SEIU Healthcare 775NW

WA Seniors Become Latest State Budget Casualties

Monday, June 29 -- Budget cuts mandated by the state legislature officially go into effect this week, and some Washington families will be scrambling to figure out what to do with parents or grandparents who have been in Adult Day Health programs. Around the state, eight centers providing these programs are closing, all victims of the budget cutback.

Adult Day Health centers are places where senior citizens with chronic medical conditions get rehabilitation services. They also offer seniors opportunities for socializing and provide a break for their caregivers...

Click here to read the full story and listen to the audio.

State sued over cuts to disabled kids' care

Saturday, June 27 -- Lawyers for three children with Down syndrome have sued in federal court to stop the state from cutting the hours of in-home care they receive.

The reduction in care is slated to begin Wednesday as part of sweeping budget cuts throughout the state Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS). The plaintiffs maintain budget problems cannot legally be used as justification for cutting back the hours of care the children receive.

Caretakers for the young people — who range in age from 14 to 20 and receive Medicaid benefits — were notified last week that the state was cutting the number of hours they would be able to give their clients each month, the lawsuit says. The caretakers are paid with federal Medicaid funds that are administered by the state...

Click here to read the full article on SeattleTimes.com

Cuts to Adult Day Health Services

KIRO TV and Q13 Fox on the impact that cuts to Adult Day Health Services will have on the state's most vulnerable seniors

775NW Members Rally for Health Care Reform

"If we get this done by the end of this year, I will tattoo our union’s logo to my right arm on January 2."

-Jim Medlin, Nursing Home Worker at Avamere Georgian House in Tacoma

SEIU Healthcare 775NW Members lobbied for health care reform this week in Washington, DC (L-R: Jessica Field, Phil Bradford, Cheryl Johnston Carr, Jim Medlin, Lorene Hart and Jacqueline Yell.

June 25, 2009 -- Jim Medlin is fired up after joining more than 10,000 people rallying for health care reform in our nation’s capital yesterday.

Jim was part of a delegation of SEIU Healthcare 775NW members who joined healthcare advocates from across the country fighting for quality, affordable health care. They had a simple message for Congress, “We can’t wait for health care reform.”

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Montana Home Care Worker Will Participate in ABC News Event at the White House

Pat DeJong - Montana Home Care Worker Wednesday, June 24 -- Pat DeJong, a home care worker and member of SEIU Healthcare 775NW from Montana, has been invited to the White House to participate in an ABC News Special Event “Questions for the President: Prescription for America”. It will air on Wednesday evening from 10:00pm to 11:00pm. The show will continue at 11:30pm on Nightline.

She will be in the East Room of the White House. Charlie Gibson and Diane Sawyer will moderate the discussion. Pat is most likely the only home care worker who is participating. There may be a few other long-term care workers.

» Read Pat's story...

Sign up for this year's Convention

Join caregivers from Washington state and Montana for our Annual Convention and Leadership Conference (September 13 and 14) near Seattle.

We have a real chance to win health care reform this year. We all deserve quality, affordable health care, but home care worker benefits are under attack and most nursing home workers have no affordable health care.

Sign-up Online Today!

At our Convention in September, we’ll talk about how to win health care for every man, woman and child, and to continue to fight for living wages for caregivers. We’ll celebrate the achievements of our members who are standing up for a better life for their families. We’ll enjoy an awards banquet with our friends in the community.

Our Convention will be at the Doubletree Hotel near Seattle. The Convention is free to union members. (We will pay for your hotel room, meals and bus transportation).

When you sign up online, let us know if you will be taking the free union bus and what t-shirt size you will need. We have several workshops to choose from as well.

We have work to do, but we’ll also have a lot of fun!

See you in September!

Letter from the "Other" Washington - Susie Young as a GRL

Susie Young Lobbying for Healthcare Reform in DC
Friday, June 12 (Washington, DC) -- Greetings from D.C.! My name is Susie Young, and I live in Spokane and work as a home care aide for Addus Healthcare. I have had the opportunity to spend the last few months as Grassroots Lobbyist (GRL) with SEIU in DC. This has been one of the best experiences of my life. I have always enjoyed politics and watch a lot of CNN, MSNBC, and C-SPAN, but it is different and a lot more exciting to be a participant.

There were nine of us GRL's from all across the country here in DC. Healthcare reform has been the primary focus since I have been here. I have attended all the Senate hearings on healthcare reform chaired by Senator Baucus, and also a couple of hearings in the House, and met with many of our senators and representatives. There is a common thread that both Democrats and Republicans agree on. In the healthcare reform bill, both sides feel there needs to be prevention and wellness and more community centers especially in rural areas. Both sides also agree that we need to address the shortage of primary care physicians, and eliminate pre-existing conditions.

» Susie's letter continues...

5,000 March for Health Care Reform in Seattle

Visit our Flickr page for more pictures from the March and Rally

Click here to follow SEIU's efforts to win Health Care for All as part of its Change That Works Campaign

May 30 Health Care Rally June 1, 2009 -- A broad coalition of of almost 200 labor groups, community groups, civic organizations, grassroots organizations, women's organizations and immigrant groups participated in the May 30 Health Care For All - Mothers Leading the Way March and Rally. Some estimates put the number of participants as high as 5,000.

Sen. Patty Murray kicked off the march at Pratt Park and Rep. Jim McDermott addressed the crowd at Westlake Plaza after the march.

Now is the time for health care reform. Tens of thousands of people die every year in this country because of a lack of health coverage.

» Read more