Common Ground Fair this Weekend

Once again MSEA/SEIU Local 1989 with have a booth at the Common Ground Fair in Unity. Please stop by and sign the Employee Free Choice Act cards this Friday, Sat., or Sunday (September 19, 20, & 21).

A Word from Mollie Baldwin, Home Care for Maine's CEO

Dear Worker,

Today, Friday September 12, 2008, Home Care for Maine has filed a formal appeal with the state in disagreement with the awarding of the OES Homemaker Contract to Catholic Charities. The State has ten days to tell us if we will have our appeal heard. Our attorney thinks our case is a good one!

Your help is needed!

Call the Governor and your legislator now!

Call the Governor at 207-287-3531 or 207-287 6548 (TTY)

or visit his website at http://www.maine.gov/governor/baldacci/contact/index.html

Call your legislator at 1-800-423-2900

or visit the legislative website at

http://janus.state.me.us/house/townlist.htm

For a complete legislator list by town

visit the legislative website at

http://janus.state.me.us/house/townlist.htm

Please hang in there and keep working for HCM until we know the appeal outcome.

Please feel free to contact me with questions at any time. As we have answers we will gladly share them with each of you.

Sincerely,

Mollie Baldwin

CEO, Home Care for Maine

Home Care of Maine has filed its Appeal for the Homemaking Contract

I got word on Friday that Home Care for Maine filed the appeal for the Homemaking Contract. This grants HCM workers a little more time with their homemaking consumers. I don't know what the process is now or how long it takes, once the appeal is filed. Last Thursday, I gathered up a team of co-workers and we called members of Home Care for Maine's board of directors to let them know that the appeal should be filed. We mentioned the loss of work, but more importantly, what the changeover would mean to consumers. Many of my own consumers don't like the possible change. They are used to receiving quality services from the workers at Home Care for Maine. I urged those consumers that strongly oppose receiving services from Catholic Charities to call the Office of Elder Services at 1-800-262-2232 and the Ombudsman (the watchdog for elders) at 1-800-499-0229 to voice their concerns and what the changes mean for them. As you're talking with your consumers, please do the same. Get them to contact OES or the Ombudsman or even their representative. As I know more, I'll post it.

MSEA-SEIU Scholarships Still Available for Maine PASA Conference

There are still eight scholarships available for 771 members to attend Maine PASA's 6th Annual Conference on September 26th. Don't let this opportunity pass you by. This is a chance for you to meet fellow direct care workers and share stories, take a break from your caregiving and learn something new. Plus a chance to get a $15 gas card if you're one of the first 100 folks to register. Contact helen.hnsn@gmail.com to take advantage of this great opportunity that MSEA and Maine PASA is offering to you.

Maine PASA's 6th Annual Conference

Maine Personal Assistance Services Association is holding its 6th annual conference on September 26th from 8 am to 2 pm at the Saint Paul Center at 136 State Street in Augusta. The theme of this year's event is Working Well. The Keynote Speaker is John Booker. I met John at the Direct Care Alliance's Voices Institute. He is a direct care worker with thirty years experience as a CNA and most recently as a recruitment and retention consultant. John is also the Executive Director of the National Association of Direct Care Workers of Color. He is involved in the Indiana CareGiver Association. Apart from all this, John is a great speaker and a wonderful person. He gave me some great insight to writing and delivering speeches. I am so glad he's a part of this year's conference. Workshops are planned for mid-morning. They include Getting By on Less: Home Heating Tips; Staying Well at Work and Working Wise. The Working Wise session is a presentation by Maine PASA members that attended the Voices Institute. We plan on discussing what we learned and what we gained as a means of advocating for ourselves and improving our working conditions as Direct Care Workers. The Voices Institute was a great experience for me. I hope to bring some of that to the presentation. This is a great event for DCWs in all types of work to meet one another, swap stories, learn and have fun. Remember, we have someone's world in our hands each day, so Maine PASA wants us to have a professional day. To register, go to http://www.mainepasa.org/ and download the registration form. Fill it out, include payment and mail it to Maine PASA, P.O. Box 11612, Portland, Maine 04104. The first 100 folks to register receive a $15 gas card. If you are a 771 member in good standing, you could be eligible for a scholarship from MSEA-SEIU to attend the conference. Please email helen.hnsn@gmail.com for more information.

MSEA-SEIU donates to Maine PASA Conference

MSEA-SEIU is providing scholarships to 10 members from 771 to attend Maine PASA's Conference on Sept. 26th. MSEA-SEIU is also donating $100 to PASA for the conference. If you're a 771 member in good standing and want to attend the conference, please contact me helen.hnsn@gmail.com and I'll make the arrangements for you to attend on a scholarship. The first 100 DCWs that register for the conference receive a $15 gas card!

Home Care for Maine lost Its bid for the Homemaking Contract

I got word Thursday morning that we lost the contract to Catholic Charities of Maine. Home Care for Maine's board of directors and MSEA-SEIU is urging HCM's ceo to appeal the decision. What this means for HCM workers is that if you are a homemaker, you will no longer work for HCM. Catholic Charities will be the sole provider of homemaking services throughout the state. The contract with Catholic Charities starts up on October 1st. I don't know if it is an automatic shift from HCM to Catholic Charities for workers or if we need to apply for the job with Catholic Charities. If you've got questions, I urge you to bombard MSEA-SEIU headquarters and let our field reps know what you think. The number for headquarters is 1-800-452-8794. Our field reps are Rod Hiltz and Owen Sullivan. Owen's extension is 1129. He is our new field rep. I urge you to call him.