of our senators and representatives. There is a common thread that both Democrats and Republicans agree on. In the healthcare reform bill, both sides feel there needs to be prevention and wellness and more community centers especially in rural areas. Both sides also agree that we need to address the shortage of primary care physicians, and eliminate pre-existing conditions.

"Unfortunately, here the two sides do not agree on the public option plan. One of the best arguments for the public plan is that it would give competition to the private plan. There are states that only have one private insurance company - like Maine - and if there was competition with a public plan, it would drive costs down.

"One of the reasons for the high costs is chronic and long-term care. During the hearings, it was mentioned that 5% of Medicare patients use 50% of the money. High re-admission rates to hospitals are also a big problem. Addressing long-term care and chronic conditions must be part of healthcare reform.

"Home care can be part of the solution. Washington is a leader in serving people in home- and community-based care, and I've been able to tell my story from a home care workers perspective. Over the years, I have kept my clients in their home. When I see a medical problem, it is addressed immediately. My clients have chronic conditions and I know if there were no home care services, then there would have been different outcomes. There are many states where home and community based care is not an option or where there are waiting lists. This must be addressed as part of healthcare reform.

"When Congress went home for the Memorial Day recess, the grassroots lobbyists traveled to Virginia to help with local events. We spoke with everybody. We waved signs. We knocked on every single door. If they were walking in the streets, we stopped them. If they were driving, and at a four-way stop, we approached them. I was walking down the street, wearing my purple SEIU healthcare shirt, and carrying flyers and a clipboard. A lady in a van stopped and wanted to know if this was about healthcare. She pulled over and had a great healthcare story to tell.

"So many people have healthcare stories or they know someone who is suffering because they lack access to healthcare. They want to share their stories, and are willing to come to events and write letters to their senators. They want to participate. There is a real movement happening around healthcare. I can feel it, but the best part is that you really feel for the first time, healthcare is within reach. It is an awesome feeling to give people Hope. The grassroots lobbyists have been working so hard on the Hill, and it felt good to be out in the streets!"

(This letter is reposted from SEIU Healthcare 775NW's website)

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Note: Susie Young is a home care aide and a Grassroots Lobbyist through SEIU's Change That Works campaign.

Read more blog posts written by SEIU Grassroots Member Lobbyists here, here and here.

Note: Mike Kingsbury is an RN and a Grassroots Lobbyist through SEIU's Change That Works campaign. You can read more about the program here.

The crowd spilled into the overflow room Monday, as the Senate Finance Committee, Chaired by Montana Senator Max Baucus, began the process of, at last, making health care reform a reality in this country. The tone was mostly bipartisan and cooperative, with everyone agreeing that we spend too much in this country for extremely disappointing results - not the least of which is 47 million uninsured Americans.

The task before Congress seems daunting, and so was Monday's hearing; there were 12 witnesses representing every group from insurance companies, to nurses, to women and families. Plus, 23 senators were in attendance, with questions and statements of their own.

Senator Baucus did a good job of maintaining order, but the hearing was conducted as more of an informational roundtable conversation than a formal proceeding. There seemed to be the beginnings of agreement in some key areas that left me hopeful:

First, it is cost efficient to keep people well! Nurses have known this for a long time, but having a witness from a corporation that is both a provider and insurer back it up was good to hear. A representative from a provider/insurance company talked about how they have geared their business to first provide the care necessary to maintain health and also provide care to chronically ill patients that keeps them from constantly returning to the emergency room. He referred to it as "giving concierge care to the sickest not the richest." It was good business sense support for one of nurses' oldest common sense arguments.

Second, we need to move quickly. A lot of the conversation was at the 35,000 foot level, and we know the devil will be in the details, but there was real progress on health care happening. That was exciting for everyone.

