In Private Hands, Safety Issues Quickly Arise in Ohio Prison
by Pablo Ros | February 06, 2013
Patterns of inadequate staffing, delays in medical treatment and “unacceptable living conditions” among inmates, including the use of plastic bags for defecation, are but a few of the problems that have arisen inside an Ohio state prison in the single year since it was privatized.
According to a new report by the Huffington Post, the privatization by Gov. John Kasich’s administration of the Lake Erie Correctional Institution led to a significant increase in drug-related criminal activity near the facility, with police responding to nearly four times as many calls related to the prison in 2012 as in the previous five years combined.
“Unacceptable living conditions” include “inmates being housed inside recreation areas, with no immediate access to running water for hydration, showers and the use of a toilet,” according to a letter dated September 4, 2012 from the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections. “There was evidence of urine in plastic containers inside the recreation area and inmates using plastic bags for defecation. This must cease immediately!”
Concerns have quickly spread – about prison inmates and staff but also the surrounding community. A councilman for the nearby town of Conneaut, Ohio, Neil LaRusch, says, “We understand that it’s a private entity now, and that it’s for-profit, but nothing can come at the expense of the safety and security of our citizens.”
AFSCME’s Chris Mabe, president of the Ohio Civil Services Employee Association (OCSEA)/AFSCME Local 11 and a 20-year veteran of Ohio’s state prison system, put it this way: “That the Lake Erie Correctional Institution failed their safety audit should be a surprise to no one. We know where the corners get cut when prisons are privatized. But the more we learn about the horror stories coming out of the first prison ever to be sold, the more we fear for the safety of not only the staff and inmates, but the whole community.”
AFSCME is fighting to keep politicians from selling off public services through privatization. Learn more about that fight here.
California University Employees Demand an End to Executive Excess
by Kathryn Lybarger | February 05, 2013
Executive excess is hurting our economy and putting America’s future at risk – and it’s not just in the private sector. That’s why we are demanding an end to golden handshakes at our workplace, the University of California (UC). Every dollar spent on lavish perks for the big shots means worse care for our patients, and more money out of the pockets of struggling students and low-wage workers.
Should 140 of University of California’s top executives get more than $400 million in retirement benefits? Is it fair for them to get excessive compensation at the same time they are demanding custodians take paycuts?
These are the questions that are the center of our struggle – the 22,000 care partners, cooks, and custodial workers employed by the University of California (AFSCME UC 3299). We work on 10 campuses and five medical centers across the state, helping more than 200,000 students and 2 million patients. We care about the students and patients, and just want a fair shake for our families.
Last Thursday, joined by students, California Nurses Association, and University Professional and Technical Employees, thousands of us took our message to the streets in picket lines and demonstrations up and down the state. We shut down a major intersection in Berkeley. Students joined us as we marched to the executive offices at UC Riverside.
Administrators need to cut executive pay and pensions before considering any more tuition hikes, layoffs, or cuts to frontline workers. UC’s outgoing Pres. Mark Yudof will get a $230,000 annual benefit, on top of his regular pension, for the rest of his life – after just five years of service. Yet UC wants to cut benefits for my co-workers like Maria, a cook who will earn closer to $1,000 per month after decades of service.
That’s not how you build a strong middle class and a world class health care delivery system. It’s how you destroy them. It’s time for UC administrators to get their priorities straight. We hope you will join us in our struggle to end executive excess at the University of California and elsewhere.
Kathryn Lybarger is a gardener at UC Berkeley, president of AFSCME UC 3299 and an AFSCME International vice president.
A Lifetime of Dedicated Service
by Pablo Ros | February 05, 2013
Stanley Gordon passed away last month. A former executive director of AFSCME Council 26, in the 1970s, Gordon remained committed to the labor movement after he retired. One of the last hats he wore was that of president of the National Capital Area Union Retirees Club.
Current Council 26 Exec. Dir. Carl Goldman knew Gordon through the Association of Retired Americans and the Jewish Labor Committee. “He stayed around long after retirement, doing political work,” recalled Goldman. “He remained dedicated to working people until the end.”
Throughout a life of service, Gordon was a navigator in the Air Force, an air traffic controller and secretary-treasurer of the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO). He worked in the Public Service Department of the AFL-CIO, was a labor liaison between the AFL-CIO and the American Red Cross, and was on the Board of Trustees of the Metropolitan Washington Council’s Community Services Agency (CSA) until he died. In 2010 he was recognized for his longtime leadership in unions with the Thomas M. Bradley Community Services Award.
Kathleen McKirchy, executive director of the CSA, described Gordon as someone who “cared about working people, he cared about unions, and he wanted unions to have a visible place in the community.”
