For an inadvertent visitor, there were plenty of street festivals going on in Puerto Rico on Thursday. Very loud music played on enormous loudspeakers, people were chanting and dancing in the streets and a very joyful ambiance was felt everywhere.

It wasn't a carnival happening in Puerto Rico though--it was the General Strike that mobilized over 150,000 workers and citizens to protest Republican Governor Luis Fortuño's massive layoffs. "It was tremendous. I've been in the labor movement for 44 years and this was the most impressive event I've ever seen. It was up there with the immigrant mobilizations of 2006," said Executive VP Eliseo Medina of the assembly of Puerto Rican workers. "It was one of the most diverse events that I've ever seen in a society. Lawyers, workers, students, psychologists, priests and minsters and nuns and everyday people. It was truly an amazing sight. It was pretty clear, our rejection of Governor Fortuño's policies."

Thursday's one-day national strike and rally was a first for many Puerto Ricans who had never taken the streets to protest before. As 'firsts' go, this one was quite impressive! On the morning of the 15th, seven marches from various locations across the Island converged at the main rally site in Hato Ray: Plazas las Americas, the largest shopping mall in the Caribbean. The shopping center was transformed into an enormous rainbow of flags and colorful banners, calling for a revoke of the law that authorized the firing of over thirty thousand public servants. According to reports, all mass public transportation was stopped, except for the trains. The port, docks and ferries in San Juan came to a halt, as did practically all public services across the Island. The public school system closed after only 2 percent of all students showed up for class, and all public universities were also closed.

SEIU Healthcare chair Dennis Rivera, Local 1966SPT President Robert Pagan and Eliseo Medina joined the historic protest alongside hundreds of thousands of Puerto Rican workers, SEIU members, faith leaders, students and citizens in what's being called 'the greatest public demonstration in Puerto Rico's history.' SEIU leaders have been in San Juan since Wednesday helping out the striking workers, as many of the laid-off workers are SEIU members. "It is critical. 7,500 members of SEIU are going to lose their jobs," SEIU Healthcare chair Dennis Rivera told The Hill. "If SEIU cannot help their members in their time of need, what good would this organization be?"

Even in the wake of largest demonstration in Puerto Rican history as the country's unemployment rate tops 17 percent, Governor Fortuño continues to parrot his plan to lay off 17,000 state employees made viable under Law 7 will not be repealed. While Governor Fortuño has made it clear that he's not going to listen to the citizens of Puerto Rico or the widespread opposition to his administration's policies, this fight is far from over. "The people have spoken, and they are not going to allow this administration to devastate the lives of working families, ruin the economy, and dismantle Puerto Rico's safety net," said Dennis Rivera. Members of SEIU Local 1996SPT, Local 1199 UGT and other unions and coalitions in Puerto Rico have pledged to continue protests against the job cuts in and outside of the Island.

As the impending date the massive layoffs go into effect creeps closer, thousands of civil servants are living in moments of despair and distress, wondering how they will pay their bills and feed their children after November 6th. Fortuño's draconian budget cuts and cancellation of workers' collective bargaining rights in response to the fiscal crisis is not an acceptable solution by the Government to the Island's already under-served citizens. It's up to us to turn up the heat on Congress and demand they hold hearings on Fortuño's anti-American actions: http://action.seiu.org/page/s/PRcivilrights

More on the strike and recent events in Puerto Rico on SEIU's Blog here. More photos from the October 15th strike here.

U.S. Census Bureau Director Robert Groves joined prominent Latino groups, labor and faith leaders and leading national Spanish-language media partners today to outline a historic campaign to ensure a full and accurate 2010 Census count of the estimated 50 million Latinos living in the United States.

Members of the coalition - called the ya es hora ! HAGASE CONTAR! (It's Time, Make Yourself Count!) campaign - previewed a series of public service announcements that will begin airing today on major Spanish language media.

The 2000 Census, despite producing a net over-count of the total population, produced an undercount of Latinos of around 3 percent (or one million people,) which cost billions in lost federal funding. The ya es hora, ¡HAGASE CONTAR! campaign will enhance the Bureau's efforts to count Latinos through a sustained and aggressive community education initiative to mobilize hundreds of local organizations.

