Hey everybody! I am back blogging from the Capital! WOW, we have accomplished a lot this session! I am beyond thrilled that we have won health insurance for 80,000 Oregon children and 116,000 adults! How amazing is that?!
This is such a terrific win for working people. House bill 2009 and 2116 have passed and we will be able to take advantage of federal matching money. What that means is, our Oregon dollars will be matched about two dollars for every one dollar the state of Oregon puts up. This is fantastic!
I have more good news! House Bill 2058 has passed and now there will be a Certified Nurses Assistant on the Board of Nursing. The bill was originally written to add public members to all the health care licensing boards. Public members look out for the interests of consumers on these Boards. I reviewed the bill earlier in the session and discovered that CNAs, who can be disciplined by the Board, had no one on the Board representing their interests.
There are over 18,000 CNAs working in Oregon hospitals and nursing homes, yet they had no direct representation! This seemed fundamentally unfair to me, so SEIU Local 49 proposed adding a CNA to the Board of Nursing. Olivia Devers, SEIU Local 49 member and a CNA at Kaiser Permanente, went to the legislature and lobbied members of the House Health Care committee. Olivia was great! She spoke to legislators and shared her experience working in health care for many years. I got the privilege to call Olivia last week and told her we won!
How did these victories happen? Well, first and foremost because you all contributed to our political fund – we call it COPE, which gives us the resources to do this important work. Those funds paid for me to be a Political Intern and work on these bills. They also help us to have an amazing Political Director here at SEIU Local 49. Her name is Felisa Hagins, and she is extremely skilled and knows her stuff! She worked incredibly hard to help pass these important bills.
We have been working with some terrific legislators on these issues including Sen. Alan Bates, Sen. Monnes Anderson, Rep. Mitch Greenlick and Rep. Nolan. Let’s take the time to thank those hard working Representatives and Senators, who voted “YES”. Find your Representative and Senator and call and ask them how they voted. Give them a big THANK YOU for being there for our children and for us!
We are one of the few states that still has citizen legislators. These are people who, when the legislature is not in session, work at their usual jobs: they are educators, small business owners, doctors, nurses, and working people like you and I.
We also had the help of several members who came to health care lobby day or testified on behalf of individual bills. We couldn’t have done it without you! These bills will help not only our union members but people throughout Oregon! Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t make a difference in this world. You can and we did!
Susan
P.S. We have not yet won on paid family leave, but the fight continues! Thank you for contributing to COPE so I could be out there fighting for you! It has been a wonderful learning experience! In Unity! Susan
2 years ago
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Hi everyone, I want to tell you about House Bill 2056. HB 2056 focuses on the membership of various health care boards, like the Board of Nursing. The health care boards have both professional and public members. For example, the Board of Nursing has Registered Nurses and Licensed Practical Nurses and public members. The main focus of the bill is adding more public members to this Board and other Boards, such as the Pharmacy Board, Medical Board (doctors). Chiropractors, etc. The public members of these boards look out for health care consumers, like you and me.
I learned that the Board of Nursing had no Certified Nursing Assistants, aka CNAs. The Board of Nursing regulates what a CNA can do for patients and can discipline CNAs but there was no CNA on the Board! I think this is wrong, if the Board has power over these workers, then the workers should have a voice on the Board.
There are about 18,000 CNAs in the state of Oregon and SEIU represents about 500 of these workers. They should have a voice on the Board!
I worked with Tom Powers, Legislative Aide to Representative Mitch Greenlick. Rep. Greenlick sponsored this bill. We worked with Tom and with the ONA, (Oregon Assn. of Nurses) and added an amendment to this bill. The amendment would add a CNA to the Board of Nursing.
So, far the bill has made it out of the House Health Care Committee and over to the Senate Committee on Health Care and Veterans’ Affairs. I attended a committee meeting on May 21, 2009 and presented testimony on behalf of the bill with our amendment. It was exciting to speak in front of the committee and I was a little nervous! I had written the testimony and spoke, me a regular citizen of Oregon, got to speak my piece in front of these citizen legislators, it was so exciting! I love that citizens of Oregon can make a difference in our government!
