Publications

May 12, 2004

Sounding off in Sacramento

More than 500 members from all over California took part in this year's PEOPLE conference — Having Our Say...Shaping Our Future — in the state capital. The event covered three days. Speakers included Marilyn J. Kelly, a justice on the Michigan Supreme Court; President McEntee; and Secretary-Treasurer Lucy.

On the "middle" day, more than 150 activists from the United Child Care Union/AFSCME assembled for a rally and lobbying effort against Republican Governor Schwarzenegger's proposed cuts to state-subsidized early-childhood care and education programs. Those cuts will impact more than 100,000 children who rely on subsidized care providers. The protesters also urged lawmakers to support a child care reform bill recently introduced in the California Senate by its president, Democrat John Burton.

Rollin' X 3

In North Kansas City, Mo., a unit of 148 school-district bus drivers and aides voted to form a union with Council 72. Two groups of mechanics for the school district also elected to join them.

Beatin' the 'Bush'

By an overwhelming margin of 115 to 10, more than 250 operational-services employees at the University of Central Florida voted to join Council 79. UCF is the sixth of 11 state campuses to organize and restore collective bargaining rights since Gov. Jeb Bush (R) eliminated that right for them in 2003.

Overtime: A step forward

The Senate blocked the Bush administration's efforts to institute federal overtime rules that would strip millions of workers of their eligibility for the extra pay for extra work. The vote, on an amendment to put overtime pay guarantees in writing, was approved (52-47, including five Republicans) after lawmakers received a deluge of protests from members of AFSCME and other labor unions. Although the administration's propaganda machine hyped the rule changes as an expansion of overtime eligibility, they in fact would have cost many workers their overtime pay. The rules, however, are still scheduled to go into effect on Aug. 23, and the House still must vote on the measure. Last year, the administration killed a similar effort to overturn its proposed rules. Contact your House members today, and tell them to preserve overtime!

Understaffed

A report detailing staffing-ratio violations at San Diego County's largest health care system, Sharp HealthCare (SHC) was released by UNAC/NUHHCE. The AFSCME affiliate, negotiating a contract on behalf of some 2,800 nurses, prepared the report to focus public attention on inadequate staffing at the non-profit's seven hospitals. For instance, the report found that pediatric units are sometimes staffed below the one-to-four ratio required by state law. It also reveals that a large percentage of SHC's RNs have experienced significant cuts in support staff and supplies, forcing them to spend time away from their patients. UNAC is demanding that management improve the situation for the health and safety of the workers and patients.

Loud & clear

Employees of Illinois' Resurrection Health Care hospitals, their friends, families and other supporters — 1,000 people in all — rallied at a Chicago Catholic church. Their demands: high-quality health care, decent working conditions, a voice on the job, fair pay and a decent package of benefits. The event included a mass as well as a rally. Declared President McEntee, a lead speaker: "How in God's name can you work in the health care field and not receive decent health care from your employer?"

Scandalous outsourcing

The extensive use of private contractors in Iraq for everything from security to interrogation is making headlines, none of them good. Aside from reports that some contract employees may have engaged in the abuse of Iraqi prisoners, 10 companies with reconstruction contracts worth $7 billion have, since 2000, paid more than $300 million to resolve allegations of bid-rigging, fraud and other charges. As many as 20,000 individuals working for private contractors are operating in Iraq.

Expensive outsourcing

The District of Columbia' s public school system failed to bid competitively for its security contractor, a decision that stuck the city's taxpayers with a bill of $11.4 million more than they should have paid for the service. The problem started when a long-term contract with MVM Inc. expired in 2001. Rather than seek bids that could have reduced its costs, the city entered into short-term contract extensions with MVM and another company, driving up costs.

Cover-the-Uninsured Week ...

is May 10-16, and such national and local activities as health fairs and seminars are being held throughout the country to put a spotlight on the urgent need to provide health care coverage for everyone — adult and child — in the United States. Major supporters of the event include AFSCME and the AFL-CIO. At the International's 2002 Convention, delegates endorsed a resolution calling for the union to work toward establishing a national health care plan "that provides quality, affordable health coverage to all people." For more information, visit the Cover the Uninsured Week web site.


 

 

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