Two days after 1,600 working men and women protested against a proposed “Right to Work” constitutional amendment at the State Capitol, about 200 SEIU Minnesota members lobbied against the measure through meetings with their state representatives.
SEIU Minnesota’s annual Lobby Day event carried added significance the same week of the larger protest—and many said they felt like they were helping continue to build momentum against the measure. SEIU Healthcare Minnesota President, Julie Schnell spoke during a morning “teach-in” for SEIU member lobbyists. “There is more to winning for workers than showing up for one important rally. Winning on the issues that matter to us means taking time to talk one-on-one with our family, friends, neighbors and yes—even our lawmakers. Remember, over time…a constant dripping of water can wear away stone.
And that is what we mean by lending our strong collective voice to the issues critical to hard-working Minnesotans—one drop, one voice, at a time—-over, and over and over again means we will eventually wear away attempts to dismantle unions in this country, dismantle the middle-class in this country and dismantle a fair economy.”
Member lobbyists also told their lawmakers of their opposition to two other proposed constitutional amendments: First, a so-called, “Supermajority” budget amendment that is short-sighted and would result in even more government shut-downs, legislative gridlock, budget gimmicks and cuts to critical local government services such as law enforcement and fire protection. Second, a co-called “Voter ID” amendment that is nothing more than a radical and partisan attempt that’s overly restrictive and would block many Minnesotans from their constitutional right to vote.
Schnell said that the protest earlier in the week and the successful SEIU Lobby Day were two events that were simply a taste of things to come as hard-working Minnesotans, and union members, continue to exercise not only their right to speak out against harmful measures but as they prepare to exercise the power of the vote come November.
Despite bipartisan opposition, supporters of the irresponsible “Right to Work” constitutional amendment are trying to move the bill forward. They know Minnesotans oppose this unsafe, unfair and unnecessary law, and are using desperate gimmicks at the State Capitol to try to pass it.
The Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee is hearing the bill on Monday March 12th. SEIU needs you! to come to the State Capitol Monday morning at 7 to help stop this harmful proposal.
This bill is not what its supporters say it is. Plain and simple, this isn’t a right to work; it’s the right to hurt workers, our economy, and the middle class. If this should pass it would weaken our rights and lower our wages and benefits.
Union members have negotiated in good faith with their employers and have sacrificed to help weather the tough economic times by taking wage freezes, cuts in benefits and furlough with days without pay. But despite hardworking Minnesotans’ efforts to carry their load, corporate CEOs and the politicians they helped elect are pushing this amendment forward. Plain and simple, it is wrong for working families and wrong for our state.
The federal health reform law requires states to establish a state health insurance Exchange that will help individuals and small businesses compare, choose and enroll in high quality health insurance plans. The Exchange will also determine eligibility for public health care programs and for federal tax credits to offset the cost of health insurance. At least a half a million Minnesotans are expected to get their health insurance through the Exchange beginning in 2014. Our Organizing Director, Phillip Cryan, serves on the 15-member Health Insurance Exchange Advisory Task Force that is making recommendations to the Minnesota Department of Commerce on the design of the Exchange.
SEIU Healthcare Minnesota and other advocates for consumers, patients and workers see the establishment of the Exchange as an opportunity to reduce health disparities in Minnesota. Health disparities are differences in the quality of health and health care associated with differences in race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and education level. SEIU Healthcare MN helped organize a Task Force meeting in January dedicated entirely to the topic of racial health disparities in Minnesota – which are among the worst in the nation – and what the Exchange can do to generate health equity. We also collaborated with other Task Force members to develop specific recommendations on reducing health disparities through the Exchange. The recommendations are currently under consideration by the Task Force.
Here are a couple of key documents about how we could use the Exchange to generate health equity.
At the beginning of December, SEIU Healthcare Minnesota members joined members of Minnesotans for a Fair Economy and its partner organizations to Take Back the Capitol. From December 5-9 thousands of peaceful protesters from around the country rallied in Washington, D.C. to send a message that Congress needs to represent the 99 percent, not just the 1 percent.
Jermaine Rayford, a Cook at Fairview Southdale Hospital joined in those protests. Rayford, who has been a steward for almost five years, has always found himself in a role of advocate and fighting for equality and the rights of others. Even while working in management for 11 years he found himself fighting to protect the rights of his employees.
In becoming a steward, Rayford has been able to continue that same fight. Recently, he has been looking for new ways to be a voice for those in need, which is why he decided to join the protest in D.C.
Not knowing what to expect in D.C., Rayford was a little apprehensive when he first signed on for the trip. That is until he arrived. Once there he couldn’t believe the strength and unity from so many people coming together for a common purpose, “I was, and still am, amazed by the leadership and togetherness of over 3,000 people.”
Growing up in a single parent home, and never knowing where his next meal would come from, Rayford felt that the fight of the 99% was his fight too. “People from all walks of life came together, people who never met before, people with all different kinds of issues and struggles came together for the same fight…AMAZING!”
