Political Action

MO and IN members team up to beat bad bill in Ohio

Posted on November 18, 2011 by Deana Rutherford

When Ohio Governor John Kasich followed in Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s footsteps by signing a bill (SB5) decimating the collective bargaining rights of public sector employees, SEIU Healthcare members jumped up to stop him.

Members knocked knocked on almost 7000 doors in a week to educate Ohio voters about SB5. Their efforts helped the bill to be repealed!

Unlike Wisconsin’s, Ohio’s constitution allows for a citizen’s veto, giving residents a chance to bring a bad bill to a ballot–if they can gather enough signatures.

With help from fifteen of our members, organizers gathered 1.3 million signatures, giving voters the opportunity to send the message that working people aren’t going to accept attacks on our bargaining rights.

“These Republican governors all over the country are trying to cut out the middle class. We want the whole country to see what’s going on and say, enough is enough,” said McKinley Williams, a groundskeeper at Methodist Hospital in Gary, IN who spent a week in Cleveland knocking on doors to educate residents about the devastating impact of SB5.

“I met a lot of people in the area whose lives would have been immediately affected by this bill–teachers, state workers, city workers, and more,” said Ella Giles, a home care worker in St. Louis. “But even most of the people who weren’t going to be affected right away were on our side, because people know that once they start chipping away at working people, it’s only a matter of time before they start chipping away at you.”

Excluding Election Day, Williams, Giles, and other members knocked on 6842 doors and had 2152 conversations with voters in just one week, getting support from more than 90% of them and leading 61% of Ohio voters to repeal the bad bill. As Gov. Walker’s recall heats up in Wisconsin, this victory not only protects good jobs for thousands of Ohio residents, but will have a real impact on our efforts to protect bargaining rights for working people all over the United States.

“The most recent polls show that the majority of people in Wisconsin want to recall Scott Walker,” McKinley said. “I’m fired up and ready to go to Wisconsin next!”

Did you like this? Share it:
Leave a comment

Fighting for our safety net in Gary, IN

Posted on November 16, 2011 by Deana Rutherford

Health care workers, elected officials, patients, and allies joined the growing chorus of Americans speaking out to protect vital Medicare and Medicaid funding at a rally in Gary, Indiana earlier this week.

While Congress decides whether to invest in the health of working people by continuing to fund Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security or to continue granting tax breaks to big banks and corporations, people like home care worker Vicky Hernandez are fighting hard to help Congress understand the devastating impact that funding cuts could have on some of our most vulnerable citizens.

“Medicaid pays for my consumer’s medication and for me to be there to help with things like showering, eating, and going to the bathroom–things that we all take for granted. Our lawmakers don’t have to think about losing these things. They don’t realize what these cuts mean,” Vicky said.

Home care worker Vicky Hernandez speaks out for her consumer, who relies on Medicaid to pay for the program that keeps her safe and independent living in her home.

In addition to the impact cuts would have on consumers, Vicky and other speakers at the rally addressed the impact cuts could have on our economy.

“If these cuts happen, patients will suffer. But so will thousands of health care workers who will lose their jobs. Cutting programs that keep people healthy and employed is no way to fix our economy,” said Tony Marshall, a CNA at Methodist Hospital in Gary, IN.

More and more of us are getting together to tell Congress that vital funding for Medicare, Medicaid, and child care programs is the last thing they should cut. Read more about our upcoming National Day of Action and find out how you can get involved.

Hear more from Tony and Vicky at the rally:

Did you like this? Share it:
Leave a comment

Hospital workers, community residents, and allies rally to protect Medicare and Medicaid

Posted on November 15, 2011 by Deana Rutherford

Workers, patients, and others whose lives would be negatively affected by the closure of Englewood’s St. Bernard Hospital gathered there on November 10th to say, “Hands off my Medicare!”

As Congress’ supercommittee works toward a decision about how to handle our nation’s debt crisis, working people all over the country are sending the message that cutting the funding that keeps vital safety-net hospitals running isn’t the way to fix our broken economy. In addition to leaving low-income and elderly community members high and dry when it comes to their health, hospital closures due to Medicaid and Medicare cutbacks will put thousands of health care providers out of work–61,000 in Illinois alone.

Englewood resident Frances Smith tells the crowd how the closure of St. Bernard Hospital would affect her health.

“People like Ms. Frances count on this hospital,” said St. Bernard Unit Secretary Veronica Powell, referring to a resident of a nearby retirement building who also spoke at the rally. “Cutting the funding that keeps St. Bernard open means cutting off their lifeline to the care they need.”

“And, cutting funding means cutting jobs from our economy,” Veronica added. “St. Bernard is the largest employer in Englewood–if this place closes, I’ll be out of a job, along with nearly 700 other workers.”

Hear more from Veronica and Frances Smith:

Did you like this? Share it:
Leave a comment

ACTION ALERT: Tell Congress what federal child care funding means to your community!

Posted on November 14, 2011 by Deana Rutherford

Right now, Congress’ supercommittee is deciding how to reduce our nation’s looming deficit, and with it, the fate of Head Start programs that provide working families with the quality care they need to stay in school and got to work every day. Together, child care providers and consumers are working to make millionaire members of Congress understand that cuts to federal funding of state child care programs will make it harder for parents to take or keep the jobs they need to support their families as the economy struggles to recover.

