SEIU’s Henry: Historic Step Forward for Immigration Reform, One Step Backwards for Equal Rights for Binational Same-Sex Couples

WASHINGTON, DC -  After the Senate Judiciary Committee members passed a bipartisan immigration bill, Mary Kay Henry, President of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), responded to the withdrawal of Sen. Patrick Leahy’s amendment in support of equal immigration rights for same-sex binational couples:

“We applaud the Committee’s passage of a strong bipartisan immigration bill. Such legislation will provide millions of hardworking aspiring citizens an opportunity to earn citizenship. As we continue to lift our voices, we are now another step closer toward  achieving commonsense immigration reform.

“Our excitement about the bill’s progress is only tempered by the powerful call for immigration equality in the Committee that was not answered today. We stand in solidarity with our LGBT brothers and sisters, moved tremendously by the statements of Senators, particularly the words of Senator Patrick Leahy, who rightly said that the time for marriage equality and recognition of same-sex binational couples under immigration law has come.

“Although we are deeply disappointed that Senators who are committed to equality were forced to make a choice between protecting the rights of same-sex binational couples and keeping a tenuous coalition together, we will continue to advocate to create the most accessible pathway to citizenship for ALL families.”

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SEIU FPSU 2013 Officer & Executive Board Elections

FPSU ELECTION COMMITTEE:

The duties of the Election Committee are to:

• Conduct the affairs of the election, in accordance with FPSU’s Constitution & Bylaws

• Establish safeguards to ensure a fair and democratic election

• Confirm the eligibility and qualifications of the nominees for candidacy

• Tabulate the results of the secret ballot

• Certify the election and the newly elected officers and E-Board members

• Consider and rule on any objections or challenges to the election

NOMINATIONS & ELECTIONS TIMELINE:

• Notice of Nominations & Elections mailed to all regular members: May 1

• Nominations period opens: July 1

• Deadline for submitting nominations: must be received by August 1

• Voter Pamphlet and Secret Ballot package mailed to all regular, dues-paying members: August 26

• Deadline for submitting ballots: must be received in P.O. Box by September 26

• Vote Count: September 27

• Installation of New Officers: September 28

NOMINATIONS PROCESS:

• Eligibility: A member is eligible for nomination if s/he is a regular member and has been in good standing for at least twelve (12) months prior to the nomination. No member convicted of a felony as defined in Section 504 of the Landrum-Griffin Act shall, in accordance with federal law and FPSU’s Constitution & Bylaws, be eligible to hold office.

• Members who wish to run for office or nominate someone else for office must submit an official nomination form, which will be available on FPSU’s website, and at FPSU union offices, beginning on July 1.

• Members can seek nomination for only one office at a time. • Only nominations made on the official nomination form will be considered valid. Nominations may be submitted (1) via mail to 2112 S. Congress Avenue, Palm Springs, FL, 33406; (2) in person at the Union’s Palm Springs office; or (3) scanned and emailed to election2013@seiufpsu.org 

• Nominations must be received by the Election Committee by 5:00 p.m. on August 1.

• Nominees who are nominated by others must accept or decline the nomination by August 8.

• The Election Committee will certify all nominees and notify in writing any nominee who is disqualified with the reasons for disqualification.

• Each candidate shall be encouraged to prepare a candidate’s statement. Statements shall be no longer than two hundred (200) words and may include a photograph. These statements must be submitted via mail or in person to the Election Committee at the Palm Springs union office, or via email election2013@seiufpsu.org by August 8 at 5 pm in order to be included in the Voter Pamphlet (which will be sent to members with the secret ballot).

(over)ELECTION PROCEDURES:

• Any seat for which there is only one nominee will be declared elected after the Election Committee confirms eligibility of the sole nominee, and will not appear on the ballot.

• Candidates may be listed on the ballot by slate if they choose.

• No write-in or proxy voting is allowed.

• Any candidate shall have the right to have one observer present for the stuffing, mailing, retrieval, transport, and counting of the ballots. • Secret ballots, together with a return envelope, shall be mailed to all regular, dues-paying members at their last known address by August 26. The ballot package shall be a double envelope to ensure fairness and secrecy. • Balloting will be only by mail, and the deadline for receipt of the ballot at the secure P.O. Box is September 26.

VOTE COUNT:

• The vote count is open to all members, and will take place at 3:30 p.m. on September 27 at the Event Hall, 2223 Palm Beach Lake Blvd, West Palm Beach, FL, 33409.

• The ballots shall be retrieved from a secure P.O. Box by members of the Election Committee and tabulated. The candidate for each office receiving a majority of the votes cast shall be declared elected.

