On November 22nd and 23rd, 2,000 members of SEIU United Long Term Care Workers (ULTCW) joined together in Los Angeles to chart a new direction for the home care and nursing home workers union. Speaking in English, Spanish, Armenian, Cantonese, Mandarin and many other languages, members presented their own ideas and vision for the union, captured in a report called "Reflect, Rebuild, Renew."

Home care providers, seniors, and people with disabilities prevailed in federal court yesterday, securing a preliminary injunction to stop cuts to essential home care for 130,000 Californians. We've been following this fight for several months now, and it's such amazing news for home care workers and those they care for that this ruling will put a stop to these devastating cuts.

Watch SEIU's Deb Roth recap the ruling from Judge Wilkins:

The planned budget cuts of $82.1 million in services were scheduled to take place November 1, and would've resulted in 40,000 people losing IHSS services entirely and an additional 90,000 having their services slashed.

Quick hits around the union from ULTCW, SEIU Massachusetts, SEIU District 1199, CSEA, Local 5-Virginia, SEANC, Local 721 and 32BJ.

Court Hearing to Stop Cuts to In-Home Care Services Results in Big Win for Seniors, People with Disabilities: SEIU homecare providers recently succeeded in preventing the California Department of Social Services from mailing over 130,000 notices informing seniors and people with disabilities statewide that their In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) will be cut or eliminated. Today, as sisters and brothers of ULTCW from Stockton, Marin, San Jose and Oakland gathered in front of the Federal Courthouse for a rally to stand strong against cuts to critical in-home care services, Judge Claudia Wilkens reached the decision to grant a preliminary injunction, putting a stop the Governor's cuts to the IHSS program. Stayed tuned for video and updates on the hearing by following @seiuULTCW on Twitter.

32BJ's Mike Fishman is the man!: But we already knew that...the Oct. 18th issue of New York Magazine's 12 most powerful people in NYC includes SEIU Local 32BJ President Mike Fishman. "If there's one labor figure ready to break out, it's Mike Fishman," reads The Power Dozen. "A trained carpenter, he's not a grandstander but a savvy strategist...After years of steady growth, with expansions in neighboring states and a disciplined training operation, 32BJ has emerged as a potent force."

Congress Boehner's Opposition to a Public Healthcare Option? {Insert your own joke here} On Thursday, members of SEIU District 1199 visited the West Chester, Ohio district office of Rep. John Boehner to let him know loud and clear that they support a public health insurance option. Rep. Boehner claimed recently that he had never met an American who supported the public health insurance option. Um, really Congressman? The public option is supported by not only a majority of the nation, but also by a majority of people in your home state. You may want to get out more and watch this video:

Care for Kids vs. Connecticut's Self-Serving Rell Administration: In the wake of the scandal that has erupted over the misuse of public funds for political purposes by Connecticut's Rell Administration, the New Haven Advocate features a front-page story on the latest victims of state's efforts to shutter the state's only residential treatment center of its kind--High Meadows residential facility in Hamden.

Members of CSEA continued the union's nine-month struggle to preserve services for the youth by joining with District 1199/SEIU's members, parents, advocates, and legislators for a rally and press conference last week to urge Governor Rell to drop her scheme to shut the full-service facility down.

Who Is the Most Sought-After Endorsement at the Dance? "SEIU, I believe, is a modern and progressive union. They look at the future, they have modern organizing methods, and I think they represent workers who look forward with technology, particularly in health care," said Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley upon winning the endorsement of the SEIU Massachusetts State Council, which has been called "one of the most sought-after union endorsements in the race for US Senate." It's the first time the council has ever decided as a group to back one candidate.

New Ad Highlights How State Budget Cuts Could Harm Ohio Families: The Save Ohio campaign, a project of SEIU District 1199, began airing a television ad statewide in Ohio last week aimed at stopping additional cuts in safety net services. The move could put more Ohioans at risk if state lawmakers decide to close the budget hole through spending cuts instead of Governor Strickland's tax freeze proposal.

Everybody Wins Contest: Members of SEIU Local 5-Virginia have started a contest that may save the county money while improving public services in Fairfax, Virginia. The Everybody Wins contest runs through Oct. 30th. The winner gets awarded a cash prize, and the county gets $5,000 seed money to jump-start the winning idea. Enter here.

City of LA Engineers and Professionals Join SEIU: Nearly 1,500 City of Los Angeles engineers and professional employees have chosen a stronger voice at work with SEIU 721. "I'm ecstatic," said Lorena Avila, an engineering associate with the City of LA Department of Transportation. "It's time to come together and move forward with our new union." Learn more about their decisive vote.

