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Below: SEIU's Ohio Legislative Director addressing the current situation with the State of Ohio budget.


Ohio Senate To Pass Seven-Day Interim Budget MondayGongwer News Service Special Update
June 29, 2009, 10:50 am - excerpt:

The Senate is expected Monday approve a seven-day interim budget that funds state government operations into the new fiscal year.

The interim spending plan - to be adopted as an amendment to the Industrial Commission’s budget (HB 16) – will fund programs at 70% of actual fiscal year 2009 spending, the Senate Republican Caucus said...

The development comes as the GOP-controlled Senate maintained its opposition to the installation of slot machines at Ohio’s horse tracks without a vote of the people. Instead, the chamber’s majority has argued that Gov. Ted Strickland, who proposed VLTs as a new revenue source, should authorize the expansion himself.


SEIU 1199 Responds to Gov. Strickland's June 19 Ohio Budget Plan
The plan announced earlier today by Gov. Strickland comes as a response to unprecedented challenges. Though the Governor acknowledges with candor the difficulties he and we face, SEIU District 1199 does not agree with his assessment that the $2.43 billion in proposed cuts will preserve the core social safety net for the state's most vulnerable citizens.

This budget shortfall is clearly the direct result of the current recession combined with the previous administration's irresponsible mania for tax cuts, most of which haven't gone to average Ohio families at all. Therefore, any solution to this fiscal crisis must address that reality by including modest increases in tax rates targeted to those who can afford to pay them. The Ohio budget cannot be balanced solely on the basis of painful spending cuts and more gambling.

These cuts would include, to name a few: closing one or more Ohio Correctional Institutions, layoff of parole and probation officers, reduced mental health funding for communities and hospitals, cuts in behavior health services for children, cuts in community health services, reductions in health care facility inspections (including nursing homes), eliminations of meals and transportation for seniors and people with disabilities, and cuts in preschool and public library funding.

“We must oppose these revisions," said Becky Williams, President of SEIU District 1199. "Too many lives are at stake, so we urge our Governor and other elected leaders to increase revenues, and not to reduce vital safety net services, in order to get through this historic, economically dismal time in Ohio.

Our Union opposes these proposed cuts because they involve additional public-sector job losses and also eliminate vital services that we believe make Ohio a positive place to live, including libraries as well as officers who ensure that our neighborhoods remain safe and secure. To propose cuts of this magnitude at a time when more and more Ohioans are relying on these safety net services for survival is not shared sacrifice; it is unacceptable policy.

There are many options out there to secure these necessary revenues. If State leaders are willing to consider spending cuts which reduce funding to pre-2005 levels, then returning revenue sources to pre-2005 levels should at the very least be under equal consideration.

Please contact the Ohio Governor, House Speaker and Senate President and urge them to pursue a balanced, fiscally responsible approach to this budget crisis, one that includes revenue increases beyond gambling and doesn't sacrifice the services needed the most.



ToledoTour09-2 Toledo Members Experience Different Side of SEIU at Tour de District 1199
SEIU District 1199 officers visited several Toledo member worksites on Tuesday, June 16, and also hosted an evening reception for local members and politicians.
 
Tour de District 1199 is a successful program initiated by SEIU 1199 President Becky Williams that is designed to foster more interactions between the Union leadership and our rank-and-file membership. During visits to both private-sector and State-run health care facilities, Williams was accompanied by 1199 Executive Vice Presidents Al Bacon and Kathy McCormick, as well as Public Division Director Dedeon Jackson.
 
"These visits give all of us an excellent opportunity to learn more about where each other is coming from," said Becky Williams about the day. "By continuing to strengthen these connections, we also strengthen our Union as a whole."
 
A well-attended reception at the Ramada Hotel and Conference Center included all four candidates for Toledo mayor and City Councilmember Mike Craig, who cited SEIU's support in his first campaign as critical in his having won by only five votes. The evening closed with a question-and-answer session in which members addressed various political and internal questions to Union officers, who included Secretary Treasurer Lisa Hetrick and Member Vice Presidents Annette Wisniewski and Lance Franke.
 