Third, health care professionals need a seat at the table! I was glad that there was at least one nurse at the table, even though she was a researcher and not a bedside caregiver. Still, it was clear that, if RNs and other health care professionals are willing to make their voices heard on this issue, Senator Baucus and other members of Congress are willing to listen

Finally, I was excited to see that the public health insurance option is still a key piece to health care reform. Senator Baucus said yesterday that it absolutely "must be on the table" as the discussion over how to fix health care progresses.

We still have so much work to do in our movement to fix health care. But Monday's hearing was another encouraging sign that we're on the right track.

Almost as soon as she begin her new job as a housekeeper at Jorgensen's motel, Amy Swanson knew that the workplace conditions she and her coworkers were subjected to were untenable. There was no access to affordable healthcare and her wages were pitifully low. She and the other employees of the Helena, Montana motel had no job security, and little to no say in what their schedules would be from week-to-week.

"I knew I had to speak out," said Amy, sharing her story at a congressional briefing held by the National Council of Women's Organizations (NCWO) on Capitol Hill this morning. "Not only for my own family, but for my co-workers and future housekeepers who will work at Jorgensen's. There was no reason why my job had to be a job with low wages, no benefits and high turnover." Amy knew from past experience the best way to go about improving her workplace:

I already knew that workers could win by forming a union. Before I moved to Helena I worked in food service at Warm Springs State Hospital. Because we had a union we were able to win healthcare coverage, job security and wages that could support a family.

That's not asking for much. But for me it means everything. It means not staying up at night worrying about how I'm going to keep the electricity on and put food on the table. It means being able to take my daughter to the doctor when she is sick or just bring her in for a checkup.

Amy started talking to her co-workers about advocating for workplace standards, higher wages and respect on the job through forming a union. Once these discussions on gaining a voice at work were underway, the employers at Jorgensen's motel made it clear right away that they were not in favor of the idea, singling Amy out to try and intimidate the other housekeepers from supporting the union. They changed her work schedule so she could no longer always pick up her daughter after school. They cut her schedule from 40 hours between 20 and 25 hours per week--and then added more rooms to her daily cleaning schedule. She was under constant surveillance by management, which was hard to deal with, Amy says. "It was a very intimidating environment and it was clear they wanted me to quit, but that was not even an option for me to consider."

Employers routinely and flagrantly violate workers' rights when they try to form unions for a voice. Studies show that 25 percent of union organizing drives lead to employee firing, and that one out of every five workers who openly support a union are fired. Amy Swanson can attest to these facts firsthand, since it happened to her:

One week before my one-year anniversary, I was fired. I worked hard everyday to support my daughter, and I was fired for speaking out and trying to improve my job.

This should not happen in America.

Luckily I found another job a few weeks later as a food service worker at a school in Helena. The hours allow me to care for my daughter, but I still don't have a union and I can't afford the health coverage offered.

If enacted, the Employee Free Choice Act would allow workers to form unions without having to go through what Amy experienced. She and her coworkers would have had the free choice to form a union to improve their jobs and better support their families, without encountering employer resistance, intimidation or termination. They would have been able to win a contract that would Amy to provide for her daughter the life she deserves.

Read more about employer-based intimidation in the workplace here and why we need the Employee Free Choice Act.

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Amy Swanson is a Grassroots Lobbyist through SEIU's Change That Works campaign. You can read more about the program here.

Note: Mike Kingsbury is an RN and a Grassroots Lobbyist through SEIU's Change That Works campaign. You can read more about the program here.

Yesterday, I sat for several hours in a House subcommittee meeting, waiting for a satisfying moment that never came. Scores of cameras, dozens of spectators, and the "Ladies in Pink" (who nearly got thrown out of the hearing for waving signs that said "Jail AIG") joined me as we waited for hours to hear from the CEO of AIG, Edward Liddy.

In the packed hearing, I listened as Congressman Barney Frank asked for - and Mr. Liddy declined to provide - names of the AIG executives who received bonuses. When pressed under threat of subpoena, he resisted, suggesting their lives would be threatened by the general public "if only we could get our hands on them."

