HCAN in Iowa

On August 16, members of the Health Care for America Now (HCAN) Coalition met with Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, sharing their concerns and stories about uninsured Iowans. They also talked about the struggles faced by both direct-care workers and the people they serve as a result of inadequate or no insurance. That’s me in the back row of the photo right behind the senator, along with other members of the coalition, as he signs HCAN’s Which Side Are You On? pledge. Senator Harkin supports the establishment of a comprehensive national health care plan. He mentioned two ways that goal might be achieved: Give all Americans the option to enroll in the Federal Employee Benefit Pool (the same insurance he has), with the rationale that enrolling more would lower the cost to individual members; or Expand Medicare to cover all Americans. It would be much more difficult to get Congress to pass the second, he noted. The senator explained that Congress has the authority to set up a board, much like the federal reserve board, to set up and regulate the new health care system. He believes that kind of non-partisan process will be required to get past some of the hurdles a comprehensive health care plan would have to cross in Washington. You can join Senator Harkin in signing your support for the HCAN pledge. HCAN Iowa is comprised of the following organizations: ACORNAFSCME Council 61 Alliance for Global Justice American Medical Student Association Des Moines University Chapter American Medical Student Association University of Iowa Chapter Child and Family Policy Center Communication Workers of America Iowa CareGivers Association Every Child Matters Iowa Iowa Citizen Action Network Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement Iowa Community Action Association Iowa Conference of the United Methodist Church Iowa for Health Care Iowa Federation of Labor AFL-CIO Iowa Planned Parenthood Affiliate League Progressive Action for the Common Good Progressive Coalition of Central Iowa MoveOn.org Service Employees International Union Visiting Nurse Services Polk County Working Families Win Di FindleyDirector, Iowa CareGivers Association

Area I Caucus

There will be an Area I Caucus from 10 am on Saturday, October 4, 2008 at the Blue DOT Building on the Hogan Road in Bangor. Agenda: MSEA Budget This is an important meeting for those attending Convention. I encourage all 771 Delegates to attend.

ATTENTION CANDIDATES for MSEA Board, Other Offices

If you're an MSEA-SEIU member running for Area Director or othe related elected positions to be voted on by Delegates at the 2008 MSEA-SEIU Convention this fall, you can submit a statement and photo for publication in the next edition of the Maine Stater. All candidates statements and photos are due at MSEA-SEIU headquarters by 5 pm on Friday, September 5. If you would like to have your photo taken for this purpose, please call Tom Farkas at 1-800-452-8794 at your earliest convenience. E-mail statemetns and photos to tom.farkas@mseaseiu.org or mail them to: Maine Stater, MSEA-SEIU Local 1989, P.O. Box 1072, Augusta, Maine 04332-1072.

A Note from Congressman Mike Michaud

Dear Helen -- This is a big week for Mainers who are working hard for change. When Barack Obama accepts the Democratic nomination in Denver on Thursday, the grassroots movement you've helped build will be in the spotlight. We need to build our momentum in Maine as we get to the final stretch of this campaign. This Labor Day weekend, I'm asking you to join me and the Maine Campaign for Change during our Weekend of Action. We'll honor Mainers' rich tradition of hard work by reaching out in our communities and introducing Barack's message of change. Sign up for a Weekend of Action event in your community and turn your enthusiasm into action. Throughout my tenure as Representative of the 2nd district, I've fought for the issues that are important to middle class Maine families, like raising the minimum wage, ensuring equal pay for all workers, and fighting for fair trade deals. And as a lifetime union member, I know firsthand the pride that working Mainers take in their jobs. Labor Day is a special holiday for me and my family. It's also a great opportunity to reflect on the generations of Americans who, by their dedication and sacrifice, have helped build the backbone of our nation. Right now, these traditions are in danger. More than ever, working families are feeling the crunch of high energy, gas, and home heating oil prices -- we need change, and we need it now. During our Weekend of Action, we'll be reaching out to voters across Maine and talking face-to-face with our friends and neighbors about the work we can do to create the changes we need. Celebrate this holiday with other hard working Mainers and help grow our movement: http://me.barackobama.com/WOAevents We've come this far by working together. I hope you'll join me for a Weekend of Action event to celebrate the holiday and continue building this movement. Thanks, Rep. Mike Michaud P.S. -- This Thursday, supporters are opening up their homes to friends, family, and undecided voters for Convention Watch Parties to see Barack accept the Democratic nomination in Denver. Find a Convention Watch Party in your area and join fellow supporters to learn about our campaign for change: http://me.barackobama.com/convparty