Other Tours have visited Cleveland, Canton, Cincinnati, and Huntington, and the next Tour is scheduled for July 29 in Youngstown.



Health Care Reform: More Than Just a Campaign SloganBy Becky Williams, President

BwilliamsAsternThere is a lot of talk around the country right now about health care reform.  This week I had a chance to meet with Senator Max Baucus at our International Executive Board meeting to discuss the Senate’s work on health care reform. People are daily choosing between taking proper care of themselves and paying bills or buying food – sometimes even cutting pills in half in order to reduce the cost of expensive prescription drugs.

Members share with us their personal trials with healthcare. For example, this is what James L. from Lorain shared at our last meeting: “If I had affordable health care I would get regular checkups. I would not hesitate to go to the doctor instead of using the money to buy groceries or pay bills. I wouldn’t have to go to work sick because I cannot afford to go to the doctor.”

Health care reform is more than just a campaign slogan, it is a national priority.

PICTURED: SEIU 1199 President Becky Williams and SEIU President Andy Stern


New SEIU online campaign for Employee Free Choice Stand with working people, not greedy CEOs

Some of the biggest corporations in America are lining up to fight America's working people.  They're spending millions of dollars -- some of it your tax dollars from the bailouts! -- to stop corporations from being held accountable. They think that they can send in CEOs to make senators forget about working people.

Yesterday SEIU launched an online campaign asking senators to stand with working people, not greedy CEOs, on the Employee Free Choice Act.  The Huffington Post wrote of our campaign:

Targeting Democratic Senators Mark Pryor and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, Jim Webb of Virginia, and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, as well as Republican David Vitter of Louisiana, the message is at once effective and sharp: To oppose the labor-backed legislation would be to side with the institutions that create the current economic malaise.

Click here to learn more.


 

SEIU Endorses Nancy Garland, Debbie Phillips
By Becky Williams, President

Today I am pleased to announce that SEIU District 1199 has chosen to endorse two additional champions for working families: Nancy Garland (D) for the 20th House District and Debbie Phillips (D) for the 92nd House District.

These two women leaders have demonstrated their commitment to supporting issues and values that align with our Union, and for that reason, I am proud to announce their endorsement today.

These endorsements, like those announced by me earlier this year, are products of our new and inclusive political endorsement process aimed at getting more members involved.


 

A Game-Changer: Health Care Reform on TrackBy Becky Williams, President

Healthcare reform in America is no longer a campaign slogan or a farfetched dream. The hopes of reforming the healthcare system in our country and reigning in extravagant costs moved in the right direction recently when many of the health advocacy organizations that failed to support healthcare reform in the 1990’s joined forces with SEIU to lower the cost of healthcare $2 trillion over the next ten years. This is what the White House is referring to as a “game changer.”

Combine this unprecedented move with the investments of over $300 Billion for healthcare reform in the President’s budget, and the United States is well on its way toward comprehensive healthcare reform.

Why do we need health care reform? Keep reading


Paid Sick Days: Just What the Doctor Orderedby Becky Williams, President
May 22, 2009

Early last fall, the Ohioans for Healthy Families coalition choose to pull the Paid Sick Days initiative from the ballot. When we did this, I said the decision was “not easy or made lightly" and was reached only after "it became clear that a shrill and vitriolic ballot campaign marred by misinformation and disinformation would be impossible to avoid."

In addition, then Senator Barack Obama conveyed his support for a federal paid sick day bill in his speech accepting the Democratic Presidential nomination, and Gov. Strickland and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown pledged their help in enacting such a law.  Keep reading.


 

Stern Advocates Health Care for All on Charlie Rose
SEIU President Andy Stern addressed issues ranging from health care reform to the economic crisis on May 14 on the Charlie Rose Show. The interview runs almost 30 minutes:




 
SEIU Holds Bank of America Accountable for Predatory Practices
A majority of Bank of America's shareholders voted at their annual meeting to oust Ken Lewis as Chairman of the company's board.