At today's press conference, SEIU International Executive VP Eliseo Medina said this:

"Since the 2000 Census count, we've made enormous strides in building political empowerment of Latinos around the country and it's critical that we build off of that political consciousness to encourage full participation in the 2010 Census.< br/>

Given the growth of the community since 2000--especially in 'swing states' like Arizona and Nevada where results of Congressional reapportionment are being closely watched--an accurate 2010 count of Latinos could significantly influence politics in 2012 and beyond,"

For more from Eliseo Medina and today's event, watch this video:

For more, visit http://www.seiu.org/immigration

This week anti-immigrant extremists from FAIR (Federation for American Immigration Reform)--a known hate group--were silenced by vigils and pro-immigrant rallies demanding an end to the hate.

To counter FAIR's "Hold Your Feet to the Fire" week of lobby activities in Washington, hundreds of activists held vigils at the Capitol to condemn the hateful rhetoric. In the beginning of the week, SEIU joined America's Voice, Center for New Community, and the Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM) to launch a Roll Call print ad denouncing FAIR for poisoning the immigration debate with bigoted, xenophobic hate speech.

Reps. Brian Bilbray (R-CA) and Steve King (R-IA), as well as Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL), are pictured in the ad along with FAIR founder John Tanton and CNN's Lou Dobbs. The ad features a quote from Tanton that reads: "As Whites see their power and control over their lives declining, will they simply go quietly into the night? Or will there be an explosion?"

Bilbray, King, and Sessions have a long history of collaboration with FAIR and like-minded organizations. Dobbs is a favorite media personality of FAIR (Dobbs' CNN program has cited FAIR as a reliable source on the immigration issue no fewer than six times in the last year) and spoke at the organization's "We the People" Immigration Reform Awards Reception on September 15. More on FAIR, its racist founder, its ties to eugenicists, and the racially charged comments of some of its staff can be found at Media Matters here.

Americans know that hate speech can't raise wages and living standards for workers, solve the healthcare crisis, end the mortgage crisis, or bring about immigration reform. And President Obama has consistently promised to make comprehensive immigration reform a priority during his first year in office. But it's become clear after Joe Wilson's "lie," Republican politicians continuing to employ the illegal immigration wedge strategy, and FAIR with its anti-immigrant lobbying "blitz" on Capitol Hill this week with support from the media's Lou Dobbs that we need to do more. SEIU has launched a new campaign calling on its members to set the record straight on immigrant access to health care. If you haven't yet, please join us: http://action.seiu.org/immigrante.

The politics of immigration are too often tainted by ignorance and hate. "It's time that everyone learns who FAIR's founders, leaders and followers truly are. They are not reformers, but a group of extremists whose leaders are fostering a bigoted, anti-immigrant, anti-American agenda that we must stop," said SEIU Executive VP Eliseo Medina in a statement. "America doesn't need zealots; we need smart, pragmatic immigration reform."

We must continue with even greater resolve to overcome the fanaticism, stand up for immigrant rights, and push for the kind of smart, fair and just immigration reform our nation needs to flourish. Tell Congress: "It's time to fix the broken immigration system..

With less than a week before National Citizenship Day on September 17--ya es hora ¡Ciudadania! (Citizenship: It's Time!), national community partners and the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC) announced that more than 25 citizenship events are being held across the country this month to help thousands of eligible immigrants apply for U.S. citizenship. In an effort to support eligible immigrants facing increased economic hurdles, this month's workshops--which will take place in AZ, CA, CO, FL, IL, KY, MA, NC, TX and VA--will provide free and low cost legal and administrative support to help eligible immigrants prepare and submit their applications. The workshops begin September 12 and last through the end of the month.

The nationwide citizenship push comes as a hike in the citizenship fee increase and economic recession have contributed to a decrease in naturalization applications. According to an analysis released by NCLR, after the fee to apply for U.S. citizenship jumped from $400 to $675 in 2007, the number of naturalization applications fell by 62 percent in 2008. If you take an even further look back, the fee hike over time much more dramatic: between 1990 and 2007, the cost of the U.S. citizenship process has increased 561 percent, from $91 to $670. For many immigrants, this large sum can equal three weeks to a month of wages.