She said Gordon’s extensive knowledge and caring nature were extraordinary. “He was a one-man disaster recovery expert. He knew how to organize unions to help in disasters and was very giving with his time and expertise,” she said.
“He had super energy,” added McKirchy. “He was a great guy. He will be missed.”
Celebrating 20 Years of the Family and Medical Leave Act
by Lee Saunders and Laura Reyes | February 05, 2013
Twenty years ago today, Pres. Bill Clinton signed the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) into law. AFSCME is proud of our union’s leadership in the fight to pass this historic legislation, which provided job protection for workers and guaranteed unpaid leave for 12 weeks during which workers could care for a new baby, a seriously ill child, parent or spouse, or recover from illness. Our members rallied and lobbied Congress to pass FMLA, we testified before congressional committees, and we worked with President Clinton to garner the votes needed to enact a law that has now benefited more than 100 million working families.
Before the passage of FMLA, far too many employees across America had to make the intolerable choice between keeping their jobs and livelihood and taking the time to deal with a family crisis. FMLA extended a much-needed helping hand to families in their time of need. Former AFSCME Pres. Gerald W. McEntee, who chaired the AFL-CIO’s Work and Family Committee at the time of the bill’s passage, had been a leading voice in the fight. Just as our union fought for the creation of Medicare and Medicaid in the 1960s, we fought hard for the passage of FMLA because of our firm conviction that pro-family health care policies strengthen our economy and are in everyone’s best interest.
Our work did not end with the passage of FMLA. Five years ago, we fought to expand the bill to include military families. As a result of those efforts, members of our armed forces and their families are able to take up to 26 weeks of job-protected leave to help care for service members injured in combat. In addition, military family members are now able to use the traditional 12 week FMLA allotment to help them deal with the deployment of a close relative. Just as importantly, AFSCME fought the efforts of the George W. Bush Labor Department to make the use of FMLA benefits more difficult for families, by proposing complex regulations concerning reporting, certification and medical requirements. We are proud of our work to keep those anti-worker regulations from seeing the light of day.
Even today, far too many families must choose between paying their bills and caring for family members. Too many families are not covered. FMLA protections only cover those who work in firms with 50 or more employees, have been employed at the company for a year and have put in at least 1,250 hours annually on the job. As a result of these limitations, only one in five of all new mothers are able to utilize the law’s benefits. Lesbian and gay partners and spouses are not covered. More than three-quarters of the eligible workers who need leave are unable to use it because they cannot afford to go without their wages.
Now, 20 years after the passage of the Family and Medical Leave Act, the time has come for Congress to expand the law to cover more families and provide paid leave for workers. California and New Jersey have passed paid family leave programs with very positive results. Our nation’s economy, our productivity and our competitiveness benefit when workers are able to meet their demands at home and on the job.
The Family and Medical Leave Act was a major milestone, but more needs to be done to help families dealing with medical emergencies and family needs. Paid leave is essential. Depriving workers of their income during times of crisis in family life is something no hard-working American should experience. No American should have to choose between the job they need and the family they love.
AFSCME Readies Green Machine to Make Immigration Reform a Reality
by Pablo Ros | February 04, 2013
In 2006, millions of people in cities across the nation marched peacefully in support of comprehensive immigration reform. Years passed, but little changed in policy. What does appear to be changing now is mounting political will in Washington and public receptiveness to a path to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants living in America.
Comprehensive immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship is the most effective way to protect all workers in the U.S.—both immigrant and native-born. Only such a program will give immigrant workers full access to the protection of labor, health and other laws; help reduce their exploitation by employers, as well as employers’ incentive to hire them instead of U.S. workers; and ensure that immigration does not depress wages or working conditions.
This week, a group of eight U.S. senators released a “Bipartisan Framework for Comprehensive Immigration Reform” calling for improvements in securing the border, a “tough but fair” path to citizenship for all unauthorized immigrants currently living in the United States, and an effective “employment verification system” to prevent identity theft and end the hiring of undocumented workers, among other things.
In a statement, AFSCME Pres. Lee Saunders and Sec.-Treas. Laura Reyes praised the proposal as “an important first step in Congress for moving forward on fixing our broken immigration system.”
On Tuesday, Pres. Barack Obama outlined his comprehensive immigration reform plan in Las Vegas. He said our nation is ripe for taking these steps when “the differences are dwindling, where a broad consensus is emerging and where a call for action can now be heard coming from all across America.”
Reyes, who was with Obama in Las Vegas, said that AFSCME members have been “highlighting the importance of comprehensive immigration reform for decades.”