The Senators listened to me and were very gracious about my nervousness. I let them know that CNAs know the work of CNAs, and that these workers could add a lot to the Board. I gave them an example, a few years ago, the Board changes regulations that had an effect on the work life of CNAs, the CNA2 regulations. If there had been a CNA on the Board, their experience would have improved the process of implementing this change.
The bill had some other parts that they were going to explore further, so it is still being considered by the senate committee. Next steps, the committee votes it to the floor of the Senate, if it passes, it goes to the governor because it has already passed out of the house. After the governor signs it than it becomes law. Stay tuned for updates on this bill!
I believe that regular people in Oregon can make a difference in our laws. You can have a voice in your world and change it for the better. Check out my testimony!
Signing off for now!
Susan
2 years ago
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Notes
Hey everyone, I am down at the state Capital again. This time I am working with our allies on paid family leave for Oregonians.
We are getting close to the end of the legislative session, and we are still working hard on getting this important legislation passed. Senate Bill 966 would give employees who qualified for OFLA (Oregon Family Leave Act) a fund to draw on for up to $300 a week (for full time workers) for up to six weeks.
We need your help now! We need Oregonians to write to their legislators and tell them why paid family leave is needed. Do you have a story about how you would have taken OFLA if you could have afforded to do so? We need your stories and we need your help.
Legislators listen to those who live in their districts. Why? Because those are the people they represent! Also, those are the people who could re-elect or not re-elect them in the future!
What do I mean by stories? Well, I will give you an example, my Mom was very ill, in a nursing home and it got to the point that she was dying. I would have qualified for OFLA but could not take time off because I needed my paycheck. My family and I pieced together a plan of who would go see Mom which day. I felt terrible that I could not devote all my time to her, when she needed me most. She had always been there for me and now I was not with her. It broke my heart. I want paid family leave for others who are in this position.
Here’s another story. I know a healthcare worker who has a child with a chronic illness, sometimes he has a medical crisis. She qualifies for OFLA but can’t afford to take it because she is a single parent. She is barely making it from paycheck to paycheck as it is. She has to go to work to earn wages to support her child. If his condition worsens, she has to piece together child care and live with the guilt of not being with him when he needs her. Or take time off and worry about which bills she can pay and what is not going to get paid, this is very stressful!
We can get this bill into law if we work together.
Do you have a story to tell to your legislator? Please take time to write a letter!
Are you uncomfortable writing a letter? Contact me and I will help you write it!
Don’t know who your legislators are? I can help with that too!
We have two Senators in particular that we want to share stories with: Senator Martha Schrader, her district is Clackamas area; and Senator Joanne Verger, in the Coos Bay and Lincoln County area. Let’s let them know who we are and why we want this bill passed!
It is time to do something! Have you done your part? We ALMOST got paid family leave last legislative session, Let’s do it this session!
Susan
Find out who your legislator is and how to contact them at
http://www.leg.state.or.us/findlegsltr/
Or contact one of these two Oregon Senators:
Senator Martha Schrader D-Canby
900 Court St NE, S-425
Salem, OR 07301
Email sen.marthaschrader@state.or.us
Phone 503 986 1720
or
Senator Joanne Verger D-Coos Bay
900 Court St NE, S-401
Salem, OR 97301
Sen.joanneverger@state.or.us
Phone 503 986 1705
2 years ago
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On Health Care Lobby Day, we broke into groups based on legislative districts and spread out within the Capitol, calling on Senators and Representatives.
My group met with Senator Rod Monroe. We each took a role; I did introductions and told him, “We want Health care reform NOW!” Julie told him that we support a plan to use federal matching money so 100,000 adults and 80,000 children in Oregon can get health insurance. Violet spoke from her heart, telling him about her mother’s illness and suffering without health insurance. Mary told him that we need better health outcomes and we want better disease management.