There are still 8.25 million legal permanent residents who are eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship--and we need to take steps to make sure that cost is not what's keeping willing, eligible immigrants from becoming naturalized citizens.

Today, in a meeting to convene a diverse group of labor, advocacy, faith and business leaders, SEIU Executive Vice President Eliseo Medina met with Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano to discuss immigration reform.

As an added bonus, President Barack Obama made an unscheduled visit to the meeting and reiterated his support of pushing through a comprehensive immigration package this Congress.

The Hill reports that:

"Obama urged leaders to work together in order to pass comprehensive immigration reform. Advocates took the presidential visit as a sign of the administration's commitment to the issue."

In the first of its kind meeting -- to convene a diverse group of advocates to begin sketching a framework for reform-- Vice President Medina issued the following statement:

"Today's White House meeting with Secretary Napolitano and a diverse group of labor, faith, and business leaders is an important step towards shaping smart, comprehensive immigration reform legislation in the comings months. As the leader of the Department that has for far too long been tasked with the impossible job of enforcing broken, outdated laws, Secretary Napolitano knows first-hand how critical it is that we pass sweeping immigration reforms that are smart, enforceable and strengthen our economy for the long term.

"In coming months as the immigration debate heats up, Secretary Napolitano will play a central role in promoting real progress on the issue. In order to achieve the smart policy solution that the American public wants, we urge Secretary Napolitano to stand up publicly, light the fire and become an outspoken champion of comprehensive reform.

"Enforcement without reform has been tried for decades with dismal results. Instead of solving problems, it wastes taxpayer dollars, marginalizes immigrant communities and degrades the quality of life for all workers. In particular, expansion of employment verification programs like E-Verify is like painting the roof when the house is on fire; it's the wrong solution at the wrong time.

"For every day we delay on passing a solution to our broken immigration system, we impede our nation's economic recovery, create unnecessary divisions in our workforce, and cost taxpayers billions of wasted dollars.

"It is unacceptable to live in a country where millions of workers are living in shadows. The only way to ensure that every job in this country is filled by a legal permanent resident is to get undocumented immigrants out of the underground economy, into the system and under the rule of law. Diverse groups are aligned on the need for a comprehensive solution. Now we need the Administration and Congress to take bold steps, roll up their sleeves and pass smart reforms once and for all.

Shortly after the meeting, Secretary Napolitano issued a statement on the meeting saying:

"Today's meeting on comprehensive immigration reform was an important opportunity to hear from stakeholders and build on the significant time I've spent on the Hill meeting with members of Congress on this critical subject. I look forward to working with President Obama, my colleagues in Congress and representatives from law enforcement, business, labor organizations, the interfaith community, advocacy groups and others as we work on this important issue."

Eliseo Medina es descrito por Los Angeles Times como "uno de los más exitosos organizadores laborales del país" y nombrado por la revista Poder como uno de los "50 principales y más influyentes líderes latinos". Actualmente dirige los esfuerzos del Sindicato Internacional de Empleados de Servicios (SEIU) para lograr la reforma integral de inmigración que reconstruya la economía de la nación, consiga iguales protecciones laborales y civiles para que los trabajadores mejoren sus salarios y condiciones de trabajo y provea canales legales y una vía a la ciudadanía.
 
El Sacramento Bee lo llama líder "calladamente carismático que ayuda a que los trabajadores inmigrantes conquisten representación sindical y hace que se escuchen sus voces en la arena política". El tema de la reforma migratoria es un asunto muy personal para Medina. A los 10 años, llegó a los Estados Unidos procedente de México con su madre y hermanos para reunirse con su padre, trabajador agrícola inmigrante.

Trabajando para asegurar que la oportunidad de aprobar una reforma migratoria integral no se esfume, Medina dirigió el esfuerzo de unificar a los sindicatos de la federación Change to Win y de la AFL-CIO alrededor de un marco integral para la reforma. Como la principal voz en Washington que frecuentemente testifica ante el Congreso, Medina también ayudó a construir una coalición poderosa y diversa de socios comunitarios y nacionales que ha intensificado la exigencia de reforma y cultivado el capital necesario para hacer que los funcionarios electos rindan cuentas. Medina también ha ayudado a fortalecer los lazos entre la iglesia católica romana y el movimiento laboral para trabajar en preocupaciones comunes tales como los derechos de los trabajadores inmigrantes y acceso a cuidados de salud.