“Our vision for comprehensive immigration reform is clear,” Reyes said. “We need to create a common-sense immigration process that recognizes the hardships and contributions of people moving here, keeps families together in this country and creates a roadmap to full citizenship for all workers.”
She added: “Any proposal lacking a path to full citizenship will not gain AFSCME’s backing.”
There are thousands of immigrants who serve in AFSCME’s ranks – including undocumented workers – and thousands more who serve the immigrant community. The fight of immigrant workers is the fight of all workers, with good wages and working conditions on the line.
In the coming months, AFSCME will engage every member in calling for passage of comprehensive immigration reform. We’ll fire up our Green Machine and call on our allies to join us in organizing rallies, holding call-in days of action, signing petitions and more.
AFSCME Under 35 Members United in Demanding Jobs, Not Cuts
by Kate Childs Graham and Pablo Ros | February 01, 2013
Day of Action participants in Wisconsin.In recent months, no matter what news we watch, no matter what news we read, we’ve heard about the showdown on Capitol Hill over the budget. Corporate-backed politicians are standing in the way of any reasonable solution to fix our economy. Instead, they propose cuts to Social Security, cuts to Medicare and cuts to Medicaid.
We want jobs, not cuts. We want the richest two percent of Americans to pay their fair share, not cuts. We want closed loopholes for corporations, not cuts.
Now, across the country, union members and allies are mobilizing online and at their congressional district offices to send their representatives that message.
This week AFSCME asked its members under the age of 35 – AFSCME’s Next Wave – to participate in a coordinated online effort called a Thunderclap. Think of it as an online flash mob. Nearly 6,000 participated with a combined social reach of more than 1.5 million. Thousands of messages of support were posted automatically to Facebook and Twitter. They read:
We need #JobsNotCuts. Don't cut Social Security/Medicare/Education. Make corporations & top 2% pay their fair share.
We also held a Next Wave “teletownhall” in which 16,000 young AFSCME members under the age of 35 participated, and got a chance to talk with Sec.-Treas. Laura Reyes about the importance of protecting Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.
“More than six million people under 35 are unemployed and many of them rely on programs like Medicaid just to make ends meet,” Reyes told call participants. “If Congress cuts Medicaid, millions would be at risk of losing life-saving home care and millions more young people will be at risk of losing health care.”
A poll of call participants found that a large majority (86 percent) are counting on Medicare and Social Security to be around when they retire, and 80 percent say their family is concerned about cuts to Medicare.
This week, thousands more are attending more than 100 events across the country in a National Day of Action—led by the AFL-CIO, AFSCME, SEIU, ATF and HCAN with the help of other partner organizations. Events include a meeting with Congressman Gary Peters in Detroit, leafleting in Indianapolis, rallying in West Palm Beach and more. Find an event near you. If there isn’t one, plan your own.
It’s going to take all our voices to end this showdown.
AFSCME Solidarity Provides Relief after Deadly Accident
by Pablo Ros | February 01, 2013
Earlier this month, Juan Rosario Ramos and Anthony Vega, both corrections officers and members of Alianza Correccional Unida (ACU) Local 3500/Servidores Públicos Unidos de Puerto Rico (SPUPR), AFSCME Council 95, survived a traffic accident that took the lives of three others.
Ramos and Vega were part of an extradition team on its way to a private prison in Cushing, Okla., when their van was hit head-on by a Jeep that veered left of center. The two received medical treatment, and a few days later were able to fly back to their loved ones in Puerto Rico.
Today, the two officers, as well as SPUPR and its leadership – Council President Annette Gonzalez and ACU Pres. Juan González – say they are grateful to the AFSCME brothers and sisters in the region who helped out during this difficult time by providing emotional support and resources, including clothing, lodging, and transportation. They included William Bryles, president of AFSCME Local 2406 in Oklahoma City.
“To SPUPR, the support provided to our colleagues by our AFSCME brothers and sisters in the U.S. was very important,” said Erick Caraballo, an ACU coordinator. “It was especially meaningful at a time when our colleagues were in a delicate state of health and going through a difficult time as a result of this incident. Their support shows the great solidarity that exists between AFSCME brothers and sisters. This solidarity unites us regardless of region, city or territory.”
Vega received emergency medical treatment before coming back to Puerto Rico, where he will undergo physical therapy and rehabilitation. Ramos, who sustained injuries to an arm and shoulder, is also recovering.
