Welcome to the 4th week of session. We're getting close to the middle of session and budget discussions are starting to heat up. This week is the deadline for bills to be voted out of the first committee. If a bill hasn't been voted out of the policy committees by the end of this week, it probably won't be considered this session.
IN THIS ISSUE
11,000+ Legislative Contacts * Seattle Times Series on Adult Family Homes * Report from Save Long-Term Care Day * DSHS Secretary Walks a Day in "Our" Shoes * Grassroots Legislative Organizer Blog
COMING UP THIS WEEK
Senate Committee Hears Nursing Home Revenue Bill * Adult Day Health Legislative Day * Legislative Conference Call * Purple Power
REMINDERS
Feb. 15: Revenue Rally
11,000+ Legislative Contacts
So far, we've made more than 11,000 legislative contacts! Between our in-person visits, phone calls, postcards, emails and petitions, we're keeping the pressure on legislators to make the right choices about the budget and revenue. Just last week, almost 300 caregivers left messages on the legislative hotline asking their elected officials to protect long-term care services. Almost 400 members (and counting!) have signed our Long-Term Care online petition.
Seattle Times Series on Adult Family Homes
The Seattle Times published a front-page article today (part of a larger investigative series) about the problems in our state’s Adult Family Home industry. The Seattle Times published a front-page article today (part of a larger investigative series) about the problems in our state’s Adult Family Home industry. As the article points out, Adult Family Homes – largely unregulated - have been one of the fastest growing segments of the long-term care industry. Hopefully these articles will help spur the legislature, the Governor, and the Department of Social and Health Services to improve oversight and standards. The workers and clients in these facilities deserve no less.
Our union does not represent any workers in Adult Family Homes. A few years ago we did our own research into the condition of workers at Adult Family Homes and discovered significant violations of worker’s rights.
Click here for more background information and a link to the series.
Report from Save Long-Term Care Day
Hundreds of caregivers filled the hallways in Olympia on Monday for Save Long-Term Care Day. We marched, met with dozens of legislators, made our voices heard and took a stand against the cuts. We had members from every legislative district in the state!
Watch the Movie
DSHS Secretary Walks a Day in "Our" Shoes
Last Saturday, The Secretary of the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) Susan Dreyfus "walked a day in our shoes." She spent the morning working alongside Glenda Faatoafe, a home care aide with Korean Women's Association in Lacey. Our "Walk a Day in My Shoes" project that is designed to give leaders at the local, state, and federal level the opportunity to see firsthand what it is like to be a low-wage worker. Glenda and Secretary Dreyfus talked a lot about the impact of last year's budget cuts and the potential impacts of deeper cuts to hours of in home care.
Click below to see the pictures.
Grassroots Legislative Organizer (GLO) Blog
Cathy just posted another update on her blog. Get the inside scoop on what it's like to be working full-time in Olympia.
Click here to read her blog.
Here's what's coming up this week:
Monday: Senate Committee Hears Nursing Home Revenue Bill
The Senate Ways and Means Committee is holding a public hearing on SB 6751 - a bill designed to set up a dedicated funding stream for nursing homes. This bill will help prevent future cuts to nursing homes by bringing additional federal money into our state. Jackie Johnson from Avamere Tacoma will be there to testify in support of the bill.
Click here for more details about this important piece of legislation.
Tuesday: Adult Day Health Legislative Day
Adult Day Health workers and clients from across the state will be participating in Adult Day Health Legislative Day. 600 seniors and people with disabilities are at risk of losing access to adult day health services under current budget proposals. We're working closely with a coalition of groups to protect adult day health services.
Tuesday: Legislative Conference Call Join us every Tuesday for the rest of the 2010 legislative session for SEIU Healthcare 775NW conference calls. The calls will be led by Catherine Byrd, a member and this session's Grassroots Legislative Organizer. She'll help us understand what's happening in Olympia, and what we can do to help stop the cuts and increase revenue.
For more information on how to join the conference call, please call our Member Resource Center toll-free at 1 (866) 371-3200.
Click here for more details.
Thursday: Purple Power at the Capitol
This week, caregivers from the 13th, 14th, 15th, 32nd, 38th, 39th, 44th, and 46th districts will be in Olympia for Purple Presence. Every Thursday, small groups of long-term care workers will come to Olympia to meet with legislators. It's our way of making sure legislators never forget about the caregiver in their district. Click on this website or call our Member Resource Center toll-free at 1 (866) 371-3200 to find out when members from your legislative district are coming to the Capitol. If you don't know which district you live in, you can find out by by entering your zip code here.
Reminders
Feb. 15: Revenue Rally
The Rebuilding our Economic Future coalition is organizing a Revenue Rally at 12pm on Monday, February 15th on the steps of the Capitol Building. It will be an opportunity for us to flex our collective muscle and show that there is broad based support for a balanced approach to our budget problems.