ELECTION PROTESTS:

• The Election Committee will consider and rule on any protests or objections to election conduct in accordance with FPSU’s Constitution & Bylaws, Article IX, Section 6.

• Allegations of election misconduct must be accompanied by specific facts, including any supporting documentation and witness statements.

All requests or issues regarding the election should be directed in writing to the Election Committee election2013@seiufpsu.org

Election Committee:

Steve Milliron, Chair

Auntrelle Mathis

Jeffrey Stephens

Natalie Lewis

Rhonda Miller

Cheryle Davis-Darrell

Alex Ring

Download PDF: SEIU FPSU Notice of Election

Here are a few ways you can help: 

Salvation Army

Text “storm” to 80888 to make a $10 donation.

Red Cross 

The Red Cross says the best way to assist families is to make a donation to www.redcross.org/okc or www.redcross.org

Text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

United Way of Central Oklahoma’s Disaster Relief Fund
Donations may be made online at www.unitedwayokc.org or by mail to United Way of Central Oklahoma, P.O. Box 837, Oklahoma City, OK  73101 with notation for May Tornado Relief.

By far and away the *biggest* difference you can make during this momentous debate is to call your Senator. All you have to do is follow 5 easy steps, which we’ve outlined for you in the infographic below.

WASHINGTON, DC – As the House of Representatives prepares to hold a vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Mary Kay Henry, International President of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), issued the following statement:

“According to Speaker Boehner, the Affordable Care Act is ‘the law of the land.’ But that hasn’t stopped him from allowing the 37th attempt to repeal it. This is just a political charade. Today, members of Congress will vote to take away the healthcare benefits that Americans of every age and from every walk of life are counting on. This is about House members putting their political agendas before the health of seniors and working families who built this country and earn their paychecks one hour at a time.

“Voters have the right to ask, ‘what are we paying them for?’”

AAPI Officers Luisa Blue and Courtni Pugh Sworn in as SEIU International Executive Board Members

Washington, DC – Today at the May meeting of the International Executive Board (IEB) of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), SEIU President Mary Kay Henry swore in Luisa Blue and Courtni Pugh as new IEB members.

Their appointment strengthens the voice of SEIU’s Asian American and Pacific Islander members, a growing segment of America’s labor movement, and reinforces how the diversity of SEIU’s 2.1 million members is a source of strength for the union. Roughly 56 percent of SEIU members are women and some 40 percent are people of color. SEIU represents more immigrant workers than any other union in the United States. Blue and Pugh join two other AAPI women Merle Cuttita and Maria Castenada.

“The diversity of our union is a source of pride for SEIU members. When our members speak out about our shared vision of a more fair and just society, they truly are doing so on behalf of diverse communities across this country,” said SEIU President Mary Kay Henry. “Luisa Blue and Courtni Pugh have the experience of being treated as “other” and leading a movement that respects “us” and understanding we are all in this together. They have long been strong voices for organizing workers and our communities to be powerful forces for economic and democratic changes that benefit everyone.”

Luisa Blue is Chief Elected Officer of SEIU Local 521 which represents 55,000 workers who provide vital community services in the diverse central California region. Blue first became active in the labor movement in 1977 at San Francisco General Hospital where she worked as a medical-surgical nurse and then a critical care nurse with SEIU Local 400 where she worked on a successful campaign that won voter approval to improve the collective bargaining rights for San Francisco City & County RNs.

Blue is also known for her work as a vocal leader in the Bay Area advocating for compassionate care of AIDS/HIV patients during the 1980 and for being a founding members of what became SEIU Nurse Alliance.

In 1992, Blue helped to found the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), the first and only national organization of AAPI union members. Since its founding, APALA has played a unique role in addressing the workplace issues of the 660,000 AAPI union members and as the bridge between the broader labor movement and the AAPI community. Blue has twice served as APALA’s national president and continues to serve on the APALA Executive Board.

Gregory Cendana, currently APALA’s Executive Director, was on hand for Blue’s swearing in.

Courtni Pugh is president of SEIU Local 99 which represents nearly 45,000 employees in public and non-public organizations in early education, child care, K-12 and community college levels in southern California.

Pugh, a seasoned activist, community organizer, and political strategist, walked her first picket line at the age of 5 with her father who was a truck driver and member of Teamsters Local 364 for more than 35 years. Pugh has gone on to serve as Legislative Director for U.S. Congressman Danny Davis in Washington D.C., hold senior posts in such campaigns as John Edwards for President, Kerry-Edwards 2004, and Gore-Lieberman 2000 and in 2006, she became the first woman, and first Asian American, to serve as Political Director of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor. She has also served as Executive Director of the SEIU California State Council, again becoming the first woman and first Asian American to do so, and, in 2010, played a key role in running labor’s independent expenditure campaign in support of Jerry Brown for Governor.