This remarkable first step towards holding Bank of America accountable follows mobilizations this past month by SEIU and our allies all across the country, including here in District 1199. SEIU members also delivered more than 90,000 signed "taxpayer proxy cards" to the bank's shareholders.

While shareholders responded with a major vote of no confidence, but there's much more to be done.

Ken Lewis still remains the CEO of Bank of America, so we're calling on both him and new BofA Chairman Walter E. Massey to immediately implement these changes: 1) Commit to real financial reform, 2) Stop consumer abuses and predatory lending practices that hurt communities, 3) Provide bank workers access to affordable healthcare, and 4) Stop lobbying against pro-worker legislation like the Employee Free Choice Act to ensure bank workers have a voice on the job to protect consumers. Take action today!




 

Specter Switch Helps Prospects for Employee Free Choice

Many labor leaders see hopeful signs in the April 28 announcement by Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter that he is leaving the Republican Party to become a Democrat.

While Specter said that becoming a Democrat doesn't change his opposition to the Employee Free Choice Act in its current form, his ties to labor will face far less opposition in his state's Democratic primary than in its Republican contest.  Specter's opportunity to deepen his relationships with pro-worker organizations with less interference only helps the prospects for a slightly modified version of the bill.

The Employee Free Choice Act would allow workers to organize unions and negotiate first contracts without traditional obstruction tactics from employers.

"We look forward to continuing our long history of working with Senator Specter to create positive change for the working families of Pennsylvania," said SEIU President Andy Stern upon news of Specter’s change.

SEIU must continue to hold politicians accountable to their constituents, regardless of their party, so make sure you’re contributing to SEIU Committee on Political Education (COPE) today!


Williams041709
SEIU 1199 President Becky Williams pushes for healthcare for all on April 17 at Forest Hill Presbyterian Church in Cleveland Heights.

Regional Executive Boards Focus on Healthcare, Member Engagement

SEIU District 1199 leaders attended regional Executive Board meetings on April 17 in Cleveland, Akron, and Columbus, Ohio, and in Huntington, West Virginia.

Members discussed issues that included the Union's support of various political candidates, new-member orientation, the Change That Works campaign, and the State of Ohio budget.

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown joined SEIU 1199 President Becky Williams and about 500 activists at Forest Hill Presbyterian Church in Cleveland Heights to rally for healthcare reform. U.S. Congresswoman Mary Jo Kilroy addressed the Columbus session with remarks focused on winning healthcare for all.

Huntington members participated in a "Street Heat" non-informational picket outside the local Red Cross to support 1199 members who work there. Click here to view photos from all of these events, or click on the clip below to see President Williams address health care reform after her introduction by Annette Wisniewski, Ohio Private Sector Vice President for SEIU 1199.


  
SEIU District 1199 Moves Quickly to Investigate Fraud Allegations

Promises Members Full Accountability
To read the full press release, including background and a timeline, click here
 


First Regional Member Leader Training Only the Beginning
Forty members of SEIU District 1199 sharpened their skills during the Union's first Regional Member Leader Training on April 3 in Cleveland.

The training included members who are getting involved for the first time, as well as members with more experience in the Union. It is designed to help members develop their roles within the Union as a whole, within the workplace, and also in their communities.

"It was very helpful, especially as far as learning how to deal better with management," said Sharon McNeal, an Executive Board member representing the Montefiore chapter.

Going forward, organizers now have the ability to run similar trainings at the chapter level. A Regional Member Leader Training is scheduled for Aug. 7, 2009, in Columbus, with another in Huntington Nov. 6., 2009.


 

SEIU, CNA/NNOC Announce Major Accord

Today we are announcing a new agreement between SEIU and the California Nurses Association (CNA/NNOC) that puts an end to our past conflicts –- and commits both of our unions to working together on issues that are important to health care workers.

As part of this agreement, neither union will interfere with the other’s organizing campaigns or internal affairs – and will even collaborate on future organizing in some of the nation’s largest hospital systems. We’re hopeful that this will clear the way to restoring CHP hospital workers’ chance to vote on whether to form a union with SEIU 1199 –- we’ll let you know when we learn more. Keep Reading...