Medina comenzó su carrera como  activista sindical en 1965 cuando, como piscador de uvas de 19 años, participó en la histórica huelga de la Federación de Campesinos (los United Farm Workers) en Delano, California. En los siguientes 13 años, trabajó al lado de César Chávez y afinó sus habilidades de organizador sindical y estratega político, y eventualmente hizo carrera hasta llegar a ser vicepresidente nacional de la Federación de Campesinos.

Su interés en organización estratégica lo llevó a SEIU en 1986 en que ayudó a revitalizar un sindicato local de San Diego, elevando su membresía de 1,700 a 10,000 en cinco años. Medina fue un estratega clave de la huelga de los trabajadores de servicios a edificios del Local 1877 de SEIU en Los Ángeles, quienes en abril del 2000 conquistaron el mayor aumento de salarios en 15 años de historia de la campaña de Justicia para los Janitors de SEIU. También ayudó a que más de 100,000 trabajadores de cuidado en casa de California promovieran el mejor cuidado de calidad para la gente que ellos cuidan: ancianos y discapacitados para que permanezcan viviendo independientemente en sus casas al garantizar el financiamiento de la mejora de su calidad de vida.

Medina ha servido como Vicepresidente Ejecutivo Internacional de SEIU desde 1996 en que hizo historia al convertirse en el primer mexicano estadounidense electo a un alto cargo en SEIU que cuenta con 2.1 millones de afiliados. Su trabajo ha ayudado a que SEIU sea el sindicato de más rápido crecimiento de la costa oeste y el mayor sindicato de California. Desde 1996, más de 1 millón de trabajadores de todo el país se ha afiliado a SEIU, el sindicato más grande de trabajadores de cuidados de la salud y el sindicato con la mayor membresía de trabajadores inmigrantes.
 
Medina también lidera los esfuerzos de SEIU para ayudar a que se afilien a SEIU trabajadores de 17 estados del sur y suroeste de Estados Unidos, tales como Arizona, Texas, Nevada, Colorado, Louisiana, Florida y Georgia; de manera que estos tengan la fuerza para mejorar sus trabajos y los servicios que proveen en sus comunidades.

Medina divide su tiempo entre Los Ángeles y Houston. Es casado y padre de tres niños.

» Material de prensa en línea sobre Eliseo Medina

» Presidente Andrew L. Stern » Secretaria Tesorera Anna Burger » Executive Vice President Eliseo Medina » Vicepresidente Ejecutivo Tom Woodruff » Vicepresidente Ejecutiva Mary Kay Henry » Vicepresidente Ejecutivo Gerry Hudson » Vicepresidente Ejecutivo Dave Regan

Momentum is growing in Washington for comprehensive immigration reform. Just as the bipartisan Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) issued a sweeping report on the urgent need for comprehensive immigration reform, Senator Schumer announced yesterday that an immigration bill will be ready by Labor Day. "I think we'll have a good bill by Labor Day," said Schumer. "I think the fundamental building blocks are in place to do comprehensive immigration reform."

Read the full report by CFR's Immigration Policy Task Force--which includes SEIU Executive Vice President Eliseo Medina and former Governor of Florida Jeb Bush. "While it may not be a sprint to the finish, after years of delay, broken promises and political logjams, the urgency is greater than ever to make real progress," said Medina. Check out coverage of this encouraging news in the AP, Washington Post and Daily Kos.

"We are extremely concerned to hear eyewitness reports that civil society organizations, including trade unions, have been tear-gassed and beaten by the armed forces," said SEIU Executive VP Eliseo Medina in a statement yesterday. "Many have been injured and dozens have been arrested. We have received information from Honduras that there are lists of trade union leaders threatened with detention and whose personal safety is at risk."

SEIU is standing in solidarity with sister organizations in Honduras--the Unitary Central of Honduran Workers (CUTH), the Confederation of Honduran Workers (CTH), the General Workers Central (CGT), and the Trade Union Confederation of the Americas (TUCA), which represents over 45 million workers in the hemisphere--in condemning the military coup that resulted in the illegal ouster of democratically-elected President Manuel Zelaya. President Zelaya was working to free his country from decades of poverty until he was injudiciously halted in these efforts by the Honduran military.

