There was only one speaker at Sen. Harry Reid's press conference today who was NOT a member of the U.S. Senate. Her name? Loretta Johnson, a home health care worker who lost her own coverage when her husband became ill, and Loretta was forced to quit her job.

Loretta is an SEIU member who worked for 18 years as a deputy courthouse clerk in Lebanon, Virginia. When her husband fell ill, Loretta quit her job to take care of him, and subsequently lost their health insurance, income, retirement, security, sick days and more. Today, as a personal care assistant, Loretta works to build the Personal Care Assistant Association in Virginia. While she brings home a paycheck, she still doesn't have health insurance or benefits of any kind.

Below are Loretta's remarks at today's Senate health care bill unveiling:

My husband had open heart surgery and was diabetic. And in 2000, he was so sick I had to quit my job to take care of him. So, I lost my health insurance. After he passed away, I became a home health care worker. I'm at the bedside every day giving people the same type of care I gave my husband. But, I don't have health insurance.

And that is why I am so proud to be standing here today representing SEIU and its 2.1 million workers.

Because, after more than 100 years of debate, Senator Reid said, "Enough". Enough scare tactics. Enough politics as usual.

The Senate's Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act puts us one step closer to health care that works for every American.

Because of his leadership, insurance companies will no longer control our healthcare system - making sure people like me actually have a choice.

Now, in my opinion, there's probably some room for improvement. But I know, Senator Reid and the Senators standing here today are as committed as we are to making sure people can afford the care they need.

And believe me, I'll be up here to make sure every one of these Senators does just that.

Watch full video from today's press conference with Loretta here.

You can also see Loretta Johnson at SeniorstoSeniors.org.

There was only one speaker at Sen. Harry Reid's press conference today who was NOT a member of the U.S. Senate. Her name? Loretta Johnson, a home health care worker who lost her own coverage when her husband became ill, and Loretta was forced to quit her job.

Loretta is an SEIU member who worked for 18 years as a deputy courthouse clerk in Lebanon, Virginia. When her husband fell ill, Loretta quit her job to take care of him, and subsequently lost their health insurance, income, retirement, security, sick days and more. Today, as a personal care assistant, Loretta works to build the Personal Care Assistant Association in Virginia. While she brings home a paycheck, she still doesn't have health insurance or benefits of any kind.

Below are Loretta's remarks at today's Senate health care bill unveiling:

My husband had open heart surgery and was diabetic. And in 2000, he was so sick I had to quit my job to take care of him. So, I lost my health insurance. After he passed away, I became a home health care worker. I'm at the bedside every day giving people the same type of care I gave my husband. But, I don't have health insurance.

And that is why I am so proud to be standing here today representing SEIU and its 2.1 million workers.

Because, after more than 100 years of debate, Senator Reid said, "Enough". Enough scare tactics. Enough politics as usual.

The Senate's Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act puts us one step closer to health care that works for every American.

Because of his leadership, insurance companies will no longer control our healthcare system - making sure people like me actually have a choice.

Now, in my opinion, there's probably some room for improvement. But I know, Senator Reid and the Senators standing here today are as committed as we are to making sure people can afford the care they need.

And believe me, I'll be up here to make sure every one of these Senators does just that.

Watch Loretta speak here:

You can also see Loretta Johnson at SeniorstoSeniors.org

Cleaning chemicals can be toxic. They are also a daily fact of life for SEIU members who work in building services and healthcare--which is why Rep. Steve Israel's bill, The Household Product Labeling Act of 2009, is such a good thing. Anna Burger said this today in support for H.R. 3057:

"If we have the right to know about the potential side effects of our prescription drugs, we have the right to know what's in our chemical cleaning supplies."

Current law mandates that product labels list immediately hazardous ingredients--but there is no labeling requirement for ingredients that may cause harm over time. H.R. 3057 will change this by requiring companies to list ingredients in cleaning products, air fresheners and paints visibly on the product or its packaging. Read SEIU's statement in support of the bill here.

More info on green cleaning products at SEIU.org here.