Mr. Liddy, we are not an angry mob. We want justice, not blood. And, yes, we want the names of those whose million-dollar bonuses we all paid. We don't want to "string them up," we want to ask them what they know about shared sacrifice. The woman waiting in line with me at the hearing told about how, when things got rough, she lived on crackers and cheese and peanut butter. For most Americans, shared sacrifice doesn't mean giving up our European vacation - most of us have never been to Europe.

So, yes, give it back - every last dollar of the bonuses, every last dime of the bailout. But if, at the end of the day, all the money is paid back, all the criminals are prosecuted, AIG is on its feet again, but we still have the same system that caused this to happen - we still bailout banks but let workers lose their homes and their health care - I will still be mad.

I don't expect a million dollar bonus. I want a choice about whether to have a union. I want affordable health care. I just want to live in a country that works for working people.

While I'm glad I saw the beginnings of that in the hearing yesterday, I also saw the possibility that business might try to give us a "sacrificial offering," and hope we are appeased.

I know I won't be.

From our nation's capital,
Mike Kingsbury, RN

Hundreds of Workers Head to Washington Monday to Press Lawmakers, Lobbyists and CEOs on Need for Workers' Voices in Rebuilding Economy

Next week, 350 SEIU members from across the country will come to Washington, DC to tell lawmakers, lobbyists, and corporate CEOs to stand with them and take immediate steps to create an economy that works for everyone--not just those at the top.

Corporate CEOs and lobbyists are spending millions of dollars to stop President Obama from creating the change we voted for in November. Even worse, they are using our tax dollars to oppose laws that will help working families. They want to continue down the same failed economic path of the past eight years--lower wages, higher healthcare costs, and an uncertain future for our families.

On Monday, workers, religious leaders, and community allies will join SEIU member lobbyists for a 3 p.m. rally on the northwest corner of Lafayette Park to tell corporate CEOs to stop standing in the way of an economy that works for everyone. On Tuesday, workers will sit down with their Senators and Members of Congress to share their stories about being fired, intimidated, and harassed by their employers for trying to form a union and discuss the importance of the Employee Free Choice Act.

Workers will also visit the offices of eight major corporate industry associations, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, to ask for a meeting with the groups' top officers and call on them to stop spending millions of dollars lobbying against common-sense legislative solutions to our economic crisis.

The actions are part of SEIU's Change That Works campaign--a campaign in more than 30 states to bring economic solutions to Main Street by ensuring passage of comprehensive healthcare reform and the Employee Free Choice Act. Stayed tuned for more details about next week's member mobilization kick-off events, leading up to nationwide "Take Action Against Corporate Excess" demonstrations in 50+ cities March 19th.

Read more about SEIU's Grassroots Lobbyists program through our Change That Works campaign here and check out blog posts written by two of our member lobbyists:

• "My First Week in Washington DC with SEIU," by Mike Kingsbury, an RN from Colorado who has been an active member of the Nurse Alliance of CO for many years and also worked with SEIU on the Obama campaign.
  
• "Standing Up for Homecare Workers in Washington," by Theo Jackson, from Scotts Valley, CA, who was one of five workers to share his story at the Feb. 4 Employee Free Choice Act rally on the Hill to urge Congress to support the legislation.

Note: Theo is a Grassroots Lobbyist through SEIU's Change That Works campaign. You can read more about the program here. Video included below.

I attended a hearing at the Rayburn building about "Family Friendly Policies". For the first time in my life I was proud of some members of Congress; most especially Mr. Hare of Illinois, and Ms Carol Shea-Porter of New Hampshire.

A very brave woman named Rebia Mixon Clay told a very compelling and powerful story about the vicissitudes of life that she faces every day as a home health care Worker. Ms. Mixon Clay, was succinct, on point and eloquent. In a very personal and uplifting way she brought home the plight of many people in this country. I felt honored to be there to hear this incredibly brave and valiant woman speak.

