St. Paul, MN – As the dust settles on the 2013 legislative session, members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) say it will go down in history as one of the most successful legislative sessions, providing a balanced approach to making key investments in our middle class, while expanding the rights of collective bargaining for workers. (more…)
St. Paul, MN – More than 50 hours after first arriving at the Capitol Saturday afternoon, Sumer Spika joined a tired, but elated group of home care workers and recipients in celebration. (more…)
St. Paul, MN – Since December, Sumer Spika has been talking to anyone who will listen about why she’s supporting a bill that would allow her and 12,000 other home care workers to choose whether they want to join together in a union. (more…)
St. Paul, MN – Karen Urman has been fighting for the right to form a union ever since Republicans voted to cut her pay by 20 percent in 2011.
“Because I work as a PCA (personal care attendant) for my son, Ziggy, the Republican-controlled legislature voted to cut my pay,” said Urman, who lives in Mounds View. “That’s when I realized PCAs and home care workers needed to join together to collectively bargain with the state to protect us against further cuts.” (more…)
St. Paul, MN – After 11 committees and a record-setting 17-hour debate on the Senate floor, home care workers are celebrating a win after the Senate voted 35 – 32 to pass a bill that would extend collective bargaining rights to workers in self-directed public home care programs.
“I am so excited to see the Senate pass such an important bill to my family and me,” said Darleen Henry, a 23-year-old home care worker from Rosemount who cares for her mom. “Republicans stalled all night, but I’m happy the Senate ultimately granted me the same rights enjoyed by other workers to simply choose whether or not we want to join together in a union.”
Ziggy Norberg and his mom, Karen Urman, joined Henry in celebration. Norgerg was born with Spina Bifida. At 19, he now attends community college and is a leader in his community, something he says is possible because of his mom, who works for him as his PCA (personal care attendant).
“I am so fortunate to have my mom, because there are fewer and fewer people entering this field due to low wages and a lack of benefits,” said Norberg. “My mom shouldn’t have to struggle to get by because she is a home care worker. It would be nice if along with the hard, round-the-clock work of being a home care worker, my mom could enjoy the benefits and fair wages of a real career.”
Urman assists Norberg with daily tasks that allow him to live independently, rather than in a group home or other institution. The mother-son duo have been a constant presence in the Capitol since February, when lawmakers introduced a bill that would grant collective bargaining rights to self-directed home care workers in public programs. Unlike workers employed by agencies, these workers employed directly by their clients do not currently have the right to join a union under state law, even though the state provides the funding and sets reimbursement rates that determine the workers’ wages. If passed, the bill would allow the workers to call for an election to decide if they would like to join together to collectively bargain with the state for better wages, benefits and standards.
“This bill will strengthen the self-direction model that is so vital to these programs,” said Norberg. “It will also make sure that we can attract the best people to the profession. Home care workers like my Mom should have the same rights as others to join a union and a have a voice in their career. Their work saves the state and taxpayers millions each year – without these workers, the state would have to foot the bill for thousands of people entering nursing homes and institutions.”
Urman, Norberg and Henry were among the sea of purple that awaited the Senate vote which began Tuesday afternoon. By morning, purple still dotted the seats of the gallery.
If passed, the bill would allow Minnesota to follow in footsteps of several other states which have passed similar legislation. Those states have seen a reduction in worker turnover and a stabilization of the workforce. Workers and participants there have also seen an increased access to services, better wages and benefits, the creation of registry and referral services, greater access to training and a voice on the job.
“We just want the same rights as other workers,” said Urman. “Nurses and teachers have the right to form a union. The work we do isn’t more important, but it certainly isn’t less important. We should have the same right to choose for ourselves if we want to join together in a union.”
The bill would extend organizing rights to roughly 12,000 self-directed home care workers in Minnesota.
“When the day finally comes that I might need to find someone else, I want to rest assured that I will be able to find someone who takes the job seriously like my mom does,” said Norberg.
The House is expected to take up the Senate version of the bill later this week. The Governor is expected to sign the bill as well.