Pugh has also been active in southern California’s AAPI community. She cofounded the Congressional Asian Pacific American Staff Association (CAPASA) in 1997. She also cofounded and served as president of the National Korean American Service and Education Consortium’s (NAKASEC) action fund. Pugh is also an originating board member of theMidwest Asian American Students Union (MAASU), former Asian American National Outreach Director for the Democratic National Committee, former Asian Pacific American Women’s Leadership Institute (APAWLI) fellow and former board member of the Korean Resource Center in Los Angeles.

Pugh currently serves as on the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs.

Check additional pictures here

A 2013 Legislative Session Update

The 2013 legislative session is a case study in why voters feel Florida has the wrong leaders with the wrong priorities. Florida voters want effective and efficient use of our tax dollars, yet after the corporate special interest feeding frenzy of the last 60 days, it’s no wonder voters have never been more disillusioned with conservative control of state government than they are today.

Florida voters want economic fairness and a fair chance for good jobs, quality public schools and access to health care. What we got instead was a refusal to expand access to health care, an attempted corporate takeover of our public schools and hundreds of millions of dollars in corporate tax giveaways that Big Business doesn’t need.

THE GOOD
Parent Trigger FAILS (FPSU Opposed)
Although the measure failed previously in the Senate in 2012 with a razor-thin margin, legislation known as ʺparent triggerʺ was back this year and moved expeditiously through the House. Filed as House Bill 867, the bill allows parents of public schools to petition to convert a low-performing school into a for-profit, private charter school. After heated debate, the House approved the measure on Thursday, April 5, at the behest of former Gov. Jeb Bush and his Foundation for Florida’s Future in their attempt to privatize public education.  Rather than yielding to a corporate bottom line, we should instead be investing in smaller classroom sizes and strengthening our public education system. Fortunately, the bill failed after a tie vote once it reached the Senate floor on April 30.

Election Reform PASSES (FPSU Partially Supported)
The legislature passed an election reform bill in its final day of session that aims to improve Florida’s elections.  Upon becoming law, changes include increasing access to Early Voting and ensuring ballots are properly counted. While the measure is a step in the right direction to fixing the problems created by HB 1355 in the 2011 Legislative Session – which lead to large scale voter disenfranchisement and long lines at the polls, among many other problems – the bill doesn’t go far enough, lacking many of the changes Democrats called for throughout the sausage-making process.

Florida Retirement System (FRS) Reform FAILS (FPSU Opposed)
FRS Reform was one of House Speaker Will Weatherford’s top priorities this legislative session. The House passed its version of state pension reform, House Bill 7011, on March 27. The bill sought to close the regular pension option (defined benefit) to any new enrollees after January 1, 2014 and require them to enter the defined contribution plan similar to a 401(k)-style plan. However, the Senate didn’t agree with the House’s approach. Senator Wilton Simpson offered what appeared to be more compromising legislation. His plan would only close the defined benefit plan to senior management and elected officials after Jan. 1, 2014. The pension plan would remain open for everyone else who chose to enroll within a specific timeframe, but it did provide an incentive for FRS participants to choose the investment (401k-style) plan. The FRS system is one of the strongest in the country, and the drastic changes proposed in HB 7011 & SB 1392 was a bad deal for taxpayers and Florida’s public employees. Ultimately, the House and Senate couldn’t agree, and FRS reform died on the Senate floor after a 18-22 vote.

Wage Theft FAILS (FPSU Opposed)
Senate Bill 1216 and House Bill 1125 were both an attempt to overstep home rule at the expense of workers and their families, law-abiding businesses and local economies. These bills would prevent future and already established/highly successful local wage theft programs from being implemented. When wage theft occurs, workers and their families are denied hard-earned wages, local economies lose the extra consumer spending that is so vital to a community’s economic health, and responsible employers are forced to compete with unscrupulous businesses that undercut them on labor costs. HB 1125 passed the House of Representatives largely along party lines on April 25. The measure was then sent to the Senate where it ultimately died without the upper chamber taking a vote on the bill.

THE BAD
Local Pre-Emption PASSES (FPSU Opposed)
The legislature, along party lines, passed House Bill 655 with essentially prevents local governments from enacting policies relating to employee benefits, specifically earned medical leave. The issue erupted in Orange County after over 50,000 voters signed petitions to place a sick-leave measure on the ballot in 2012, but the County Commission refused. A judge later ordered the initiative to be placed on a 2014 ballot, but opponents took the fight to Tallahassee and lawmakers filed a series of bills—at the urging of corporate donors—to regulate labor issues at the state level.

