Grassroots Legislative Organizer's Blog #5
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Boy I can’t believe it’s already Friday. I’ve been very busy this week. I volunteered to go house visiting to home care workers with the Korean Women’s Association last Sunday to encourage them to attend the “Rally for Respect” tomorrow in Tacoma. We are demanding respect from the Executive Director of KWA. He is not giving home care workers the respect they deserve. I have not been house visiting for a while and I really enjoyed it – updating and talking to members about what’s going on in our union.
Monday
Last Monday was a hearing for a bill that would increase nursing home revenue. Jackie Johnson, from Tacoma, came and spoke at the hearing, telling lawmakers that it would help stabilize funding for nursing homes and support the needs of both workers and residents.
Tuesday
During the day I scheduled meetings for Thursday’s Purple Presence. In the evening we had our first Legislative Conference Call for Members. Every Tuesday, until the end of the legislative session, I’m hosting a conference call at 6pm to field questions about what’s going on here in Olympia. If you have a question or would like more information about what’s going on, please call our Member Resource Center at 1 (866) 371-3200. They’ll give you the information on how to join the conference call, or if you can’t make it, they’ll forward your question right to me.
Wednesday
Day before Purple Presence. We had yard signs made up with facts about how the budget cuts have affected long-term care.
Here are the details:
- 11,000: Home Care Workers - At risk of losing health care in 2010.
- 1,500: Home Care FTE Jobs - Lost from the 2009 budget cuts.
- 1,600,000: Home Care Hours – Lost for seniors and people with disabilities since July 2009.227,045: Home Care Hours Lost – Every month since July 1, 2009.
- $16,000,000: Wages Lost – For low-income home care workers because of hours cuts since July 2009.
- 73,263: Workers and Clients – Already affected by cuts to home care.
Thursday
Ready for Purple Presence. We took the signs to the Capitol Campus and put them around campus. Unfortunately, they were pulled up within a half an hour because you’re not supposed to do that. We then put them up in various places around Olympia. A lot of people saw them. We took some signs and started chanting and marching around campus. We also showed our support for the Asian Pacific Islander community – they were having their Lobby Day. They bussed in about 2,000 people for the event. This was our largest purple presence yet. We had sixteen members and three clients.
Personal Note
On the home front, my client went to the doctor three times last week to check her blood levels. She’s doing a little better. On a sadder note, my first husband died at the age of 50. He was a construction worker. He had cancer and no health insurance. By the time he went in, it was too late – the cancer had taken control of his body. We really need to send a message to the White House, that everyone deserves health care – even if it’s just so they can get a check-up – so it won’t be too late.
Click here for previous blog entries and more information on SEIU Healthcare 775NW's Grassroots Legislative Organizer (GLO) Program.