(Left to right from back row: Jose Rios, Mack Middleton, Etric Betts, David Etheridge -- Director of City of Dallas Human Resources Department, Elaee Thompson, Joe Jimenez, Rene Alcantar, (next row) Maria Arroyo, Mireya Cossio, Steve Jackson, Leon Hobbs).

Members advocating to protect their jobs and get a 2% base pay increase pays off for Dallas SEIU members.

In the worst economy since the Great Depression, and one of the City's worst budget years ever, the City of Dallas announced that there would be sweeping layoffs of over 800 civilian employees and no civilian pay increases, even for performance. However, despite the economy, SEIU members advocated for eight months to raise the standards for four SEIU job classifications, with a 2% base pay increase and to protect their jobs.

The result: No layoffs of SEIU members! Employees within the following SEIU job classifications also received a 2% base pay increase on October 1st: Crew Leaders, Equipment Operators, Laborers, and Truck Drivers.

This victory can be traced back to March meeting with City Manager Mary Suhm, during which she met with SEIU members and leaders to discuss possible ways to raise the compensation standards for the four job classifications mentioned above. In the following months, the SEIU Team continued to advocate for the raise for several months--ultimately making the case for the base pay increase.

To date, SEIU members have been able to make positive improvements in two out of two past budgets. They're now preparing for the new budget, for which they'll begin advocating this coming January for compensating employees for their years of service.

Calling all Texans: SEIU members in Dallas are organizing for positive change every day. Now's the time for all Dallas city employees to join the winning team! Click here to download the membership card to become a member of SEIU Texas. Once you have completed the form, call 214.823.1409 to have somebody pick up your completed membership card.

To learn more about this year's 2% pay increase, plans for next year, and how to attend SEIU Texas's last general membership meeting of 2009, visit www.seiutx.org

The working people taking to the streets this week in the Showdown of Chicago think the amount of money the ABA is spending to lobby against the Consumer Financial Protection Agency is downright scary. To drive their point home, some protesters donned their "Scary Movie"-like costumes a week before Halloween:

At the grand finale of Day 3 of the Showdown in Chicago, a group of protesters dressed like the Grim Reaper held plastic knives that read "making a killing" and "death bonds" at today's protest in front of the American Banking Association's meeting place the Sheraton Hotel, following the protests in front of Goldman Sachs and Wells Fargo.

As the lobbying arm of the American banking industry, the ABA's members include the big banks that helped cause the crisis that has resulted in widespread economic devastation and led to $17.8 trillion in taxpayer funded bailouts and backstops for the banks. These banks include Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, and Citibank, which together account for 60% of all bank industry assets and mortgages in the U.S---and all received TARP money.

Now the ABA is spending millions of dollars to obstruct meaningful financial reform. Taking on the banksters has never been so imperative---and tomorrow's Showdown in Chicago will be the biggest event so far this week, where roughly 5,000 union members, farmers, small business owners and activists will descend upon the ABA's annual meeting to demand an end to bank's greed.

The march begins at the corner of Stetson and Wacker Drive at 10:30, followed by a march to the Sheraton, and will also feature speeches by Andy Stern, Anna Burger and Tom Balanoff. Will you join us in making our voices heard?

Today SEIU launched a new television ad calling attention to Republican Gubernatorial candidate and former Bush appointee Chris Christie's dismal record on women and families. The ad, titled "What Do We Know?," will air on local cable across southern New Jersey during the critical closing days of the Gubernatorial campaign.

Transcript for the ad can be found here.

"Time and again, Chris Christie has chosen his corporate backers over New Jersey's working women--opposing paid family leave and crackdowns on insurance companies," said SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger. "We will not stand on the sidelines as [Gov. Corzine's] record of accomplishment is attacked by someone who would rather pad insurance company profits than require them to cover needed care like mammograms and childhood check-ups."