“I’m a single mother juggling school, work, and motherhood. I and thousands of other parents depend on programs like Head Start to provide not just a safe place for my son to stay while I’m at work, but to give him a good education. Federal child care funding makes it possible for many families to improve their lives by working while going back to school in order to make it in this economy–if it weren’t for Head Start, I couldn’t make this work for my family.” –Candice Battle

It’s up to us to carry the voices of working parents to the representatives making decisions that affect their lives. Please talk to your child care parents about the impact that quality child care makes on their lives and families, and share their answers with us.

Did you like this? Share it:
Leave a comment

Members ally with seniors to protect Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security

Posted on November 7, 2011 by Deana Rutherford

Traffic outside of Chicago’s Federal Plaza ground to a halt on November 7th as SEIU Healthcare Illinois and Indiana members, seniors, community, labor, and religious allies, and more gathered to urge elected officials to keep Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security fully funded.

Before nearly 50 activists were peacefully arrested for occupying the Jackson and Clark intersection, hundreds gathered in the Plaza itself to hear testimony from elected officials and from those who would be devastated by a federal budget that slashes safety-net funding.

Flora Johnson spoke to defend her son's health care and independence.

Home care member Flora Johnson brought her son Kenneth, who has cerebral palsy, to the action to illustrate what these programs mean for thousands of Illinois families.

“If Congress cuts these programs, my son could lose his wheelchair because if it breaks, I can’t afford to fix it. He wouldn’t be able to get his flu shots and asthma medication,” Flora said, addressing the crowd. “I’ve worked all my life and contributed to society, and like millions of others, I’m telling Congress to save Medicaid and make the wealthy pay their fair share!”

Rose Crawford, a Chicago PA, took arrest to help send the message that cutting Medicaid and other programs is bad for everyone–those who need care, those who work to provide it, and the economy as a whole.

“My client is a 59-year-old man with degenerative arthritis and COPD. He can’t stand up to make food for himself and clean his house, but he can live in his home with dignity if he has a little help. If Congress cuts these programs, he’ll be institutionalized in a nursing home that costs the state more than home care does, and I’ll be out of work and in the unemployment line. That’s why we’re out here, taking the streets and getting arrested–these programs matter.”

Visit our photostream to see more pictures of this event.

Members took to the streets shouting slogans like "You say cut back? We say fight back!"

Did you like this? Share it:
Leave a comment

Video: Demanding fairness from the Chicago Board of Trade, donating supplies to Occupy Chicago

Posted on October 27, 2011 by Deana Rutherford

A growing coalition of community, religious and labor organizations including Stand Up! Chicago gathered this week to demand that the Chicago Mercantile Exchange pay its fair share towards creating jobs in the city. Activists also donated sleeping bags, hats, and other supplies to members of Occupy Chicago to help them continue to protest as the weather gets colder.

See more coverage of the event, including reactions from traders at the Chicago Board of Trade.

Did you like this? Share it:
Leave a comment

Full week of actions for homes, schools, jobs follows October 10th rally

Posted on October 20, 2011 by Deana Rutherford

The October 10th march and rally of over 7000 Chicagoans, including hundreds of SEIU members, was only the beginning of a week of action to Take Back Chicago.  Throughout the week, members of SEIU, other unions and community groups participated in a series of targeted actions to take back our jobs, homes and schools. (more…)

Did you like this? Share it:
Leave a comment

Missouri Home Care Union, SEIU Healthcare, and more march for jobs, homes, schools in St. Louis

Posted on October 20, 2011 by Deana Rutherford

Hundreds of MHCU and SEIU members, other laborers, students, seniors, activists, and the unemployed rallied in St. Louis on October 14th, in yet another action fueled by the indignation at corporate greed spreading across the country. (more…)

Did you like this? Share it:
Leave a comment

SEIU Healthcare members, thousands more unite to Take Back Chicago

Posted on October 11, 2011 by Deana Rutherford

SEIU Healthcare Illinois and Indiana members and thousands of other union members, teachers, students, and community activists swarmed the streets of downtown Chicago on Oct. 11, massing near a meeting of the Mortgage Bankers’ Association and the Futures Industry Association to demand that the greedy bankers and traders who broke our economy do their part to put it back together.

Those who volunteered to take arrest crowded into the entrance to the Modern Wing of the Art Institute, where members of the Mortgage Bankers' Association were meeting.

Participants dropped banners, chanted, held signs, sang, and even took arrest to send the message that the working people of Chicago are finished paying for the reckless behavior of the people who have who reaped profits while foreclosing on our homes, bankrupting our schools, and failing to create jobs.

“I was willing to take arrest because it’s time for a change, and if it takes people going to jail to make that happen then I’ll do it. More and more kids don’t have good schools, and so many people are losing their jobs and their homes–especially in my neighborhood. I had to make a stand,” said Grace Livingston, a nursing home worker in Harvey, IL.

Monday’s rally, called Take Back Chicago, was the first of a week of actions to reclaim our jobs, our homes, and our schools. Stay tuned for more coverage, and read more about this movement.

Did you like this? Share it:
Leave a comment

Unemployed workers in Chicago come out to support President Obama’s jobs plan

Posted on September 26, 2011 by Deana Rutherford

In more than a dozen cities last week, unemployed people came out to support President Obama’s plan to put Americans back to work. Member and CNA Penny Peoples addresses a crowd on the Wells St. Bridge.

Learn more about support for the President’s bill (coverage begins at 8min, 15sec).

Did you like this? Share it:
Leave a comment