Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Governor Baldacci signs bill allowing Child Care Workers to Unionize



Surrounded by family child care providers and children, Governor John E. Baldacci on May 14 ceremonially signed our child care legislation, L.D. 2095, "An Act To Ensure the Freedom of Family Child Care Providers To Jointly Negotiate with the State." The legislation enables family child care providers to collectively negotiate with the state.
"Maine family child care providers fulfill an important role, and are invaluable to thousands of families across this State," said Governor Baldacci. "The 2,200 family child care providers care for 17,000 children. They provide care in their homes, enabling parents to work and have the comfort of knowing that their children are well cared for."
The Governor said that these caregivers, as small businesspeople, have to comply with a large number of rules and regulations, including those for safety, training and education. "We expect a lot from these dedicated individuals. It's a hard job, but when I talk to these providers I know they love what they do - they love the children they care for," said Governor Baldacci. "I am happy to sign this legislation to give a voice to this very important group of caregivers."
The Governor recognized House Speaker Glenn Cummings, sponsor of the bill, for his leadership in addressing this issue.
Last fall, these home based child care providers in Maine voted overwhelmingly to form a union with the Maine State Employees Association, SEIU Local 1989. Congratulations to these workers for gaining a voice in their wages, benefits and working conditions.

POWER's Healthcare Truth Commission

Portland Organizing to Win Economic Rights invites you to attend our: Healthcare Truth Commission Tuesday June 10th, from 6:00 - 8:30 PM, Portland's Community Public Access, 516 Congress Street, Portland, Maine Co-sponsored by POWER & MSEA-SEIU Local 1989 For more information or to get involved please contact POWER: 207-650-5092 / http://www.povertyontrial.org/ / POB 4281 Portland, ME 04101 Also see POWER's new Healthcare Crisis Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9rRqOiArE8 Please help spread the word! Links to the event flyer, POWER's Healthcare Survey, & an informational handout are included below. "Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in healthcare is the most shocking & inhumane." --Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. On June 10, 2008 POWER will host a Healthcare Truth Commission to shine a light on some of the healthcare rights violations happening in our community. The purpose of this event is to call attention to these human rights violations & expose the true scope of the healthcare crisis currently affecting thousands here in Maine & millions more across the country, so that we can join together to bring about the changes we need to end this crisis and win our human right to healthcare for all. Here we will hear the stories of 12-15 individuals who will serve as Testifiers to testify & share their experiences struggling to meet their health needs. In addition, 9-12 people of conscience from throughout our community will be on hand to serve as Truth Commissioners to officially witness, and, if they so choose, respond to these testimonies. In bearing witness to these important testimonies, not only will we be able to better understand the nature of this healthcare crisis & the real life impact it is having on so many, many lives; it will also be an opportunity for us to come together as a community and confront this crisis & demand change. It is in this spirit that we encourage all who care about justice to mark your calendars & help us spread the word about this event, so that as many people as possible can join us in taking a stand for healthcare justice. Dr. King also said "There comes a time when silence is betrayal... The truth must be told..." For those of us who are dying for healthcare here in Maine, this is our time to speak out, break the silence, & tell the truth about the healthcare crisis & demand our human right to healthcare – NOW! Won’t you join us? HEALTHCARE TRUTH COMMISSION MATERIALS: Please help spread the word!!!! ***HEALTHCARE SURVEY*** Online: www.povertyontrial.org/healthcare_survey.html PDF: www.povertyontrial.org/power_materials/power_healthcare_survey--2008.pdf Word: www.povertyontrial.org/power_materials/power_healthcare_survey--2008.doc ***EVENT FLYER*** PDF: www.povertyontrial.org/Eventflyers/healthcaretruthcomm--flyer--6-10-08.pdf Word: www.povertyontrial.org/Eventflyers/healthcaretruthcomm--flyer--6-10-08.doc ***EVENT HANDOUT*** PDF: www.povertyontrial.org/Eventflyers/healthcaretruthcomm--handout--6-10-08.pdf Word: www.povertyontrial.org/Eventflyers/flyer_healthcaretruthcomm--handout--6-10-08.doc

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Quarterly Stipends for HCM

A lot of concern has been raised about Home Care for Maine's quarterly stipend that has been paid to workers since last September. The concern is whether or not we will still receive the stipend despite the loss in funding for the Homemaker Program. From what I've learned from MSEA headquarters, our stipends, at the current rate of $.45 per hour worked per quarter are okay. We will continue to receive the stipend at that rate, paid on the quarter. We received a quarterly stipend in April for the first quarter of 2008. We will receive a quarterly stipend again in July for the second quarter of 2008. The stipend is like a "bonus" for all the good work we do for our consumers. It is not a "raise" on our base rate of pay. If anyone has any questions about the stipend, feel free to contact me at helen.hnsn@gmail.com. If I can't answer the question, I'll pass it on to headquarters and get an answer for you.