Yesterday, President Obama attended a rally in support of Gov. Corzine's reelection, calling him a "partner" and the kind of leader New Jersey needs during difficult times. It was the third rally held on the Governor's behalf this week, with VP Joe Biden stumping for Corzine on Monday and former President Bill Clinton visiting on Tuesday. Under Gov. Corzine, New Jersey became the second state in the nation to enact a to enact a child health care mandate and a Family Leave Insurance law to help working families care for sick family members. New Jersey now leads the nation in preschool enrollment after Governor Corzine prioritized high quality early childhood education. SEIU members endorsed Corzine in August.

SEIU member Willie Lucas has been an electrician at Howard University for three decades. He was planning to retire in two years but the economic crisis wiped out nearly $50,000 from his 401(k) and he's had to put his retirement off another 10 years.
The outrageous thing is that Willie is one of the lucky ones. Half of all workers have nothing but Social Security to rely on when they retire--and the average payment is $1,160 a month.

SEIU's Anna Burger shared Willie's story and outlined what needs to be done to fix our broken retirement system at the Retirement USA conference today. "We know what a 21st century retirement system needs to look like," said Burger. "It needs to cover everyone, it needs to provide adequate benefits to all workers, and it needs to be secure and not linked to the volatility of the market."

More about the Retirement USA initiative here.

On Tuesday, October 13, over 400 SEIU members joined fellow activists and religious leaders for an immigration lobby day and rally to urge Congress to move immigration reform legislation forward. "We've traveled to Washington to tell our Congressman to stop costly immigration enforcement policies that rip families apart, upset workplaces and harm local communities," said Julio Sotelo, an SEIU Local 26 member who cleans office buildings in Minneapolis, MN and who traveled over 23 hours by bus to attend Tuesday's day of action.

The Capitol Hill rally featured Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Immigration Task Force, who outlined specifics of immigration reform legislation he plans to introduce in the House in coming weeks.

Legislation elements discussed by Rep. Gutierrez included:

• a rational, humane approach to the undocumented population;
• protections for U.S. and immigrant workers;
• sufficient visas to close unlawful migration channels;
• enhancing our nation's security and safety;
• establish a strategic border enforcement policy that reflects American values;
• keeping American families together;
• promoting immigrant integration; and
• including the DREAM Act and AgJOBS; and protecting fundamental rights for all.

"There are too many families separated, too many lives destroyed by failed immigration policies that benefit no one," said Julia Marroquín, 19 year old DREAM student from Minneapolis and daughter of SEIU Local 26 member Lucresia Mares. "This is our moment to put behind us the failures of the past and reform the U.S. immigration system once and for all so that it supports all U.S. families and strengthens this country that we love."

(Thanks to America's Voice for this video of Tuesday's event)

More coverage of the rally in the NY Times.

It's a very tense evening in Puerto Rico tonight--you can feel it in the streets and towns around the Island. Tomorrow the workers' movement and its allies will face a showdown with the Government police and paramilitary forces, as the general strike called to protest massive layoffs in the public service will begin in the early hours of the day.

Just three weeks ago, Republican governor Luis Fortuño announced that nearly 17,000 public servants would be fired by November 6. In response, several labor unions (SEIU, Change to Win, AFL-CIO, the Puerto Rican Workers Union and more) together with a larger coalition, Todo Puerto Rico Por Puerto Rico, called for a national one day strike.

Since then, the public protest has gathered broad support in all social spheres, while the Government attempts to start a media campaign of terror to prevent its success. First the Fortuño administration stated that participants in the strike might be charged as terrorists under the U.S. Patriot Act, and later that the anti-riot police unit and the National Guard would intervene to "guarantee that all principal routes are clear and not obstructed by protesters."

Augmenting the tense atmosphere felt throughout the country this week: the surprising announcement of the closure of all nine state university campuses--allegedly to prevent "terrorist activities" related to the general strike.

As of all this has been going on and hundreds of thousands prepare to protest, Governor Fortuño has managed to fill up his daily schedule. Negotiating with workers, you ask? Not quite. In an intense media blitz, Fortuño appeared on what to seem like every TV news program in Puerto Rico, making his not-so-very-subtle threats suitably known to the workers' unions and its allies: "The police and the National Guard troops will be ready to intervene in your protest."

