Vol 2, Issue 7

By Joe DiNicola, President, SEIU Local 503, OPEU

What criteria do members use to elect co-workers to represent us on our SEIU Local 503, OPEU Board of Directors? It's the same criteria we use to choose candidates to stand up for working families in the legislature or the Governor's office. We expect anyone we elect to be accountable and provide leadership on issues that matter on the job and in our communities.

In this issue of President Joe's Journal , we celebrate 34 members who stepped up from every region of the state to lead our great union. We also celebrate an outstanding contract victory for City of Wilsonville members. Finally, on March 18, our current Board announced the candidates members endorsed for Governor and other elected offices in Oregon. Now it's time to make sure everyone is registered and ready to vote in the primary. You can join with co-workers to help all our friends and neighbors get their ballots in by May 16.

In this Issue: Members Elect Co-Workers to SEIU Board of Directors ° City of Wilsonville Members Win ° It's Your Right ° eNews Flash: Childcare Makes History, Portland Public Schools Talks Stall and Governor’s Debate

Members Elect Co-Workers to SEIU Board of Directors

The votes have been counted, and the winners are SEIU Local 503, OPEU members! Ballots came from everywhere in Oregon to elect our member Board of Directors. This is another great group of co-workers who said they plan to use their two-year term to help keep our union strong and lead us to new successes on issues that matter to everyone.

It's been a busy and exciting time for SEIU members. Board meetings have been lively and creative thanks to the dedicated member leaders who take their responsibilities as Directors on our Local 503 Board very seriously. Statewide officers are also members of our Board, and the statewide president of SEIU Local 503, OPEU presides at all Board meetings.

The District Directors, Assistant District Directors, Retiree Local President and statewide officers we elect generously contribute their knowledge, experience and skill to help keep our union strong. Their commitment and hard work makes the difference for Oregon. We build a better future for all working families when members are willing to serve. I ask everyone to join with me and current statewide officers Leslie Frane, Executive Director; Nancy Padilla, Vice President; Linda Burgin, Secretary Treasurer and Kathie Best, Immediate Past President, to say "Thank you!" to each Board member, whether he or she is outgoing, returning or just getting started. "Without you, there is no union."

Members stepped up from Astoria to Bend, Milton-Freewater to Cave Junction, Baker City to North Bend and everywhere in between to fill 34 positions (including two successful write-in candidates) that represent co-workers and keep the business of members and our union on the right track. Every candidate helped make our union stronger because they shared their unique vision for a better future.

Our newly elected and re-elected 2006-2008 SEIU Local 503, OPEU Board of Directors includes members from Fish and Wildlife, Revenue, Department of Human Services, Homecare, Oregon State University, Employment, Prestige Nursing Homes, Marion County Employees Association, Education, ODOT, Western Oregon University, Addus, University of Oregon, DMV and Department of Justice. Working together, members will be able to accomplish what no one individual can do alone.

Make sure you get to know the Directors and Assistant Directors from your district. You help every member when you share news with Board members about what's happening where you work and live.

City of Wilsonville Members Win

City of Wilsonville members ratified a new 3-year contract on March 15. The agreement maintains employer-paid family healthcare benefits and includes 2% cost-of-living raises in each year of the contract. In the third year, every job classification gets an additional 2% increase at the top of the pay range.

Mark Stetzel, Maintenance Tech II, bargaining team member and City of Wilsonville local President, says, "Just about every member listed healthcare as their top priority on bargaining surveys. We worked hard to maintain health benefits with no out-of-pocket cost for premiums. And that's a big win for everybody."

Part-time workers will also benefit from more frequent raises and earlier release from trial service. Under the old contract, a part-time worker would have to work an equivalent number of full-time hours before receiving a step raise and "just cause" protections. For most, that meant two or more years of trial service and no raises. Randy Watson, Pre-treatment Coordinator at the wastewater plant, local past President and bargaining team member, said everyone, including full-time workers, recognized this was an equity issue. "It was never a question. We knew we had to stand up for part-time workers. It’s a matter of fairness."

Congratulations City of Wilsonville!

You Have the Right

Most SEIU members have the right to receive and review e-mail from SEIU Local 503, OPEU where we work on our own time. That includes the right to learn about the process of any election. We publish this information to help co-workers learn about all the candidates in an election; to announce election events where members can learn about candidates; to help co-workers understand how to register to vote and how to obtain and cast their ballot in any election.

Just like everyone in the United States, SEIU members also have the right to political speech where we work. We can have election discussions with co-workers. We have the right to wear candidate or political buttons. We can also post specific candidate information at work in our personal spaces. There is one general restriction: we must use our own personal time either before or after work or on a lunch or other break to promote any particular candidate or ballot measure.

We cannot use workplace e-mail to recommend any specific candidate or promote particular ballot measures. So, when we have breaking news about specific candidates, we may publish the information in home emails or workplace flyers. Call your Organizer, any Officer or Steward to make sure you don't miss fast-breaking news. They'll do what it takes to get your home e-mail address up-to-date and make sure you get the latest information.

SEIU workers with State of Oregon, Higher Education and any other employer whose contract permits web access at work have the right to visit SEIU's website where we post the latest news about the candidates and issues that SEIU members have endorsed.

Visit www.seiu503.org on your own time to find out the hottest news from around the state, and learn what you can do to help get out the vote for the primary election May 16.

eNews Flash

Childcare Makes History: Twenty-three childcare workers attended the historic first ever "Meet and Confer" session between SEIU Local 503, OPEU and the State of Oregon at Salem Headquarters on Monday. Delegates representing the newest 6000 members to join SEIU said this first step on the road to fairness for Childcare workers and improved care for Oregon’s children was very exciting. It was a great day for all. PPS Talks Stall: SEIU Local 503, OPEU workers at Portland Public Schools Nutrition Services declared "impasse" in contract talks on Monday afternoon. Mediation will begin this month to settle the differences between members' proposals for health care for all workers and management's unwillingness to move on this issue and others. Governor's Debate: Monday, April 10, at 7:30 pm, KGW broadcasts the first and only televised debate scheduled between Democratic primary candidates in the May 16 Governor's race. Be sure to tune in as each candidate answers questions about his record and commitment to a better future for working families in Oregon.