SEANC Members Get Raleigh-ed Up, Fight Discriminatory Health Plan, Bad Puns: North Carolina is trying to impose a health tax on state employees with a plan full of sticks to penalize workers but with no carrots to help them. SEANC - SEIU Local 2008 members are mobilizing to stop Raleigh's misguided plan, and last week took the story national with a feature on NBC's "TODAY Show" that includes interviews with SEANC Executive Director Dana Cope and member Susan Strickland, a Department of Labor employee. Watch the clip:

Here's a compilation of a few (of the many!) events and rallies SEIU members attended on Labor Day to show their support for health reform and honor American workers.

OHIO: Local 1199WKO members joined the AFL-CIO in celebrating Labor Day with a picnic that featured President Barack Obama. The President gave a fiery speech to a capacity crowd in the PNC Arena at Coney Island Park. The speech highlighted the impact of labor unions over the past century and urged attendees to join a final, strong push for health care reform. One of our favorite quotes from his speech:

[...] Few have fought harder or longer for health care and America's workers than you--our brothers and sisters of organized labor. And just as we know that we must adapt to all the changes and challenges of a global economy, we also know this: in good economic times and bad, labor is not part of the problem. Labor is part of the solution.

Watch President Obama's entire speech here:

MICHIGAN: Members of several locals, including 517M, Local 1 and Workers United joined over 700 SEIU Healthcare MI members in calling for health care reform during the Detroit Labor Day parade. Local members marched in the parade, carrying "Reform Now" signs and showing a united front by donning their purple SEIU t-shirts.

After the parade, members and their families moved on to the Union Hall for food, fun, musical entertainment and even free school supplies for the kids.

MASSACHUSETTS: SEIU Locals 1199 and 615 members joined more than 1,000 people at a healthcare rally on the Boston Common.

In a refrain that echoed across the grassy lawn, the crowd chanted: "What do we want? Health Care Reform! When do you want it? Now!" The event, which was organized by OFA and sponsored by HCAN, SEIU Local 615, Jobs with Justice and others, featured speeches by several politicians including Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, Congressmen Edward Markey, John Tierney and Michael Capuano as well as Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley.

ILLINOIS: While many groups around the country used Labor Day to rally around health care, SEIU Local 73 and Workers United members used the holiday to draw attention to the need for comprehensive immigration reform. Members marched with nearly 2,000 other concerned citizens to Federal Plaza in downtown Chicago, where they called on Congress and the President to end the deportations of illegal immigrants that separate families. Speakers at the rally, which was covered by the Sun Times, called for the election of candidates with pro-immigrant stances.

MONTANA: Change That Works Montana activists 'kicked back' on labor day by attending a rally for health insurance reform. With a crowd of 300 people in attendance, the 27th annual Labor Day rally sponsored by the Central Montana Labor Council proved that when it comes to reforming our health care system, the hard working people of Montana don't take a day off.

At the rally, Montana Superintendent of Schools Denise Juneau spoke to the Great Falls Tribune, saying that history shows that strong public pressure and support can produce results when it comes to health care policy. "Look at CHIPS (A health care program for low income children)," she said. "Because there was strong public support, that program was expanded for our youngest and most vulnerable. Now we need to expand it for all members of the family." Full coverage and photos of the rally here.

CALIFORNIA: SEIU ULTCW members, healthcare activists and community leaders attended the Healthy Works Fair + Film + Action event at the Independent Theater in downtown Los Angeles. The event featured free screenings throughout the day of Michael Moore's movie "Sicko" (with Spanish and Chinese subtitles) and was followed by free health screenings, panel discussions with attendees and health care professionals, as well as a filming session that allowed people to record their own health care stories. SEIU ULTCW Co-Trustee Laphonza Butler led a group of healthcare debate leaders, including Congresswoman Judy Chu, Dr. Paul Song, Assemblyperson Michael Eng and Dr. Rishi Manchanda, in a call to action during the early morning hours of Labor Day to kick off the event (see photo below and click here for more photos and video.

At ULTCW's event, TV journalist Lisa Ling shot her own personal video on healthcare. In it, Ling talks about being grateful for her union for her healthcare coverage--and why we need reform for the millions of people who don't have coverage. Watch now:

For a run-down on the progress the 111th Congress and the Obama administration have made so far to undo many policies that have harmed our nation's workers, click here.