The fear campaign extended to the private sector, where the Manufacturers Association, the Chamber of Commerce and Construction Enterprises joined together to issue a public announcement against the strike; assuring anyone listening that it will provoke an economic disaster and calling on the government to show a hand of steel against protesters.

In the meantime, the SPT (SEIU Local 1996) and UGT (SEIU Local 1199) members and leaders have been preparing all the details for a massive mobilization of citizens and workers to participate in the October 15 strike. Both union headquarters were a seething mass of members getting ready for the big day.

This we know: it will be a long and tense night. But then dawn will come, and it will be greeted by the sound of "panderos" [tambourines] and thousands upon thousands of people chanting slogans demanding "Work, Not Welfare!" And as the crowd grows larger and stronger there will be no fear, because solidarity will take its place.

Next week, 10 buses originating from ten cities from across the U.S., will make their way to Washington, D.C. for an historic rally October 13 at the U.S. Capitol to demand urgent Congressional action on immigration reform.

In one of the buses, over 30 members of SEIU Local 26--cleaning service workers who have experienced first-hand the fallout from aggressive enforcement of broken immigration laws--will travel from Minneapolis for the event. Passing by a rally in Chicago on their way, these SEIU members will join hundreds of SEIU 32BJ members and thousands of religious leaders, immigrants, and other pro-immigrant advocates for a rally at the U.S. Capitol to urge Congress to get cracking on immigration reform.

SEIU 32BJ Director of the DC Metro Area Jaime Contreras will join Representative Luis Gutierrez (IL-D), Reverend Coleman, and other national immigration leaders to address the crowd during the Tuesday afternoon rally. While speaking at the rally, Representative Luis Gutierrez (IL-D), is expected to introduce his principles for comprehensive immigration reform that will guide the legislation he is currently drafting for introduction in the House in the coming weeks.

Rep. Gutierrez's legislation will incorporate progressive principles for immigration reform, including the reuniting of families, a generous legalization program, and enforcement that respects the rights and dignity of people. While the Senate still plans to lead on immigration, after Senator Chuck Schumer's scheduled introduction of a bill next January, Rep. Gutierrez' leadership puts in focus the urgent need for Congressional action to overhaul a broken immigration system that has festered for far too long.

Can't be in Washington, DC on October 13th? No problem, RIFA.org has several easy ways to join in the action that day:

« Find an event taking place in your area.
« And if you can't make it to one of our events, there are still plenty of other ways to spread the word and make sure Congress hears your voice.

On the heels of several historic election victories at hospitals throughout the Greater Boston area, workers at Norwood Hospital in Norwood, Massachusetts announced this evening that they have voted overwhelmingly (74% YES) to join 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East.

The vote at the 264-bed acute care facility means nearly 600 hospital workers at Norwood will now join with thousands of other workers across Caritas Christi Healthcare as a part of the state's largest healthcare union.

Following up on his address to Congress on Wednesday, President Obama spoke to a group of nurses gathered in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on Thursday morning. The President was joined by 54 Nurse Alliance of SEIU Healthcare RNs, as well as members of the American Nurses Association.

The participating SEIU members came to DC on very short notice from locals all over the country, including United Healthcare Workers East (New York and Maryland), SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania, SEIU Healthcare Michigan, 1199 New England (Rhode Island and Connecticut). The RNs said they felt honored to represent SEIU at an event focused on such an important issue and thrilled to be involved in such an intimate gathering with the President.

On Tuesday, September 11, 2001, 61 SEIU members were killed when hijacked planes crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon near Washington, D.C. Eight years after this tragedy, we remember their lives as seen through the eyes of their friends, relatives, and co-workers.

(Please read about the lives of our fallen brothers and sisters after the break)

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.

Over 200 allies and members of SEIU 1021 paid California Senator Dianne Feinstein a personal house call on Monday. While their message was strong--demanding that the Senator stand up and support real health care reform--they also came carrying hearts and roses to show their support for the Senator.

