DID YOU KNOW?

I have been listening for some time to members of MSEA wondering what the union has done for them. I would like to attempt to provide some of that information to you. First of all, contrary to belief, MSEA is a member organization and can not operate without the members being active. From the first contract to the upcoming negotiations members have been at the table presenting the wants and needs of fellow members. This is a rewarding and yet at times unappreciated volunteerism that your co-workers do for each of us. Your vacation time, sick time, paid holidays, stipends for dangerous work, mileage reimbursement, longevity pay, personal time and other reimbursement and time issues are in the contract because someone cared enough to negotiate those for you. Who you ask represents you. Why it is the Steward in the work site. Training is provided them two times a year. They have a large network of other Stewards and Chief Stewards as well as staff to help you. Members like you and me, go to chapter meetings, check the union website www.mseaseiu.org and keep ourselves informed. We get elected to positions in our chapters and attend our annual convention (council meetings) where we as members set dues and a course for our union to go into. We elect fellow members to sit on the Board where they are responsible for adhering to the councils wishes and to administer the budget that the council approved. Those who have been providing their volunteer services need your help. We should be standing together with support and understanding. These are bad times and they are not getting any better. We need more volunteers. At a recent meeting to start the bargaining process early an election was postponed in order to try to involve more members. Yes, it was a nice sunny Saturday and there was something else to do. It is becoming harder and harder to find funds for a good contract. Please find some time to help yourself and fellow members and get involved. It is rewarding and you can actually make new friends. Let me ask a question in a different way. What would get you interested in attending meetings and getting involved? You can't complain that the Union doesn't do this or doesn't do that if you don't ask. Remember YOU are the Union and if the Union isn't doing something you want part of the responsibility is yours. Although not all of this pertains to 771, the membership involvement does. I too get asked what has the union done for us. If you don't like the way things are going, get involved. I took this from UnionMaine's blog.

Insurance Company Rules

Check out the video from HCAN http://healthcareforamericanow.org/ We all know about dealing with insurance companies when trying to get a claim paid, be it auto, home or health. Insurance companies rewrite the rules as they go along to win every time. Why shouldn't you?" Really, none of us should have to play by insurance company rules in a system that costs too much, covers too little and excludes too many. We have a choice. Please sign the petition now to help win secure, high-quality health care for all. While working families are struggling to make ends meet, insurance companies rake in huge profits, enjoying lax regulations that allow them to make money by denying coverage and care. Today, one in four people don't get the care they need, even though they pay for health insurance. Many of us are one medical emergency away from bankruptcy. On top of that, 47 million people have no health coverage at all. Change the rules. Sign the petition now to win health care we all can count on. No more losing coverage because you change jobs, or being denied coverage because of an illness. No more having to choose between feeding the kids and keeping them healthy. No more worrying that one injury could cost you your home. Please help us change the rules so working families, not insurance companies, are in charge of our health care. Sign the petition now to help us win high-quality care we can count on. By signing the petition, you will make your voice heard. Together, millions of our voices are stronger than the special interest money trying to block the health care reform we need. In solidarity,Working Families e-Activist Network, AFL-CIO