Governors Who Reject Medicaid Expansion Will Harm Workers, Families
by Kyle Weidleman | January 31, 2013
During the next two years, states have several opportunities to expand health care coverage for currently uninsured citizens under the Affordable Care Act. But despite hefty financial subsidies from the federal government, some of the same governors who have called for an outright repeal of the act are now distorting the facts to justify denying health care to hundreds of thousands of residents in their states.
Under the act, states are empowered to set up health care purchasing ‘exchanges’ to make it easier for individuals to buy affordable coverage or they can allow the Federal government to run an exchange instead. The act also gives states the ability to expand Medicaid coverage to currently ineligible low wage workers at no cost for the first three years. States also have the ability to expand Medicaid coverage to currently ineligible low wage workers. States also have the ability to opt out of the Medicaid expansion.
Under the Affordable Care Act, the federal government will fund Medicaid coverage that will cover millions of working families who would not otherwise have health insurance. The federal government will pay the full cost of the expansion for three years and 90 percent of the cost thereafter. Unfortunately, several governors have already said they will refuse to participate.
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence turned down the assistance that would help insure nearly 400,000 Hoosiers. Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder is considering leaving 564,000 Michiganders without an option for affordable health insurance. Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman has rejected the expansion that would cover 78,000 state residents. And Ohio Gov. John Kasich has refused to make a decision, keeping uncertain health care coverage for 600,000 Buckeye State residents.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott has gone so far as to manufacture wildly inaccurate figures to explain why he will not cover 1.2 million Floridians under the act. Scott reported that the Medicaid expansion would cost his state $26 billion over 10 years—even though he knew the number was hugely inflated. The actual figure was later revised downward by nearly 90 percent.
Playing fast and loose with the numbers is nothing new to Scott. Before he was governor, he ran a for-profit hospital system defrauded government health programs—including Medicaid—by more than $1.5 billion.
While these short-sighted governors play political games, millions of working families will continue to be denied affordable healthcare. AFSCME member and our allies will continue to fight for health care coverage that is affordable and accessible to all.
One-Man March for NYC Child Care Gains Support
by G.L. Tyler | January 30, 2013
Every Monday afternoon, Raglan George, Jr., sandwiches himself between two picket signs with slogans like “New York City working families need child care,” then makes his way back and forth in front of New York City Hall.
He calls it his One-Man March for Child Care, and he’s been doing it ever since Mayor Michael Bloomberg implemented his harmful Early Learn Program last fall.
Known as “Rags,” the DC 1707 executive director and AFSCME International vice president is starting to get some company on his picket line. In recent weeks, New York City Council members lined up with him, as did supporters from the New York City Central Labor Council and the New York State AFL-CIO.
On his weekly marches, George exposes Early Learn’s multiple flaws. Early Learn was implemented without a pilot program, environmental impact study or a hearing from the City Council. Some 5,000 children were immediately removed from the program. The city recently revealed that another 5,000 eligible children will not receive services because more than 70 of Bloomberg’s handpicked vendors could not pass muster with the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
Until Bloomberg came into office 11 years ago, New York City’s comprehensive child care network was acclaimed, and it included day care, Head Start and an extensive after-school program.
Under Early Learn, the mayor yanked kindergarten classes out of day care centers, and now the city’s kindergartens have waitlists. More than 1,000 unionized day care center workers and Head Start workers were fired under Bloomberg. The city refuses to pay back wages that may total between $10 million to 15 million for both terminated and employed workers. Many of the vendors selected as replacements for the fired staff had no child care experience.
George says he’ll be marching for the duration of the fight. Bloomberg’s term ends in late 2013 and he looks forward to electing a new mayor who understands the needs of the city’s children and the rights of workers.
G.L. Tyler is DC 1707’s Political Director.
Millennials Want to Protect Social Security and Medicare
by Kate Childs Graham | January 25, 2013
The Millennial Generation – those aged 18 to 29 – have never had to live without a social safety net. Social Security, Medicare and other entitlement programs have been around their whole lives. So it shouldn’t be surprising that young adults favor preserving programs like Social Security and Medicare over cutting the deficit. In fact they do so 48 to 41, according to a poll recently conducted by Pew Research Center.
Melinda Pearson, a Next Waver and Local 4001 (Minnesota Council 5) member, put it this way, “Cuts to Social Security and Medicare are simply wrong. Access to medical care, regardless of your income, should be a basic right. Retiring with dignity should also be considered a right. We pay into the Social Security system from the time that we begin working. It should be there for all of us when we come to the sunset of our lives.”
In the coming weeks, young AFSCME members will join together with members of all ages to call upon Congress to protect Medicare and Social Security. If you are 35ish or under, join our tele-town hall this Monday, January 28, to learn how you can be involved in the fight.