PHI and their Sobering Report, "Invisible Care Gap: Caregivers without Health Coverage"

Today, PHI held a press conference, getting the word out about Direct Care Workers and the status of health care coverage for these workers. This is part of National Women's Health Week. Ninety percent (90%) of the direct care workforce in this country is female. The reports reveals that: Direct Care Workers have the highest rates of workplace injuries and illnesses, making it the nation's most dangerous job; Almost thirty percent (30%) of direct care workers have no health insurance, twice the rate of the general population; Jobs providing in-home personal care is the nation's fastest growing workforce and it is the least likely to provide health coverage; Wages of direct care workers are so low that nearly thirty percent (30%) live in or near poverty and few can afford the high rates of health insurance premiums. Health Care for Health Care Workers is an initiative of PHI. HCHCW seeks to expand health care coverage for direct care workers. HCHCW believes that one way of ensuring quality, long-term care services and support is by providing quality jobs in direct care. These jobs must offer health coverage and a living wage. Health Care for Health Care Workers website is www.coverageiscritical.org. The report, Invisible Care Gap: Caregivers without Health Coverage is posted at this site. It is real eye opener. PHI, the Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute, works to improve the lives of those who need home or residential care by improving the lives of the workers who support them. For more on PHI visit their website www.PHInational.org

KVO and 771 Working Together on Health Care Forum

I thought I'd post this again, where we're getting close to the end of health care story gathering and response has been very little. Do you worry that you won’t be able to get good health care when you or your family needs it? Are you concerned that one illness or health problem could send you into financial ruin? Believe me, you’re not alone. Our union has been involved in efforts to get better health care benefits for direct care workers such as ourselves. And we aren’t alone. MSEA-SEIU 1989 is a member of the Kennebec Valley Organization (KVO), an organization of congregations, labor unions, and other central Maine groups working together to improve the quality of life in our communities. KVO joined with a statewide coalition to propose and fight for the “Health Care for Health Care Workers Bill” (LD 1687), which would have increased our access to health care benefits. Unfortunately, legislators didn’t see that as a top priority right now and it was defeated. We’re not giving up. Through April and May, we will hold small group meetings within all KVO member organizations, from Hallowell to Madison, to gather personal stories of health care, good and bad, and to clarify our values about who deserves access to quality health care. I thought a letter to members would be a great way to let you know about this campaign, and to ask you to help make it a success just by sharing your own story. KVO is gathering these stories to understand the real situation with health care in our state and country, and to build the power to improve it. I have included my own health care story as an example at the end of this post. What I am asking of 771 members is to share their health care stories -- of being with or without health care insurance, how having it or not has affected you, your family and your work, or anything else that comes to mind. You can send an email to helen.hnsn@gmail.com. After collecting these stories, KVO will hold a Health Care Forum in June to educate members on the current health care system and some of the common proposals for reform. In the Fall, we will hold an event where candidates for state and national offices are asked to hear these stories and to explain what they will do to improve health care for everyone. I will keep you all posted as the campaign continues, but in the meantime I hope that you will take just a few moments today to add your voice to this important effort. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Helen Hanson President, MSEA-SEIU Local 1989, Local 771 My Health Care Story My health care story is one of ups and downs. I had health insurance through my husband when he worked at Blue Seal Feeds. He left that job and started his own business. With that change, we now buy our own health insurance. Quite frankly, it is horrible. It is very expensive, $300 per month, with a high deductible of $10,000 per year per family member and only covers catastrophic care. Since November of 2007, I’ve been through multiple screenings for ovarian cancer. I am very grateful to say that I am cancer free! The down side, these screenings are not covered through my health insurance. They do not cover any diagnostic services. The bill is upwards of $3000.00. Now I am working with the providers on payment plans. I’ll be paying this off for a long time. I can’t afford to get sick.

Direct Care Workers in Iowa Face Same Issues We Do

Health Care for Direct Care Workers Health care coverage is not an academic issue or an abstract public policy debate. It’s a subject that deeply affects real people in Iowa; your friends, business associates, co-workers, neighbors, and relatives. Approximately 275,000 Iowans have no health insurance coverage. Thousands more have inadequate coverage—coverage that they pay too much for or get too little from. To view the video, "Real People, Real Stories: The Uninsured and Underinsured in Iowa" please click here. To read about the Real Stories of Health Care Coverage of 5 direct care workers please click here. To help stimulate the health care coverage debate in Iowa, the Iowa CareGivers Association and the Better Jobs Better Care Coalition have prepared a set of Health Care Reform Principles for people to consider, debate, and guide their decisions as the debate goes forward. The view the Health Care Reform Principles, please click here. Please do not hesitate to contact the Iowa CareGivers Association if you would like to provide any feedback on the Health Care Reform Principles. from Iowa CareGivers website