Workgroup - BOI Meeting, July 30th

The Direct Care Worker Workgroup meeting with the Bureau of Insurance on July 30th went well. BOI asked the Maine State Chamber to present information on their purchasing alliance. What this particular alliance does is allow companies who are members of their local chamber of commerce buy into the group health insurance that is purchased by the alliance. These companies pay a yearly membership to the alliance. That fee goes to cover the administrative costs of the alliance. Ninety percent of the companies in this alliance have fewer than 50 employees. The participation rate is sixty percent. That makes a significant difference in whether or not the companies can utilize this alliance. The sixty percent participation rate means that the companies need to have sixty percent of their employees use the coverage in one form or another in order to participate in the plan. Another thing that struck me was the flexibility of the insurance plan. Employees have the option of choosing a plan that best suits their needs. Someone who is healthy and does not see their doctor often can opt for the health savings plan where someone who has small children can opt for an HMO plan. This alliance is also community rated and this is also attributed to its success. On the down side was the fact that most of these companies have 50 employees or fewer. A second BOI code was presented. That was the Maine Bar Association. This association was created with the sole purpose of buying health insurance for lawyers and their staff. This association is large, made up of 400 members. It is treated as a large group. Base rates are the same for all members in the group. The association is not community rated, it competes with community rated options. Small and large businesses participate, one having 1,500 employees that are insured. The association offers four to seven insurance products. Examples of associations to purchase health insurance are the Maine Medical Association and the Maine Dental Association. After discussion on this code, Kurt Wise of MECEP and Elise Scala of the Muskie School, both members of the Maine Direct Care Worker Coalition, presented information on what other states are doing in gaining health care coverage for their direct care workers. Kurt pointed out that states like Rhode Island and Montana have chosen to single out certain workforces that they feel are important to the overall health and well-being of their states. Rhode Island created a special program to help cover child care workers. Montana enhanced Medicaid payments to homecare providers that provide coverage to workers. The employer has to demonstrate that the money is going to providing health insurance for its workers. Other states are singling out their direct care workers as a viable, needed, important workforce; states like Iowa, Montana, California, New York. Elise brought attention to HCHCW's Coverage Models from Other States (http://hchcw.org link at right as well) and pointed to Iowa and its Health Care Reform Bill. Part of this reform requires Iowa's Department of Public Health to expand efforts to insure that a well-qualified and stable health and long-term care workforce exists. A Direct Care Worker Compensation Committee will be set up to make recommendations to increase worker wages and other forms of compensation. A pilot project will also get under way to provide health care coverage for up to 250 direct care workers and their families. This will be done by the Department of Human Services in an effort to see how this coverage will help workers and see if there's an impact on the turnover rate. There was some discussion on the SEIU plans that are covered in that booklet from Health Care for Health Care Workers. Maryanne Turowski from MSEA-SEIU Local 1989 will bring in information on those plans and on a plan that is in the works for its child care members and for 771 to the next BOI meeting. That meeting is scheduled for Monday, August 11 at the Bureau of Insurance in Gardiner from 9 - 11. Again, the public is welcome. Please contact me helen.hnsn@gmail.com for more information or directions.

Area I Caucus

There will be an AREA I Caucus at 10 am on Saturday Aug. 9, 2008 in the DOT Blue Building on the Hogan Road in Bangor. The purpose of this meeting is to elect a replacement Board Director. ALL members in good standing can run for the position, but only current Delegates and Chapter Presidents are allowed to vote.

Barack Obama and SEIU

I'm reading Barack Obama's The Audacity of Hope in an effort to gain more knowledge of Obama and what makes him tick. I came across something of interest as I was reading this morning. In this chapter of the book, Obama is talking about politics and trying to remain true to his beliefs and not cave to the campaign contributors who donated the most money to his US Senate campaign back in 2004. He talks about the surveys put out by those who may endorse him. He says that he lost some endorsements by answering their questions wrong, but then he gained some endorsements despite his wrong answers on their surveys. What struck me was the support he gained from several of the largest service workers unions, SEIU being one of them. He says that "it was a risky move on their part; had I lost, those unions might have paid a price in access, in support, in credibility with their members." He goes on to say . . . So I owe those unions. When their leaders call, I do my best to call them back right away. I don't consider this corrupting in any way; I don't mind feeling obligated toward home health-care workers who clean bedpans every day for little more than the minimum wage, or towards teachers in some of the toughest schools in the country, many of whom have to dip into their own pockets at the beginning of every school year to buy crayons and books for their students. I got into politics to fight for these folks, and I'm glad a union is around to remind me of their struggles. When you're considering your vote this fall, I urge you to remember who SEIU endorsed, and I urge you to think about Obama's words from his book. Check out Obama's walk in a home care worker's shoes . . . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miUS7WnMgBw Think about it, has McCain done this? Does he know about what direct care workers do on a day-to-day basis? Does he know about the challenges we face? Granted, SEIU had a lot to do with Obama meeting a home care worker. He doesn't "choke" on the word union. He knows what we're about, thanks to SEIU.

Maine PASA Conference

SAVE THE DATE!!! Friday, September 26, 2008 Join us for the 6th Annual Conference of the Maine Personal Assistant Services Association (PASA) On

“Working Well, Working Wise” Because you have the world in your hands each day, take time among friends to re-charge your batteries. Join others doing the same important work and spend a day caring for yourself so you can continue caring for others. Discount registration for Maine PASA members and the first 100 registrants get a $15 gas card at the conference! Hear national and regional speakers – more to come! At the centrally located St. Paul’s Center, Augusta, from 8 am to 2 pm. For more information, call 207-890-0773 or go to http://www.mainepasa.org/ Maine PASA is a non-profit organization that advocates for resources

and recognition to develop front-line direct care, direct support and personal assistance workers; and offers them information,

networking and professional development opportunities.

Come Work for YOUR Union!

Your Union - MSEA-SEIU Local 1989 - is looking for members of Local 771 just like you to help us build our power with home care workers across the state. We have several positions available for members only to work approximately 6-10 hours a week as a member advocate. The positions pay $15 an hour. Hours are flexible around your schedule with consumers and positions are available across the state.

Interested? Call Jay Economy or Mike Sylvester at MSEA headquarters at 1-800-452-8794.