Each heart bore a message, such as one member who wrote, "I know I'm not rich, but I need health care just like rich folks" and another who asked "if not now, when?"

SEIU 1021 President Damita Davis-Howard spoke outside Feinstein's home in San Francisco's Presidio District., telling the Senator, "We know you have a heart. We want you to know that we care just like you do about real health care in this country."

Check out 1021 members in action here:

More often than wages, health care is at the forefront of contract bargaining throughout SEIU 1021. In Sonoma County, members bargained through a strike vote and a year-long imposition mostly over the issue of health care. Premiums for family coverage have risen five times faster than wages, and 11 million people have lost employer-paid coverage in the past two years alone. More photos from their Feinstein house call here.

More than 45,000 SEIU members in New Jersey today announced their strong support for Governor Jon Corzine as the clear choice for working families this fall. SEIU's New Jersey State Council, 1199SEIU, 32BJ, Local 518, Local 617 and the Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR) cited Governor Corzine's strong record of expanding healthcare for New Jersey families and his continued leadership to help families recover from the greatest crisis since the Great Depression as reasons for their support.

Unlike Republican candidate and former Bush appointee Chris Christie, SEIU members say that Governor Corzine has shown time and time again that he stands on the side of working families over corporate interests. Governor Corzine worked with the legislature to find bipartisan budget solutions to protect vital community services and didn't unfairly target working families struggling to survive the economic downturn. Meanwhile, Christie said "it will be a priority for the Christie administration to reduce corporate business tax rates" while all spending programs and every budget item--including education funding and healthcare--will be on the table for budget cuts.

While Christie advocates cuts to childcare programs like NJ Family Care (just like George W. Bush), Governor Corzine expanded NJ Family Care to qualify 80,000 additional children and even took the Bush Administration to court to stop their efforts to strip 10,000 kids of their NJ Family Care coverage.

And while Christie wants to allow CEOs to continue firing, harassing and intimidating workers who try and join a union, Governor Corzine supports legislation leveling the playing field to allow workers to unite on the job. He believes that protecting workers' freedom to form unions is key to restoring the middle class by allowing workers to negotiate for safer workplaces, and higher benefits and wages just like CEOs do. "Governor Jon Corzine has been a true leader and advocate for New Jersey's working families throughout his public service and we are proud to stand with him now as he has so often stood with us in the past," said Milly Silva, SEIU New Jersey State Council President. "We will be out in front to help voters understand that Governor Corzine is fighting for their families while the other candidate is instead going to follow in the footsteps of George W. Bush and Karl Rove to fight for the special interests and corporate insiders."

On Monday, August 31st in Jersey City, Governor Corzine will join SEIU nursing home workers at a major rally. More info about the rally and this endorsement after the break.

SEIU members around the country have spent the month of August meeting with their members of Congress and engaging in meaningful conversation about healthcare reform.

OREGON: Members of SEIU Local 49 joined Congressman Kurt Schrader as he toured Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center in Corvallis, Oregon on August 20th. During the tour, front-line health care workers spoke with the Congressman about health care delivery and health care reform.

IOWA: This past weekend at an event on the University of Iowa campus, area healthcare providers and SEIU Local 199 members displayed dozens of scrubs signed with the tragic stories of Americans who have suffered because of our broken healthcare system.

"We're just saying on behalf of all the people who signed these scrubs that we want change, that the status quo for our patients that we see every day is not working. And we're going to rely on our congressmen from Iowa to go back to Washington, DC and get something done so that people from Iowa have access to quality, affordable healthcare," said SEIU Local 199 president Cathy Glasson. Learn more the campaign w/ PQC to sign scrubs.