"SEIU calls on the United States government and the international community--particularly the Organization of American States and the United Nations--to take all measures within its diplomatic powers to protect democracy in Honduras," stated Medina. "We also ask that they intervene to ensure that all Honduran civilians, particularly trade unionists and social activists denouncing the coup, are safe and secure and will not be victimized by violence and repression. Read SEIU's entire statement on the coup in Honduras.

Image used under a Creative Commons license by Flickr user venstresida

The votes were counted last week in an important union election among 10,000 home care workers in Fresno County, California. Now that the dust is settled, here is more detail about what the Fresno home care election victory signifies--and what it means going forward.

This week, SEIU Executive VP Eliseo Medina is in Mexico City meeting with key legislators and labor leaders on the importance of working together to improve labor rights and economic opportunities for workers on both sides of the border. "In order to build an immigration system that puts an end to the senseless suffering of so many families on both sides of the border, labor, social and political organizations in both countries must work together to build comprehensive reforms that are just and humane," Medina remarked to El Universal during a press conference with key reporters in Mexico City.

In other immigration reform news....

A temporary victory on E-Verify: On Friday two harmful E-Verify amendments were defeated in the House Appropriations committee for the Department of Homeland Security. Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA) and Rep. Ken Calvart (R-CA) had proposed two separate E-Verify amendments to the House Appropriations bill for FY2010, but both amendments failed. The Kingston amendment would have required government contractors to run all employees and new hires through E-Verify. Rep. Calvart's amendment would have made E-Verify permanent in the House Appropriations bill, but it received resistance from, most notably, Rep. David Price who argued that the E-Verify will be addressed during a larger immigration reform debate.

Bush Rule Bolstering Deportations Is Withdrawn: Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. reversed a Bush administration ruling that had weakened the ability of immigrants facing deportation to argue that their lawyers did a bad job. The original order, issued just days before the inauguration of President Obama, held that immigrants did not have a constitutional right to effective lawyers in their deportation hearings. That 11th-hour decision abruptly closed off one of the most common avenues for appealing deportation decisions.

U.S. Temporarily Suspends Policy of Deporting Widows of Citizens: The Department of Homeland Security said last Tuesday it is temporarily freezing a policy of deporting widows and widowers of U.S. citizens, a sign of the Obama administration's interest in new approaches to immigration. Only a few hundred people were at risk of deportation under the policy, but critics viewed it as one of the most painful consequences of President George W. Bush's immigration crackdown.

Friends and allies of SEIU are celebrating Pride month in a special way this year: Joining with home care workers in Fresno to protect their union and to keep their union voice strong in SEIU UHW.

The volunteer effort by SEIU allies for SEIU UHW caregivers follows outspoken support by the union for the rights and freedoms of LGBT people, including marriage equality. SEIU locals throughout California opposed Proposition 8, a statewide measure attacking marriage equality, and denounced a state court ruling last week upholding the measure.

Bao Thao drove from San Diego to volunteer time and meet with SEIU UHW home care members in Fresno. "Unions must keep supporting all people so we avoid such discrimination as Prop 8," she said. "SEIU has provided that support, and so I'm here to support these members."

Kevin Xiong, executive director of SOY (Shades of Yellow), a nonprofit LGBT organization in Minnesota, also volunteered his time to knock on doors in Fresno and support SEIU UHW members. "By going door to door, we are seeking to correct deliberate efforts to set the union off course and sap its strength to meet the struggles that only a large, experienced union like SEIU UHW can win. Home care workers in Fresno are passionate about their union and understand the need to stick together," he said.

Xiong joined many Californians in criticizing the negative signal he saw in the state ruling on Prop 8. "This is a civil rights issue," he said, "dividing people in two classes, those who can marry with benefits and those who cannot." He described the ruling as undercutting the rights of same-sex couples who hoped to marry in the future by denying their committed unions equal recognition under state law. "SEIU UHW continues to fight this upcoming vote to weaken its union," said Xiong.

