I want to thank Bruce, Ginette and T
im for inviting me to the SEIU Convention 2008.
This was my first time at an SEIU convention of this size, all three divisions of SEIU were there. The Property Services Division; the Public Services Division, of which MSEA-SEIU is under; and the Healthcare Division all had delegates.
It was real interesting to see the resolutions and amendments to the SEIU Constitution and By-Laws unfold and open up for debate.
Three committees, Resolutions, Program and Law considered the resolutions and amendments submitted by the International Executive Board, of which our own president, Bruce Hodsdon, is a member; and various locals throughout SEIU, before the delegates voted on them. The committees considered the
resolutions and amendments, submitted their recommendations to the convention, then the delegates from SEIU Locals voted to adopt or pass them. If the resolutions and amendments were adopted, they became part of SEIU’s Constitution.
The floor would open up for some very heated and interesting debates among delegates.
A few of the resolutions I was very interested in were ones concerning health care for everyone and the ones for SEIU to have a healthcare local in every state.
The delegates voted to adopt a resolution that would throw SEIU support behind national healthcare reform, but not specifically HR676, the single-payer healthcare plan. Local 1021 tried to get the wording, “SEIU shall activily campaign for HR676 to establish a strong, progressive role in the healthcare debate and will urge support of similar legislation in the States. By doing so we will set a benchmark for the healthcare system we believe will serve people best.” into the resolution by amending it. This amendment did not pass and the original resolution was approved.
What the resolution does do is get SEIU members actively involved by participating in a nationwide bus tour, The Road to American Health Care, http://roadtohealthcare.org; help build and grow Healthcare United, an organization of both union and non-union nurses and healthcare workers; secure pledges and commitments from key members of Congress; take on the enemies of health care like John McCain; build strong healthcare coalitions with allies and strategic alliances; help identify 1,000 members who are healthcare reform leaders among SEIU member political organizers, leaders and activists; commit to making 10 million phone calls to members of Congress; raising $10 million for post-election political accountability; committing 50% of growth budgets and 50% of non-growth staff during the first 100 days of the 111th Congress to pass National Healthcare Reform and the Employee Free Choice Act. It sounds like a lot, but SEIU can do it.
This resolution was originally spon
sored by the International Executive Board and was heard in the Resolutions Committee. The committee changed the language some before they recommended it to the full convention. The two resolutions specifically naming HR676 were considered by the Resolutions Committee but not recommended to the full convention. One resolution on HR676 was submitted by Local 1021 and the other submitted by Local 1199UHE (United Health Care East)
The second
resolution that was of special interest to me was one that creates one Home Care Local per state. This resolution was submitted by Local 880 and was heard by the Program Committee. They considered it then recommended it to the full convention. The Program Committee also considered two resolutions pertaining to SEIU Homecare and Long-term care workers in California, uniting them to give them one voice. These two were submitted by Locals 6434 and 4034.
The Program Committee combined the best of the three resolutions into one. This resolution would create one health care local in each state, giving a united voice to home care workers, unifying workers to have one voice to gain better funding through Medicare, which in turn gains better pay and benefits. After strong discussion and debate and a lot of talk against this resolution from the Locals in California, the full convention passed this resolution.
It unifies separate Home Care Locals in states where there are more than one, like in California. Here in Maine, I’m glad we’ve got Local 771 under MSEA-SEIU. I’m glad that we are small, but growing slowly and do not have the rift between locals like out in California. Where funding is dependent on state and federal budgets, I’m glad to have a strong, unified, SEIU voice at the state and federal level.
It was great seeing a sea of purple, it was great seeing Barack Obama receivin
g endorsement from SEIU, it was great hooking up and swapping contact information with folks in other locals, like 503 out of Oregon and 1199 UHE in New York and 1199UNE United Healthcare New England from Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Again, I must thank Bruce Hodsdon, MSEA-SEIU President; Ginette Rivard, MSEA-SEIU Vice-President; and Tim Belcher MSEA-SEIU Executive Director for the invitation to this wonderful experience of the SEIU Convention 2008.
im for inviting me to the SEIU Convention 2008.This was my first time at an SEIU convention of this size, all three divisions of SEIU were there. The Property Services Division; the Public Services Division, of which MSEA-SEIU is under; and the Healthcare Division all had delegates.