Local Pension Reporting Reform PASSES (FPSU Opposed)
Senate Bill 534, sponsored by Senator Jeff Brandes (R-St. Petersburg) seeks to misrepresent the health of local pension systems. Proponents of the bills claim that SB 534 increases transparency and improves the solvency of our local pension systems. The truth is, however, that these unnecessary changes artificially inflate the cost of liability, undermine the security of millions of public employees, and increase costs to taxpayers and local governments – all without achieving the goal of transparence in financial reporting or addressing any problems supposedly linked to local public pensions. The bill was passed favorably by the legislature on May 1 and sent to the Governor for his approval.

THE DOWNRIGHT OFFENSIVE
Medicaid Expansion FAILS ((FPSU Supported)
Medicaid expansion is an important part of the Affordable Care Act which would not only increase health coverage for 1.2 million Floridians who cannot afford health insurance, but also create thousands of new jobs and generate billions of dollars in additional revenues for Florida. Legislative leadership, putting politics over the health of working families, remained steadfast in their refusal to draw down the $51 billion in available federal funds and expand health coverage to Florida’s uninsured. Lawmakers returned home on Friday after the 2013 regular session concluded without an agreement on meaningful health care reform, despite the early endorsement of Gov. Rick Scott and the pleas of businesses.

For more information:  Afifa Khaliq

561-385-5948 / afifa.khaliq@seiufpsu.org

SEIU Announces Endorsement of Darden Rice in District 4 City Council Race

Poll results show Rice leads in overall support and ability to address key economic issues

ST PETERSBURG, FL: Service Employees International Union (SEIU) today announced their pick for District 4 in the St. Petersburg municipal elections. Darden Rice earned the support of SEIU’s public service, healthcare and property service workers in the Tampa Bay region.

“Our members have decided to stand behind Darden Rice in this important election, because we believe we share a common vision for a stronger and more sustainable St. Petersburg,” said SEIU Florida President Monica Russo. “We are confident she will bring people together and has the skills necessary to get the job done.”

After a recent poll commissioned by the Union, results showed Darden Rice outpaced her opponents in favorability among District 4 voters as well as residents’ faith in her ability to strengthen local businesses and create more jobs. The April 29^th poll, which included a random sample of registered St. Pete voters, sought to gauge the community’s opinion of District 4 candidates and how they’ll perform when it comes to getting our local economy back on track. (See the results StPetePolls_2013_SEIU_StPetersburg_district4_April_29)

“Darden is the clear choice, and these survey results encourage our efforts as we continue to promote a local economy that works for everyone,” added Robin Turner, city worker and Chapter Chair for the Union in St Pete. “We have the resources to equip the communities where we work and live with the necessary tools and knowledge to improve local government through community involvement.”

SEIU Florida represents over 58,000 active and retired healthcare professionals, public employees, and property service workers across the state of Florida. SEIU members provide vital services in St. Petersburg-area hospitals, nursing homes, public schools and city government. With over 2.1 million members, SEIU is the fastest-growing union in North America.

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            International Labor Day Message

            From Alphonso Mayfield, President FPSU

Brothers and sisters –
On this day while recognizing the efforts of workers, I want to extend my warmest wishes to you, the members of Florida Public Services Union (FPSU). You are the very fabric of our society – the driving force behind a strong economy. You are serving the nation, making it prosperous and stronger. You clean our communities, invest in our children, ensure our safety, respond to emergencies, maintain our cities and much more.  We cannot thank you enough for your service to our nation.
Today, I’m honored to wish all of you a great Labor Day. More than 127 years ago on May 1st, dozens of our brothers and sisters have lost their lives. The movement that started in 1886 at Haymarket, Chicago, for an eight-hour workday has gained strength and became a strong political voice.
For generations, Unions in this country have fought for the rights of our workers and communities. Good jobs, equal pay for equal work, health benefits, safety and well bring of workers, fair treatment at work place, a seat at the bargaining table and a thriving middle class are some of the things the union has fought for.
Labor day remind us of the sacrifices made by our brothers and sisters. It is also a call to action reaffirming our zest and zeal for a progressive America. Today, we are facing new challenges and threats to our movement.
Attack on public pensions, balancing budgets on back of the middle class while rich corporations benefit from tax breaks, furloughs and lay offs of workers because Washington refused to impose tax on rich, privatization of public jobs, threat to public education, are some of the challenges we are facing today.

Congressional Republicans in a new attempt to silence labor movement are proposing to end the 40-hour workweek. This is not only an attempt to hurt workers but also an effort to suppress the voice of working middle class.

Today, when we are commemorating the struggle of Labor, we must take this opportunity to organize around vital issues that are threatening our freedom and struggle.

Remember We Are Stronger Together!