The theme of legal recognition for families is at the heart of SEIU's support for legislation crucial to many LGBT couples, the Reuniting Families Act. The House bill, introduced yesterday by California Congressman Mike Honda, includes same-sex partners in its scope.

At the America's Future Now! conference in Washington, DC on Tuesday, SEIU International Executive VP Eliseo Medina addressed attendees on why comprehensive immigration reform is an important issue to support. Watch the video of his speech here:

Medina has been a dedicated and active participant in the coalition of advocates for comprehensive immigration reform, appearing at several kickoff events this week gearing up for the summer-long push to get moving on legislation this year.

At yesterday's press conference sponsored by Reform Immigration FOR America--a new campaign bringing together labor, faith, civil rights, pro-immigrant, business and law enforcement communities to help President Obama make good on his promise to pass comprehensive immigration reform in 2009--Medina emphasized the economic advantages to bringing the country's estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants currently residing in the U.S. "out of the shadows." Not creating a fair process allowing for legalization, said Medina, will just allow employers to continue taking advantage of undocumented workers, which "serves only to undermine wages for all workers."

More on how immigration reform would benefit our current economy.

This week has been marked by a number of landmark "firsts" in federal immigration law. Yesterday, the Senate Judiciary Committee convened the first-ever hearing on inequality for same-sex couples. Today, Congressman Mike Honda (D-CA) introduced the "Reuniting Families Act," marking the first time in Congressional history that same-sex couples have been included as part of a multi-issue immigration bill.

The Reuniting Families Act would allow spouses and children of permanent U.S. residents to more easily obtain visas for their children and spouses. The bill would also permit lawful Americans to sponsor their same-sex partners for residency in the U.S., putting a long-overdue stop to detrimental practices--such as prolonged visa wait times and discrimination against LGBT families--that prevent loving families from being together.

"A strong family often provides the support structure needed to be a strong contributor to society and to pursue the American Dream," said Eliseo Medina after Congressman Honda's introduction of the Reuniting Families Act. "For too many SEIU members and other hard working immigrants, bureaucratic backlogs and wait times keep their families thousands of miles away. This legislation will help reduce illegal immigration through several long-sought improvements to our family-based visa system."

For more, visit http://www.seiu.org/immigration

Governor Schwarzenegger gave a speech to the joint session of California legislatures this morning on the state's budget, pressing lawmakers to resolve the state's financial crisis and enact $24 billion in spending cuts. The Governor acknowledged how devastating these cuts will be to millions of Californians, saying "People come up to me all the time, pleading 'governor, please don't cut my program,'" he said. "They tell me how the cuts will affect them and their loved ones. I see the pain in their eyes and hear the fear in their voice. It's an awful feeling. But we have no choice."

To solve the state's fiscal problems, the Schwarzenegger administration wants to slash the wages of people who do some of the most difficult work and help our most vulnerable citizens stay out of institutions. SEIU International Executive VP Eliseo Medina issued a statement in response to the Governor's speech today, explaining why we think his "no choice" budget cuts that punish California's neediest residents are unacceptable:

"Governor Schwarzenegger's proposed cuts to home care would add up to 340,000 people to the ranks of the unemployed, moving California's unemployment rate to 12.8 percent--nearly tied with Michigan for the highest in the nation. This is exactly the opposite of what California needs.

"These irresponsible cuts will cost the state over a billion dollars a year in lost federal funds, and untold billions over the long term, as they push California's most vulnerable residents into expensive facilities.

"Worse still is the human toll. Approximately 395,000 elderly or disabled Californians would lose the services they need to live at home.

"We need shared responsibility to dig us out of this hole. Instead, this Governor has chosen a skewed approach--giving away $2.5 billion a year to large corporations and at the same time eliminating desperately needed care for the most vulnerable Californians.

"SEIU intends to fight the Governor's callous and immoral budget proposals and advance real solutions that enhance state and federal revenue and reduce the amount that must be cut from home care and other vital services Californians need."

During his speech to the joint session of California legislatures this morning, Gov. Schwarzenegger also expressed how he thinks the state should view their monstrous financial crisis: as an opportunity to "make big and lasting change." Schwarzenegger urged lawmakers and other constitutional officers "not [to] think just in the short-term," saying "Let's think about the long term..."