It was real interesting to see the resolutions and amendments to the SEIU Constitution and By-Laws unfold and open up for debate.
Three committees, Resolutions, Program and Law considered the resolutions and amendments submitted by the International Executive Board, of which our own president, Bruce Hodsdon, is a member; and various locals throughout SEIU, before the delegates voted on them. The committees considered the
resolutions and amendments, submitted their recommendations to the convention, then the delegates from SEIU Locals voted to adopt or pass them. If the resolutions and amendments were adopted, they became part of SEIU’s Constitution.The floor would open up for some very heated and interesting debates among delegates.
A few of the resolutions I was very interested in were ones concerning health care for everyone and the ones for SEIU to have a healthcare local in every state.
The delegates voted to adopt a resolution that would throw SEIU support behind national healthcare reform, but not specifically HR676, the single-payer healthcare plan. Local 1021 tried to get the wording, “SEIU shall activily campaign for HR676 to establish a strong, progressive role in the healthcare debate and will urge support of similar legislation in the States. By doing so we will set a benchmark for the healthcare system we believe will serve people best.” into the resolution by amending it. This amendment did not pass and the original resolution was approved.
What the resolution does do is get SEIU members actively involved by participating in a nationwide bus tour, The Road to American Health Care, http://roadtohealthcare.org; help build and grow Healthcare United, an organization of both union and non-union nurses and healthcare workers; secure pledges and commitments from key members of Congress; take on the enemies of health care like John McCain; build strong healthcare coalitions with allies and strategic alliances; help identify 1,000 members who are healthcare reform leaders among SEIU member political organizers, leaders and activists; commit to making 10 million phone calls to members of Congress; raising $10 million for post-election political accountability; committing 50% of growth budgets and 50% of non-growth staff during the first 100 days of the 111th Congress to pass National Healthcare Reform and the Employee Free Choice Act. It sounds like a lot, but SEIU can do it.
This resolution was originally spon
sored by the International Executive Board and was heard in the Resolutions Committee. The committee changed the language some before they recommended it to the full convention. The two resolutions specifically naming HR676 were considered by the Resolutions Committee but not recommended to the full convention. One resolution on HR676 was submitted by Local 1021 and the other submitted by Local 1199UHE (United Health Care East)The second
resolution that was of special interest to me was one that creates one Home Care Local per state. This resolution was submitted by Local 880 and was heard by the Program Committee. They considered it then recommended it to the full convention. The Program Committee also considered two resolutions pertaining to SEIU Homecare and Long-term care workers in California, uniting them to give them one voice. These two were submitted by Locals 6434 and 4034.The Program Committee combined the best of the three resolutions into one. This resolution would create one health care local in each state, giving a united voice to home care workers, unifying workers to have one voice to gain better funding through Medicare, which in turn gains better pay and benefits. After strong discussion and debate and a lot of talk against this resolution from the Locals in California, the full convention passed this resolution.
It unifies separate Home Care Locals in states where there are more than one, like in California. Here in Maine, I’m glad we’ve got Local 771 under MSEA-SEIU. I’m glad that we are small, but growing slowly and do not have the rift between locals like out in California. Where funding is dependent on state and federal budgets, I’m glad to have a strong, unified, SEIU voice at the state and federal level.
It was great seeing a sea of purple, it was great seeing Barack Obama receivin
g endorsement from SEIU, it was great hooking up and swapping contact information with folks in other locals, like 503 out of Oregon and 1199 UHE in New York and 1199UNE United Healthcare New England from Massachusetts and Rhode Island.Again, I must thank Bruce Hodsdon, MSEA-SEIU President; Ginette Rivard, MSEA-SEIU Vice-President; and Tim Belcher MSEA-SEIU Executive Director for the invitation to this wonderful experience of the SEIU Convention 2008.
Helen Hanson
President, Local 771
MSEA-SEIU Local 1989
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