Last week, Maine Change that Works came together along with our allies, Maine People's Alliance and the Sierra Club, to descend upon our congressional delegation and Maine's senators and lobby on behalf of the Employee Free Choice Act. During this difficult economic time, it is more important than ever that we remember who we're fighting for: the hard working families who keep our state running.

With the ability to unionize, more Mainers will be able to have the job security and benefits that come from being a part of an organized workforce. But most importantly, they will be able to choose whether or not they want to join a union without harassment or intimidation. The right to choose without fear: thanks to our allies across Maine, we are one step closer.

Check out some of our activists' pictures below:

Activists Anders Beal and Sam Rioux at the start of a long day of lobbying

Sam Rioux address 250 people at the Lobby day launch press event while Sandy Amborn of the Sierra Club holds the state flag of Maine.

Members of the Maine Delegation listen to Senator Tom Harkin speak about the Employee Free Choice Act

Mike Owen of the Maine People's Alliance and Sandy Amborn of the Sierra Club hold up our state flag outside of Senator Olympia Snowe's office.

The delegation from Maine pays Congresswoman Chellie Pingree's office a visit.

Activists Anders Beale, Rep. Adam Goode, Genevieve Lyson, and Jennifer Batchelor outside of Senator Collins' office.

For the complete set of pictures, click here. (Thanks Kate!)

The SouthtownStar, a local newspaper in Chicago, has an excellent article about our "lobby day" from a few weeks back, where we told our members of Congress that an improved Child Nutrition Act is needed to ensure that millions of children get the type of food that they need.

The article features two of our members, Laura Spiewak and Veronica Mendoza, who both work as food service workers for local high schools.

The article describes both as "women (who) take pride in bring food service workers," and argues that "students need more nutritional options and less of the processed stuff."

In the article, Laura Spiewak speaks about how much the visit mattered to her. "It was so empowering to think that someone like me - a lunch lady - could go there and possibly change things for the better."

Veronica Mendoza had similar sentiments, saying that she "(knows that) being a cafeteria lady isn't a very glamorous job, but it's important."

You can read the full article here: http://www.southtownstar.com/news/1689492,072909schoolfood.article

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.

Now is the time for healthcare reform, and SEIU members from 1199NW are helping to lead the way. Delegations of community leaders from over 40 states are being flown into Washington for in order to meet with key Members of Congress, and four SEIU Healthcare 1199NW members will be among them.

RNs Linda Arkava and Tara Lerew, CNA Maikele Mengesha and medical unit secretary Levorn Glover will be on Capitol Hill tomorrow as part of HCAN's large-scale rally and lobby day for quality, affordable health care. Watch the video to find out about why they're traveling from Washington state to DC to lobby for reform.

On Wednesday, SEIU member lobbyists and healthcare activists joined the American Cancer Society Action Network, the Consumers Union and AARP in visiting more than 35 members of Congress to share their stories and experiences and drive home the critical need for healthcare reform.

One activist came to Washington, DC all the way from North Dakota to lend her voice on the healthcare issues that matter most to her--meet Amy Ingersoll. Every day, Amy helps save lives as a 911 dispatcher in Bismarck.

When Amy's son Devon was diagnosed with asthma, though, Amy and her family didn't have health insurance. Devon's medicines cost more than $600 a month. If she had gotten health insurance through her work, she would've spent $900 a month and an independent plan would have cost her between $300 and $500 a month...but because Devon's asthma was deemed a "pre-existing condition" by the insurance company, the plan wouldn't have covered *any* of his asthma-related medical costs.

Amy's only alternative was to pay for Devon's medicines out of her own pocket. All of these dollar signs resulted in Amy spending over a third of her total income just to cover the costs of her son's illness.

Sadly, Amy's story isn't unique. In North Dakota alone, health insurance premiums have been increasing more than three times faster than wages--making it impossible for families like Amy's to keep up. Too many Americans across the country are at the mercy of unreliable employer-based plans, and too many fall through the cracks. "Now's not the time for black-and-white arguments," Amy says. "People worry that our current system will be swallowed up by a new one that leaves us without choices, i.e., "socialized medicine." But this isn't an either/or proposition, and we shouldn't fall into that trap. We are creative enough to enhance our own system and fill in the gaps to make it work for everybody. We need to find our own American solution to our healthcare crisis."

The time is now for open minds and better alternatives in our health care system. Reforming health care doesn't mean replacing our current system; it means we make it work for everyone once more. Click here to tell Congress we need real health care reform this year.