Rebia did not ask for any handouts, she did not ask for pity or sympathy. She simply demanded the respect due to all American workers. And (as far as I am concerned) she fully deserves it.

I have the privilege of working with Rebia, and SEIU, and I must say that Rebia is an extraordinarily accurate snapshot of the people, and the passion of SEIU.

Note: Mike is a Grassroots Lobbyist through SEIU's Change That Works campaign. You can read more about the program here. Video included below.

I've always been impressed with our nation's capitol. The huge buildings, sweeping landscapes, and grand stone staircases - it's all so big, it makes me a little disoriented and, gulp, small.

But all those buildings are filled with people. And if there's anything I've learned as a nurse--people are people. We all eat and sleep and want to make the world a better place.

Still, it was good to show up at the SEIU building the first morning and feel like we belonged there - like we had a home base in DC. When you look at us, you know we are all workers: the real people who get the jobs done that make this country what it is. We are "regular" people.

That's why we're here - to be the kind of lobbyists and representatives who can cut through the BS and remind our elected senators and representatives that the decisions they make have consequences for hundreds of millions of "regular" people.

The first congressperson I visited was Betsy Markey, a newly elected representative from my home state of Colorado. About 14 workers from SEIU and the AFL-CIO went to talk with her about the Employee Free Choice Act. She was real happy to have us.

The part I loved, though, was when I talked about trying to organize and some of the struggles we had at our hospital. I shared stories I had heard from a couple other health care workers that'd tried to organize. Here was this very important person in this huge fancy office in WASHINGTON DC - and she was obviously swayed but what I said. When I finished, she was even trying to figure how she could co-sponsor the Employee Free Choice Act.

This week, I passed Betsy Markey in the hallway when I was back on Capitol Hill. She immediately recognized me and ran over to tell me some exciting news - she signed on as a co-sponsor of the Employee Free Choice Act.

These experiences, and the excitement of a new president, inspire me. I see the window we have open for tilting things back towards workers and getting a better health care system rolling. I am here to push as far as we can for working people, and to meet and connect with people who are interested in doing that, too. I think this project will be longer and deeper than we can see now. Being with other people and knowing we aren't alone will be what keeps us all going.

From the nation's capitol,
Mike Kingsbury, RN

My name is Jess Paul and I am a member of the State Employees' Association of New Hampshire, SEIU Local 1984. I work for the Division of Parks and Recreation where I help keep nearly 80 state parks running smoothly, serving as a liaison between field staff and the Department of Resources.

I love my job and I looked forward to going to work everyday but last month I was informed by the State of New Hampshire that due to insufficient funds, I would be laid off on February 12, 2009.

You never think that it could happen to you, but in today's economy it's getting harder and harder to know who's got your back.

That's why today I'm in Washington D.C. lobbying my U.S. Senators and urging them to vote for the Economic Recovery Act, which will provide the emergency financial help our states need so they won't have to balance the budget on the backs of workers.

But I can't do this by myself - after all, we're stronger together.

Please contact your U.S. Senator and ask them to support President Obama's Economic Recovery Act.  Click here to make a free call.

http://call.seiu.org/9/economic

My name is Jess Paul and I am a member of the State Employees' Association of New Hampshire, SEIU Local 1984. I work for the Division of Parks and Recreation where I help keep nearly 80 state parks running smoothly, serving as a liaison between field staff and the Department of Resources.

I love my job and I looked forward to going to work everyday but last month I was informed by the State of New Hampshire that due to insufficient funds, I would be laid off on February 12, 2009.

You never think that it could happen to you, but in today's economy it's getting harder and harder to know who's got your back.

That's why today I'm in Washington D.C. lobbying my U.S. Senators and urging them to vote for the Economic Recovery Act, which will provide the emergency financial help our states need so they won't have to balance the budget on the backs of workers.

But I can't do this by myself - after all, we're stronger together.

Please contact your U.S. Senator and ask them to support President Obama's Economic Recovery Act.  Click here to make a free call.

http://call.seiu.org/9/economic