OHIO: On August 25th, SEIU District 1199 and the Ohio AARP hosted a panel on healthcare reform in Wintersville, Ohio. Hundreds of residents attended to ask questions and dispel reform myths. Watch this video of District 1199 Senior Executive Vice President Al Bacon speaking SEIU's efforts to push for reform at the town hall:

WASHINGTON: Members of SEIU Healthcare 1199NW are planning to connect with their member of Congress Rep. Jim McDermott at an upcoming town hall on Tuesday, September 1st. They're also going to be delivering several hundred surgical scrubs next week signed by members to Rep. McDermott as further proof why healthcare reform can't wait.

Along with SEIU locals, Change That Works teams around the country have also been hard at work.

NEW HAMPSHIRE: More than 150 people from across the state gathered in Portsmouth today to thank Representatives Paul Hodes and Carol Shea Porter for their commitment to reform--and remind them that every day health care reform is delayed, real people in New Hampshire are affected. Speakers at the rally included residents struggling to afford even bare-bones health insurance plans (like small business owner Scott Baez) and those that have been denied private health insurance because of a pre-existing conditions (like Laura Mick, who was born with a cyst on her brain).

And last week, with less then 24 hours' notice, the New Hampshire Change That Works team was able to get reform supporters to turn out to a healthcare forum with Sen. Judd Greg held at the Ingram Senior Center. During the meeting, Sen. Gregg confirmed that the 'death panels' which have been so highly touted by anti-reform activists are nothing more than an extremist scare tactic. Watch coverage of the forum here:

VIRGINIA: On August 25th, Change That Works helped bring over 2,000 healthcare reform supporters to a town hall in Reston, Virginia with Rep. Jim Moran and former DNC Chair Dr. Howard Dean. Volunteers made homemade signs with messages such as "Moms and Babies for Public Option" and "Patriots for Public Option."

NEBRASKA: An estimated crowd of 600 people gathered on the steps of the Capitol this week in Lincoln, NE for a rally in support of quality, affordable healthcare for all Americans. At the August 25th event sponsored by groups including Change to Win, the Interfaith Workers Justice, HCAN, OFA and the AFL-CIO, speakers shared their stories that highlighted the human toll of our broken healthcare system on people from all walks of life--veterans, small business owners, doctors and retired folks.

Supporters of health reform have been outnumbering opponents by large margins at events like the ones we just told you about; helping to lead honest, civil conversations with members of Congress. In the coming week, SEIU members and supporters all over the country will turn their attention to celebrating Labor Day by joining together and demanding reform.

As members of Congress head back to Washington, DC in a few days' time, do your part to help send them back to work with a clear directive on health care reform. Join us at send-off rallies across the country.

President Obama has said that in order to keep insurance companies "honest" and reduce costs, we must provide Americans with the option of a public health insurance plan. On Thursday, he reaffirmed his support for offering a public insurance option.

"I continue to support a public option; I think it is important," said President Obama during last week's national healthcare forum, which was viewed online by thousands of SEIU members and millions of concerned Americans from across the country.

Standing in front of a banner that read "Health Insurance Reform Now," President Obama asked supporters of reform to help "cut through the noise and misinformation." He described the public option as setting a benchmark for private insurers, who would then respond by shaping their own plans to be competitive.

Check out the full video here:

Last week, Democratic Rep. Russ Carnahan's health care town hall in St. Louis, Missouri turned violent after conservative right-wing protesters clashed with pro-reform union workers. On MSNBC's "The Ed Show," Dr. L Toni Lewis, President of the Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR), discusses SEIU's ongoing efforts to keep the focus of town halls on the need for health care reform.

Fact check on St. Louis town hall here.

FALSE CLAIM: Multiple SEIU members hit/kicked Kenneth Gladney, a conservative activist from St. Louis, while he was minding his own business selling buttons.

REALITY: In fact, it was an SEIU staffer --a disabled minister--who was assaulted. When the video that has been all over the radio and cable news shows begins, the Reverend Elston McCowan is already on the ground. Rev. McCowan is also seen clutching his shoulder, which was dislocated in the fall, once he is finally able to get up after the attack. He also sustained a chipped bone during the fall.