Finally, Gov. Schwarzenegger says something we can agree with! "Governor Schwarzenegger offered the public a bad budget deal, and the public said no," said SEIU's Medina. "Now the Governor wants to punish the people of California with senseless cuts that will cost the state billions down the road. It's this kind of failed leadership that has gotten us into this mess; more of the same short-sighted vision will not get us out."

Please send a message to the Governor telling him his short-sighted policies will send California deeper into fiscal abyss--and then ask your friends and co-workers to do the same.

See the full list of proposed cuts by the Governor here. More background on SEIU's fight to stop California home care cuts can be found here, here and here.

They came from across Fresno County, California, the U.S., and Canada with one mission: to protect Fresno County home care.

More than 900 SEIU members and activists gathered on Sunday, May 31st at the Fresno County Fairgrounds to kick off a massive "Get Out the Vote" effort to help home care workers protect their jobs, pay, and union. Rally participants pledged to help keep hope alive for 10,000 SEIU UHW Fresno County home care members, as they fight proposed wage-and-benefit cuts of $1 per hour beginning July 1 and vote in an election to determine their union representation on June 15.

One particularly remarkable Fresno county home care consumer and union activist appeared at yesterday's kick-off: ninety year-old Jessie Lopez De La Cruz, who was UFW's very first female organizer, hired by the notable Cesar Chavez himself in 1964. It was due to the tenacity of supporters like Lopez de la Cruz that the farm workers' cause and crusade for social justice received national attention and helped influenced labor laws.

Ms. Lopez De La Cruz had a special message when introducing SEIU Executive VP (and SEIU UHW trustee) Eliseo Medina at yesterday's event, as both worked alongside Cesar Chavez with the UFW: "The last time I was in these fairgrounds was 1973, when Cesar Chavez and hundreds and hundreds of farm workers were arrested in protests, and they put us in jail. I know the important work you do, and I support SEIU UHW!" Ms. Lopez De La Cruz urged everyone to stand strong for the SEIU UHW members who provide her care.

Cutting Home Care Workers' Wages: the Many Aftershocks
Of the roughly two million home care workers nationwide, more than 20 percent earn incomes below the poverty level. The 10,000 or so workers who provide in-home care for the elderly and those with disabilities in Fresno County might soon increase this overall number, as they end up below the poverty line in the aftermath of Gov. Schwarzenegger's proposed July 1 wage cuts. At any rate, slashing the state's already-low direct care wages at any level will likely force thousands of home care providers to leave their jobs in and cause workers to be more reliant on the state's support services.

"The economy is already devastating California's families, so this isn't a time to be cutting necessary support systems or reducing those already-small wages," said Bernadette Lynch, president of California Association of Public Authorities for In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) and executive director for Sacramento County IHSS Public Authority. "The current pay for home care workers doesn't even amount to a living wage at this point, except in one or two counties. Reducing it will end up causing a dearth of providers, which will hurt consumers. It's devastating." Taking money away from California's program to make up for budgetary shortfalls will also result in more people having to resort to institutional care (nursing homes or other residental institutions)-- which is estimated to be four times more expensive to the State.

SEIU Files a Class-Action Lawsuit
Last week, SEIU filed a class-action lawsuit in U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, seeking a preliminary junction to stop the State of California and Fresno County from slashing the wages of home care workers to near-poverty levels and from to reducing the hours of care seniors and people with disabilities receive from going into effect. The suit, brought on behalf of individual consumers and SEIU, charges that the planned cuts put seniors and people with disabilities at risk and violate the American with Disabilities Act and Federal Medicaid Law.

Between now and July 1st - the date the home care cuts are supposed to take effect - home care workers, their families and supporters have much to fight for. Stop the home care cuts in California.

Wow, what a week for immigration reform!

Thursday, Senator Chuck Schumer chaired a Judiciary subcommittee hearing on immigration reform, "Can We Do It and How?" And his answer was 'Yes we can.' He knows it'll be hard work but he and the witnesses - including our own executive VP Eliseo Medina - agreed that there is great reason for hope. President Obama wants to get this job done, and even the freshman, newly-appointed senator from my home state of Colorado, Michael Bennet, has been traveling around our state talking about the need for comprehensive immigration reform now.