A Note from John Sweeney, AFL-CIO, at the Democratic National Convention

this occurred last night at the DNC, I recieved this in an email from Working Families e-Activist Network Dear Friend, I’m backstage at the Democratic National Convention with fellow union members Dan Luevano from IBEW, Steve Skvara, a USW retiree, and Annette Lewis from AFSCME and her 11-year-old son, Marcus. I wanted to write you a quick note to share with you what we’re experiencing here on the ground in Denver. In a few minutes, we will take the stage together and address thousands of Democratic Party delegates from around the country, including more than 1,000 union members or union household members, not to mention a live national television audience. We’ve been invited to speak because Barack Obama has made a commitment to us, and more importantly to you, to help improve our economy, give workers a free choice to join a union and ensure that everyone has the quality health care they deserve. It has been a rough eight years for America’s workers, but thanks to your hard work and that of others, we have an opportunity to change that. Barack Obama and Joe Biden understand how important a strong labor movement is to the health and welfare of the middle class. Because of that, the Democratic Party platform is one of the most pro-worker platforms in recent memory. Due to his commitment to America’s workers, I’m proud of the effort the AFL-CIO is making to help elect Barack Obama the next president of the United States, and I’m even more proud of all the hard work that each and everyone of you has done and will do to make this a reality. Together, we can create the better America that Dan, Steve, Annette, Marcus—and all of us—deserve. A country whose heart is as big as the hearts of its people. A country that lifts up our families here at home and lights up the world with our vision and values. Thank you for everything you do. In Solidarity, John Sweeney P.S. As a study in contrasts, when the Republicans hold their convention in Minneapolis next week, there won’t be any labor leaders that I’m aware of addressing their delegates. And even more galling, their opening session is on Labor Day. If that’s not a slap in the face to America’s workers, I’m not sure what one is. P.P.S. We’re expected to be on stage around 7:30 p.m. EST this evening, so if you have a chance, please check it out. In case you can’t, here is the text of my speech as prepared for delivery.

John J. Sweeney President, AFL-CIO

Remarks to the Democratic National Convention

Denver, Colorado

August 26, 2008

All over America, children like Marcus Lewis are riding their bikes, starting sixth grade and dreaming of breaking Olympic records—or just finding a good job and raising a family. But unless we turn our country around, they’re not going to make it, not even into the middle class. Marcus’s mom, Annette, is a single mother who worked hard to get her children where they are today. She works full time and is struggling to send her 18-year-old daughter to college. But after the rent and the bills, there’s hardly enough left over for food. Dan Luevano is an electrician who worked for a construction company for 10 years, six of them without a raise. When he told his boss he’d be voting for a union so he could bargain for a better life, he was fired. Steve Skvara is a retired steelworker who learned about unfair trade the hard way—when the giant company where he’d worked went bankrupt, cut his pension by a third, and eliminated his family’s health care. These are good people, strong people. They work hard and believe in their country, their faith and the future. They can’t afford four more years like the last eight. They need change, and that’s why they all support Barack Obama for President of the United States. They deserve a better America—an America where every worker can count on a good job, where every family has health care, where every senior enjoys a decent retirement. They deserve an America that works for everyone, where all workers have a free choice to join unions, to collectively bargain, to lift up their communities and our economy and build a better life for their children. Whatever happened to the promise of a better America? What happened was that the Bush administration—with the support of Senator McCain—broke that promise, undermined our values and turned our economy into a threshing machine for big business. Brothers and sisters, this is our chance to create much-needed change for young people like Marcus and rebuild this country we love. We can create the better America that Annette, Steve and Dan—and all of us—deserve. A country whose heart is as big as the hearts of its people. A country that lifts up our families here at home and lights up the world with our vision and values. On behalf of America’s unions, with 28 million voters in union households, we will win for Barack Obama and Joe Biden, and we will create a better America. Thank you and God bless America.

Paid for by the AFL-CIO Committee on Political Education Political Contributions Committee, www.aflcio.org, and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

MSEA-SEIU at the Common Ground Fair

Once again MSEA will be having a booth at the Common Ground Fair this year on September 19, 20 and 21 (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) in Unity, Maine. I’m looking for volunteers to help staff the booth for the three days. The shifts are as follows: Friday 9:00 AM – NOON; NOON – 3:00 PM; 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM Sat. 9:00 AM – NOON; NOON – 3:00 PM; 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM Sun 9:00 AM – NOON; NOON – 3:00 PM; 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM If you are interested please e-mail Steve Keaton at Steven.Keaten@maine.gov with 1st and 2nd choices. Free admission tickets will be provided. We need two people per shift. Members participating will be eligible for the Time Share Drawing awarded at Convention.

Labor Day Solidarity Events

This coming Monday September 1, 2008 is Labor Day. Following are three different activities around the State you may want to participate in. Southern Maine Labor Council Labor’s Day Breakfast at Verillo’s, 155 Riverside Street, Portland, Maine 04103 from 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM. Tickets are $25 per person or $175 for a table of eight. MSEA usually purchases a few tickets so if you want to attend please call MSEA Headquarters to see if any are available. Western Maine Labor Council Labor Day BBQ at IBEW 567 Union Hall, 238 Goddard Road, Lewiston, Maine from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM. This is free Hot Dogs and Hamburgers. A Kids tent will be provided for kids-bring the whole family. Food and Medicine/Eastern Maine Labor Council at the Solidarity Center, 20 Ivers Street, Brewer from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM. At 2:30 PM there will be speeches and media about Labor Day, Unions and the Private Ballot (The Employee Free Choice Act). Homemade delicious homemade food as well as some of the best union-made rock and blues bands in Maine. Admission is $5.00 so bring your whole family. Looking forward to seeing our MSEA Union brothers and Sisters to one of these events on Labor Day. This is a Solidarity Sponsored Event.