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SEIU Healthcare Minnesota unites more than 15,000 healthcare and long-term care workers in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and home care throughout the state of Minnesota. SEIU represents more than 30,000 members across Minnesota and is a powerful voice working to improve the lives of all Minnesotans.
St. Paul, MN – Nikki Villavicencio-Tollison is not new to the political process. As a leader among disability advocates, she has spent years working to improve services for the disability community. This year, among her many priorities, is a bill that would grant collective bargaining rights to personal care attendants (PCAs) and other home care workers in self-directed programs. (more…)
St. Paul, MN – After months of walking the halls, talking with legislators and attending hearings at the State Capitol, home care worker Darleen Henry is overjoyed that a bill that would give her the right to vote on whether she wants to form a union is finally headed to the floor for final votes in both the House and the Senate. (more…)
St. Paul, MN – As the Minnesota House of Representative prepares to vote on HF 1054 Thursday, leaders and members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) are calling on legislators in both the House and the Senate to vote yes to legalize the freedom to marry for same-sex couples.
In an oped published in today’s Pioneer Press, Jamie Gulley, President of SEIU Healthcare Minnesota, joined other labor leaders in calling on the Minnesota legislature to pass the marriage bills this session.
“We believe in a fair Minnesota,” said Gulley. “A Minnesota that values love, commitment, and responsibility. Everyday hard-working Minnesotans strive to build a state that is inclusive and prosperous for all, with no exceptions.”
SEIU members were active in the 2012 efforts to defeat the marriage amendment which would have permanently limited the freedom to marry for same-sex couples in Minnesota. Javier Morillo, President of SEIU local 26, served as a board member for Minnesotans United for All Families during the 2012 campaign.
“Our members have put hundreds of hours into door-knocking, phone-banking, doing whatever they could to secure the freedom to marry in Minnesota,” said Morillo. “Our members know that to deny justice and freedom to some people, simply because of who they are, is not how we do things in Minnesota. Our legislators need to pass this bill so that our core Minnesota values of fairness, freedom and family are represented in our state’s marriage laws.”
“All of our members should be afforded the same rights and responsibilities under the law, particularly when it comes to employment benefits,” said Carol Nieters, Executive Director of SEIU Local 284. “So many same-sex couples and their families are not given the same rights when it comes to the healthcare we provide to our members, simply because our state does not recognize those families. Our LGBT brothers and sisters deserve the same protections under the law, and we can move toward that with this marriage bill.”
Mitch Azarcon, president of the SEIU Lavender caucus, testified at the House and Senate committees in support of the bill. She is a surgical core tech at Rochester Methodist Hospital and a member of SEIU Healthcare Minnesota.
“To me, marriage is about love and commitment,” said Azarcon. “The vow of ‘to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part,’ is a vow that should not be afforded to only between one man and one woman. It should be for all couples, and that includes gay and lesbian couples who are willing to make that same commitment with their partners. As a labor leader, I believe in the dignity and worth of all workers, and I will continue to fight for a just and humane society.”
“As a state, we’ve spent years talking about why marriage matters so much,” said Gulley. “And we’ve affirmed what we already knew to be true: Marriage is about the love, commitment and responsibility that two people share. This year, we have the chance to strengthen thousands of families by extending the freedom to marry to same-sex couples. Now is the time. This is the year. Let’s make Minnesota the 12th state to grant the freedom to marry.”
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SEIU is the workers who provide care and support for your family in hospitals, nursing homes, schools, child care, and the Twin Cities’ largest public and private buildings. The SEIU Minnesota State Council coordinates the electoral, legislative and outreach work of the SEIU Locals in Minnesota to increase the effectiveness of their collective bargaining and new member organizing campaigns. By building the political involvement of approximately 30,000 SEIU members throughout the state, the State Council is working to improve the lives of all Minnesotans. The State Council’s board is comprised of elected leaders, members, and staff of the four SEIU Local Unions in Minnesota.
St. Paul, MN – Today at 4:40 p.m. more than 2,000 people are expected to rally on the lawn of the Minnesota State Capitol to say the time is now for immigration reform. The May Day March and Rally is held on International Worker’s Day, organized by a diverse coalition of organizations representing the broad unity and momentum behind immigration reform here in Minnesota. (more…)
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