This Friday, May 1st, I joined SEIU Local 32BJ, SEIU members and thousands of immigration advocates from around the country to march from Malcolm X Park to the White House.

What a crowd! The immigration reform rallies I have been to in the past have usually been 'family' events marked by enthusiasm and passion--and this one was no different. What I saw was a group of workers standing up and standing together for better treatment. People who know that the labor they provide carries more value than they are receiving for it, and are raising their voices to call for real reforms now.

Why we as citizens don't do this more often, I don't know. I do know that putting a floor under the most vulnerable workers in this country will help maintain a standard of living for all of us. And this year's May Day theme emphasizing America's immigrant history - immigrant roots, immigrant rights -- couldn't have been more on target.

After getting fired up with a big crowd like the one in DC on Friday, I feel ready for the work it'll take to get this job done and finally pass smart, pragmatic immigration reform that supports all workers. !Si se puede!

* Read more about last week's Senate hearing on immigration reform.

Today's Senate Judiciary Hearing "Comprehensive Immigration Reform in 2009, Can We Do It and How?" kicked off the immigration debate in the 111th Congress. Under the leadership of Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), the Subcommittee heard from an array of prominent witnesses who shared their perspectives on the urgent need for comprehensive immigration reform.

Just after 4 p.m., SEIU Executive VP Eliseo Medina gave his testimony at the hearing in front of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border Security. "The current broken system has given rise to a three-tier caste worker system in America--citizens, guest workers and undocumented workers," said Medina. "This onerous system depresses wages for all workers because, unfortunately, too many employers seek out the cheapest, most vulnerable workers in order to gain a competitive advantage. This helps no one, not American workers, not immigrants, not businesses that play by the rules and certainly not taxpayers who wind up paying for an ineffective enforcement system focused on arresting nannies, farm workers and gardeners instead of stopping drug smugglers, gang members or other larger threats to our national security."

Medina shared his personal story of coming to the U.S. in the 1950s and detailed how seeing undocumented workers and guest workers being mistreated has played a prominent role in framing his views on the need for immigration reform. "I saw this system firsthand with my father and brother and later as an adult working with sugar cane cutters in Florida under the H2A program," said Medina. "These workers are not treated as 'guests' in our country but more like indentured servants."

Medina framed the desires of immigrants and workers in our country, saying that the labor movement endorses a better way to bring in future workers that is based on sound policy instead of politics as usual. He detailed the unified proposal of Change to Win and AFL-CIO to enact real immigration reform that recommits our resources to working towards allowing millions of undocumented workers to come out of the shadows. Check out liveblogging of the Senate hearing on immigration reform at America's Voice here.

New national polling numbers show that the American people strongly support comprehensive immigration reform and expect President Obama to follow through on his campaign promise to address the issue. It's important that the American public understands the connection between immigration reform and our nation's economic recovery. If you need more proof, watch C-SPAN's video coverage of the Senate Judiciary hearing on immigration reform and hear it straight from the mouth of Alan Greenspan, NCLR's Janet Mergulia and SEIU's Eliseo Medina.

[Eliseo Medina's testimony begins at 1:39:30] Read the entire transcript of Medina's testimony here.

Want to participate in a May 1 immigration reform march? Join the virtual Immigration march or find a march in your local area:

* http://elrinconcitodeaurora.blogspot.com/...
* http://www.anewdayforimmigration.org/

Today, SEIU's Executive Vice President, Eliseo Medina, led a rally in front of a Bank of America branch near the White House.

Watch what Eliseo says about our National Taxpayer Day of Action here:

In a New York Times editorial today, Lawrence Downes explains that unions "see immigration reform as an issue of worker empowerment." Reform that allows immigrants to legalize, come out of the shadows and stand up against tolerating low pay and workplace would not only improve their lives, but all workers' lives.

Downes quotes SEIU's Eliseo Medina saying "First and foremost, this is an economic argument....Your standard of living is not going to improve, and you're not going to be in a stronger position to solve your problems as long as you have all of these people out there without any rights -- without any ability to contribute."

Read why Downes supports reform from a worker perspective.