The Fight Before Us

Events

Stewart Acuff is the former Organizing Director for the AFL-CIO and currently serves as Chief of Staff for the Utility Workers of America. Acuff recently published a new book, "Playing Bigger Than You Are: A Life in Organizing." He will be in Saint Paul to discuss the book and our country's future. Union members are encouraged to join in the discussion.

What: A book event and conversation entitled "Reclaiming the Middle Class"

Who: Authors Stewart Acuff, Joanne Boyer and Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer

Where: Common Good Books - 38 S. Snelling Avenue in Saint Paul

When: Wednesday, May 23 at 7:00 p.m.

Books will be available for purchase at the event, or attendees can bring their own copies for the authors to sign.

If anyone from our Local is interested in marching in the 6/24/2012 PRIDE parade with our Local 34 banner, please let me know! Jean Diederich, President, AFSCME Local 34

102 things NOT TO DO if you really hate taxes and government

Dear AFSCME Sisters and Brothers, Women represent nearly half of the workforce today, but many women who become pregnant face losing their job when requesting maternity accommodations.

That's why I hope you'll ask your representative to co-sponsor the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act that was introduced in the House of Representatives last week by Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY)—a bill that will ensure pregnant workers are able to maintain their jobs without limiting their ability to work and support their family.

Under this bill, pregnant women will be able to request reasonable accommodations for pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions without the fear of being fired—a privilege which isn't included in the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. These changes are long overdue, and we need to make sure the House passes this important bill.

Approximately 75 percent of women who enter the workforce will become pregnant at some point during their employment, and it's something that our workplaces should embrace. The problem is, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act that's currently law is more than 30 years old—when working mothers were a much smaller fraction of the workforce.

By urging your representative to support the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act you are helping protect women against discrimination and ensuring a safe and healthy work environment for all working mothers.

As AFSCME sisters and brothers, let's do our part and stand together to make sure that all working families are protected at the workplace, and that includes health and job security. Click here to take action! In solidarity, Chuck Loveless, Director, AFSCME Federal Government Affairs

A Look at the 2012 Health and Human Services Bill!

The 2012 Health and Human Services Bill (HF2294), signed into law by Governor Dayton April 28, restores $18 million in funding for some of the essential HHS services that were cut as a part of the 2011 budget compromise. The Minnesota Budget Project brings us this look into the bill:

“Many breathed a sigh of relief when the February forecast showed Minnesota had no new deficit in the current biennium. The positive fiscal news means there is no need for policymakers to consider yet another round of deep spending cuts to critical services. In fact, the House and Senate did not issue any official “targets” calling for finance committees to cut their budgets.

Instead, Governor Dayton and the Legislature have advanced budget proposals for health and human services recommending mostly small changes, primarily fixing some unintended consequences from budgets approved in previous years and reforming service delivery.”

Key aspects of the bill include:
Some Emergency Medical Assistance coverage restored
Personal care attendant cut delayed
Continuing care payment rate cut delayed
Employed persons with disabilities allowed to work longer, keep more assets
Child care absent days increased for students
Funding for Family Assets for Independence in Minnesota (FAIM) grants reinstated
Read more details and analysis on the bill, Legislature approves some fixes to health and human services.

Help Wisconsin Dump Walker!

Wisconsin voters have chosen their candidate to defeat Scott Walker on June 5th. Tom Barrett, the Mayor of Milwaukee, won and now he needs all of us to stand with him in this historic recall election.

Whether you're a Wisconsinite or not, the stakes are too high to sit this election out. Scott Walker is the poster boy for the anti-union attacks we have faced from coast to coast – he has raised millions of dollars from some of the most anti-union people in the country, including billionaire right-wing extremist David Koch who recently said keeping Scott Walker in office was on his priority list. *Help defeat Scott Walker and David Koch. Recall elections take place June 5th against Scott Walker and five of his cronies who helped destroy collective bargaining for public workers in Wisconsin. Our brothers and sisters are asking us to help them finish the job. AFSCME is rallying around Tom Barrett now-and we hope you will too. Barrett has earned our support during his campaign. *He will do what it takes to restore collective bargaining rights for public sector workers in Wisconsin.* And he will bring Wisconsin together again and heal the wounds Scott Walker has inflicted on the state.

Here’s how you can help:

Door-knock in Hudson, La Crosse or Superior.
Make phone calls in Wisconsin or the Metro.
Volunteer for “get out the vote” efforts the week before the elections.
Donate, individually or as a local, to: We Are Wisconsin Inc., PO Box 2567, Madison, WI 53701.

To sign up, contact Council 5’s Jim Niland.

News Bites

Hospital Strike Averted with Tentative Contract Agreement

St. Paul, MN— Service Employees International Union Healthcare Minnesota (SEIU HC MN) has reached a tentative contract agreement with eight metro-area hospitals thus averting a strike that was authorized by union members earlier this week. The affected hospitals include: Fairview Southdale Hospital in Edina, Fairview Riverside Hospital in Minneapolis, Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis, Children’s Hospital in St. Paul, HealthEast Bethesda Hospital in St. Paul, HealthEast St. John’s Hospital in Maplewood, North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale, and Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park.

Details of the agreement will not be released until members of SEIU Healthcare Minnesota have had the opportunity to review and vote on them.

“While we did not achieve all that our members deserve for the work we do every day to improve our patients lives - by standing together we fought back the most outrageous cuts that would have driven the lowest paid workers in our hospitals into poverty,” says Tee McClenty, SEIU’s chief negotiator. “We will keep organizing and fighting the corporations that want to run our hospitals like for-profit institutions,” she adds.

*The 3,500 workers affected by this tentative agreement include: nursing assistants, ER techs, maintenance and food service personnel, clerks, warehouse staff, environmental services staff and others.

"Show Up - Stand Up - Speak Up - the Future is in Your Hands!"