Rayford could feel the excitement and energy from so many people who had joined together to Take Back the Capitol. “I could see in everyone’s face that they were fed up, and were ready to do something about it. That’s when I felt at ease. All these people came together for the same fight………WE ARE THE 99%!”
Along with several other SEIU Healthcare Minnesota members and thousands of protesters, Rayford took part in a march on K Street—the center of Washington DC corporate lobbying. Rayford carried one of the giant “99% Street” banners that blocked off K Street as activists from OccupyDC, members of the clergy, and unemployed workers were arrested in a non-violent act of civil disobedience designed to focus attention on the country’s economic emergency.
After marching in the streets, Rayford felt that, “the march on K Street was an eye-opener. Being with all those people in the K Street march to make change, I had tears in my eyes. This is all new to me but I don’t want us to return to Minnesota satisfied, I want to do what I can contribute to keep this going.”
“Our fight does not stop in DC. Our fight must continue and I want to be a part of this fight.”
Jen Carpenter and the 99% will be heard. It’s time for jobs! It’s time for justice for all! Check out the video from the NY Times after the jump.
At their recent Executive Board meeting, elected leaders of our union passed a resolution pledging our opposition to the proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage.
Here is the text of the resolution:
Opposition to 2012 Ballot Question Recognizing Marriage as Only Between One Man and One Woman
WHEREAS: The mission of SEIU Healthcare Minnesota is to improve the lives of working families and to bring economic justice to the workplace and social justice to our state; and
WHEREAS: Marriage is a critical civil institution through which two people can, in front of their community, express their commitment to each other and take on a lifetime responsibility for each other; and
WHEREAS: Gay and lesbian couples, including our union brothers and sisters, their friends, and their family members, share similar values of commitment to and responsibility for family; and
WHEREAS: Union members believe that civil rights are vital to a just society and all families should have access to the benefits they need and deserve; and
WHEREAS: Union members believe that our gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender brothers and sisters undeniably deserve the same benefits as their heterosexual counterparts; and
WHEREAS: The entire progressive community will need to unite in 2012 to block a number of divisive amendments, including a possible amendment to take away our union rights; and
WHEREAS: The Minnesota Constitution has never been amended to discriminate against any group of people by denying them civil rights; now, therefore be it
RESOLVED: That SEIU Healthcare Minnesota opposes the 2012 general election ballot question because gay and lesbian couples should have the same opportunity in civil law to express their commitment and responsibility through marriage. The proposed amendment would violate the basic principle of fairness, that everyone should be treated equally.
Following the passage of the resolution, SEIU Healthcare Minnesota President Julie K. Schnell also sent this letter to all union stewards to alert them of the resolution.
Here is the text of the letter:
Sisters and Brothers—
In our International Union’s mission statement, we state that we are “…dedicated to improving the lives of workers and their families and creating a more just and humane society.” Day in and day out, we fight for this mission together by making sure our workplaces reflect this vision for working families. We also must take our collective strength outside the walls of our facilities if we hope to truly create a just and humane society.
To this end, our union’s elected Executive Board of members from across the state decided to stand up for dignity and justice by formally opposing the constitutional amendment that would deny our gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender brothers and sisters the right to express their commitment to each other through marriage.
I have enclosed a copy of the resolution our Executive Board passed.
Let me say a bit more about why we took this action. Marriage is an embodiment of our union’s motto: Stronger Together. It is a critical institution through which two people can, in front of their community, express their commitment to each other and take on a lifetime responsibility for each other. Gay and lesbian couples, including many of our union brothers and sisters, share these values of commitment and responsibility.
As a union we stand for the basic principles of fairness. Fairness around benefits, and marriage.
Finally, the Minnesota Constitution has never before been amended to discriminate against any group of people. Together, our Board has committed to stand together to oppose writing discrimination into our state’s most important document.
But the reasons for opposing this amendment go beyond simple arguments and rhetoric. It’s also about the human side of this fight. Here’s why this issue matters to members like Jeff Sarro, a member of our Executive Board and steward at Abbott Northwestern Hospital:
“I’ve been in a committed relationship with my partner, Victor, for 31 years. Just like every other family, my partner and I have to figure out how to get our kids, Buddy and John, fed, the house cleaned, and keep a roof over our heads. But because of who we love, my partner and I also have to meet other challenges. For example, we shell out thousands of dollars in additional taxes because my partner is on my health insurance and my employer must treat that benefit as additional taxable income. We also have to fight constantly to make sure my partner and our kids are the beneficiaries if anything should happen to me.
Voting down this amendment will not grant my family the same recognition that most families take for granted in Minnesota. But if this amendment passes, it would say to me and my family that the love we have for each other is not as valid as that of other families.