REALITY: Even Gladney, in the video, doesn't claim this happened. He only claims his hands were "hit"--which has been disputed--and he never claims that this took place before the disabled Reverend was hit.

FALSE CLAIM: There's video evidence of SEIU members beating Gladney from the town hall meeting.

REALITY: Videos taken that night, edited and unedited, do not support Gladney's claims. In fact, in this freeze-frame video, it's pretty evident that the person who has been pushed to the ground -- on his back -- is a wearing a purple SEIU shirt--and is not Kenneth Gladney. Teabaggers have consistently confused Rev. Elston McCowan with Gladney, a conservative activist who has said he was attacked by some of those arrested as he handed out yellow flags with "Don't tread on me" printed on them.
REALITY: Newspaper reports from that night cited no witness accounts of the incident, only Gladney's story. There are two sides to every story, and right now Gladney's is the only one being publicly told.

FALSE CLAIM: Gladney was rushed to the hospital after the alleged 'attack'.

REALITY: Gladney left the protest upright, walking and talking--and conducting live television interviews. In the video, Gladney does fall to the ground at one point in the shuffle--but he jumps back up and is standing up less than two seconds later. Furthermore, as Media Matters' excellent deconstruction of the supposed "union beating" points out, Gladney was not whisked away by an ambulance and "hospitalized" immediately after the town hall. Rather, he sought treatment of his own accord to treat injuries to his "knee, back, elbow, shoulder and face." All that from a two-second fall to the pavement?

That same night, Gladney also did interviews on live television. Yet two days later at an anti-SEIU protest, Gladney attended in a wheelchair. His lawyer claimed that Gladney was "under heavy medication" and would not be speaking at the event.

FALSE CLAIM: This was a "hate crime."

REALITY: Kenneth Gladney is accusing an SEIU staff member (and minister) who is African-American. SEIU is the nation's most diverse union: 56 percent of its members are women, and 40 percent are people of color.

FALSE CLAIM: Gladney has no health insurance.

REALITY: At the anti-SEIU protest, Gladney told reporters that he was recently out of work and had no health insurance, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. However, by Tuesday, his story had changed and conservative blogs were reporting that Gladney does, in fact, receive insurance through his wife. When Gladney's (now-former lawyer) David Brown was asked about this, he replied: "Well, who doesn't need a donation? If people want to give him a donation because he's injured and unemployed, that's up to them." Brown said Gladney has raised about $1,100 in donations so far. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 8/9; Washington Independent, 8/10)

FALSE CLAIM: Gladney was only hired to sell buttons at the town hall meeting, and has no ties to the broader Tea Party movement.

REALITY: Gladney, along with his lawyer (at the time), a Tea Party activist, were spoiling for a fight. Gladney came to the protest with his lawyer and Tea Party activist, David Brown. In February, Brown formed an LLC in Missouri under the name The Political Mint LLC. The Political Mint has openly promoted the fact that they are involved in "Tea Party Fundraising." Despite walking away from the protest, Gladney and his lawyer then contacted reporters and conservative bloggers with their tale, appearing on Fox News the next day. They immediately announced that they would be filing a civil suit. Brown's brother, Andrew Beeney, is going to be the lawyer officially presenting him.

FALSE CLAIM: The Tea Party protesters are only voicing the concerns of real Americans in the healthcare debate--and the protest in St. Louis is an important part of that debate.

REALITY: The Teabaggers themselves admitted that their real goal is "no reform at all;" the focus on St. Louis is an attempt to distract from our national healthcare crisis. On a private conference call, top Tea Party and conservative activists--including organizers from RecessRally.com, American Liberty Alliance, and "Tea Party Patriots"-- openly admitted their real goal: to defeat ANY healthcare reform bill. "The goal is not compromise, and ANY bill coming out this year would be a failure for us," said the call's moderator, according to reports at Greg Sargent's blog, The Plum Line. The report also indicated that one of the organizers on the call also added, "The purpose of Tea Parties is not to find a solution to the health care crisis -- it is to stop what is not the solution: Obamacare." (The Plum Line, 8/11/09)