I am sharing my story because I want you to know that having the community celebrate my life-long partnership with Victor and our family is important to me.
I’m so proud that our union is taking a stand on this issue because to me, union means we’re one. It doesn’t matter if we’re gay, straight, black, white, Republican, or Democrat. We stand together, as workers, for a just society.”
It’s stories like Jeff’s that made us take action on this issue.
As we head towards the election in November 2012, there is no doubt in my mind that the public debate on this topic will become ugly, spiteful, and misinformed. I would like to make a call for our union to set a different example and provide a space for respectful engagement that does not discount the deeply held values that many members undoubtedly have on both sides of this issue. We are a democratic organization that values the voice of all members, and from past experience I have no doubt that our union’s sisters and brothers will treat each other with respect.
As we move through the next year, I know we all stand united in the belief that together we can build a just and humane society.
In Solidarity,
Julie K. Schnell
President
SEIU Healthcare Minnesota
Today, Minnesota Public Radio published an online commentary from our President Julie K. Schnell and Environment Minnesota.
You might ask why we’re speaking out on environmental issues as a union. Here’s why:
The labor movement has a long history of stopping such races to the bottom by fighting for justice in the workplace and striving to protect workers’ health and safety. But workplace victories like the minimum wage and the eight-hour workday would mean little if workers did not also have a safe and healthy home and community in which to raise their families, thanks to landmark protections like the Clean Air Act.
To read the whole commentary, click here.
Community, labor, faith coalition joins OccupyMN to demand Wall Street “pay us back”
Six hundred Minnesotans, including dozens of SEIU Healthcare Minnesota members, marched in downtown Minneapolis on Friday to the offices of USbank and Wells Fargo to demand that the big banks pay their fair share, invest in good jobs and fix the foreclosure crisis.
The protestors, marching under the banner “Don’t Foreclose on the American Dream” linked arms and sat down in the street in front of the Wells Fargo offices in downtown Minneapolis while a delegation sought a dialog with bank officials, who had locked down their building and skyways as the crowd approached.
“We came here to together today to ask that major banks like Wells Fargo pay their fair share and take positive steps to fix the foreclosure crisis,” said the Rev. Grant Stevensen, the Pastor of St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church, President of ISAIAH and spokesperson for Friday’s march. “We have asked them to take a first step by meeting with two families that have tried to arrange reasonable adjustments to their mortgages. They’d rather shut down the bank than talk with us. That’s not right.”
At USBank the marchers dropped off a giant tax bill for the $150 billion they say big banks should have paid in taxes, but avoided through loopholes and deductions.[1]
“The big banks crashed our economy and foreclosed on our homes. We bailed them out and now they want us to take more cuts they refuse to pay their fair share. People are hurting across the board, and folks in the African American neighborhoods are hit hardest, ‘” said Sol Marshall, a member of Neighborhoods Organizing for Change (NOC), one of the organizations sponsoring the march.
The marchers wanted the chance to talk to Wells Fargo officials about the cases of the meets with the LeFever/Downey family and Sheronda Orridge, a Saint Paul homeowner, to reach an agreement to that will allow them pay their mortgages at a fair rate and keep their homes.
On Thursday, a fifty person by Minnesotans for a Fair Economy won a commitment from USBank officials to work on modifying the loan of John Vinji, of Bloomington Minnesota. Vinji had been trying unsuccessfully to communicate with the bank about a modification for months.
Over the past week delegations of between 50 and 250 citizens, including dozens of SEIU Healthcare Minnesota members, delivered letters to USBank, Wells Fargo and other major financial institutions asking their CEOs to meet with community representatives to address their concerns.
The March to Save the American Dream was organized by Minnesotans for a Fair Economy and: Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en Lucha (CTUL), the International Brotherhood of Electrician Workers Minnesota State Council (IBEW), ISAIAH, Jobs Now Coalition, Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation, Merriam Park Neighbors for Peace, Minnesota AFL-CIO, Minnesota Public Interest Research Group (MPIRG), Neighborhoods Organizing for Change (NOC), OccupyMN, Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), TakeAction Minnesota, United Food & Commercial Workers Local (UFCW) 1189, and the Welfare Rights Committee.
Learn more at: www.mnfaireconomy.org – www.facebook.com/FairMN – #mnfaireconomy
The 2012 Election is already underway and we need to hear from you! It’s time to think about the issues that are important to working families and choose candidates that share our values!
Check out SEIU’s Our Voices, Our Choices page for everything you need from how to participate to where the candidates stand on working family issues.
Click here to fill out the member questionnaire to have your voice heard!
The Summit for a Fair Economy was a powerful day! Over 500 activists gathered in Minneapolis from all walks of life to organize for economic justice in our communities.
Here’s a video of the highlights from that day:
And here’s a link to more coverage from the day!
http://www.theuptake.org/2011/09/10/rebuilding-an-economy-that-works-for-everyone/
Daily Kos Labor