Senator Monroe agreed with us and is in support of House bill 2009. He is for healthcare reform. We thanked him for his time and said we would be checking back with him over time. We are his constituents and we will be monitoring his votes.
Similar meetings were being held throughout the Capitol. Standing together, we have a strong voice and we will be heard!
I next went to the Commerce and Workforce Development committee’s public hearing on paid family leave, Senate Bill 966. The hearing room was packed, and an overflow room had to be set up. There were parents with little children, pregnant women, and people in all stages of life. Most all the testimony was in support of the bill.
A spokesperson for Hanna Anderson, a children’s clothing business, was there in support. This company is in Oregon, California and elsewhere in the U.S.. California has passed a paid family leave law that is similar to the Oregon bill. Hanna Anderson supports the bill because workers take the leave they need, get some wages, and then come back to work when they are ready. The employees appreciate the program. The company has a stable workforce, and doesn’t have to recruit and train new workers as much as before the law was in place. California’s short term disability dept. handled the leave paperwork and payments, this made things easy for the employer. Win for employer and win for employee!
Julie Markiewicz, a health care worker and member of SEIU Local 49, spoke at the hearing. She told her story; she and her family really could have used paid family leave when Julie was extremely injured in motorcycle accident two and a half years ago. Julie’s husband was entitled to take OFLA but could only afford to take a few days. Julie was in the ICU and really needed her family with her. She needed their comfort and she needed a spokesperson as she was in and out of a coma and could not speak. Julie did an excellent job of telling her story and I saw the Senators really paying attention to her.
We also submitted testimony in support of the bill from several other SEIU Local 49 members. We want the Senators to know that working people – and those we love – need this bill made into law.
I want to thank all those who came to health care lobby day. We had a great turn out and a very good day. Stay turned for the out come of these and other bills that affect the lives of working people.
Signing off from the Capital
Susan
2 years ago
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Hi everybody, I have lots to share with you all! On April 8th we had health care lobby day at the Oregon Capital. It was an awesome day! We started the day with a legislative update; then trained on how to talk to legislators. We learned that legislators listen closest to their constituents – the people who live in their districts and can vote for or against them. We practiced by role playing and got organized! We were fired up and ready to go!
We were a large group, over 300 people strong - representing labor unions, health care advocates like Oregonians For Health Security, and advocacy groups like AARP, the Oregon Bus Project, children’s advocacy groups, and Oregon Action. We were the citizens of Oregon!
We walked to the Capital steps and on the way we let people know we were coming! A leader would call out “What do we want?” We’d shout out “HEALTH CARE NOW!” We had people honking their horns in support, it was great!
When a passing biker asked what we were doing, Local 49 member Julie Markiewicz told him, “We’re going to the Capital to tell our legislators that we want health care reform NOW!” He joined us and came to our rally.
The rally was fantastic, more than 300 people, standing on the steps of the Capital raising their voices in support of health care reform! We sang songs, chanted and listened to speakers.
A woman spoke about her health and how without health insurance, her life will be shorter and painful! She’d gotten on the Oregon Health Plan through a lottery, and may lose her coverage. If she can’t keep her insurance, she won’t get her meds. She’ll be in great pain and even have a shorter life. This is just not right!
I saw legislators come out of the building to check out what was going on. We got their attention even before we walked into the Capital. Yippee!!!
We were pumped and ready to go talk to legislators! Oregon has 30 Senators and 60 Representatives, and we wanted to meet with all of them. We broke into small groups and met with legislators. Our message was clear and strong: we want health care reform and we want it now!
We were respectful but wanted them to understand why we were there. As we told them, Oregonians need health insurance. We have an opportunity to get a billion dollars – yes, a billion – in federal matching funds if the legislature passes an increase in the provider tax. If this happens, 100,000 low income adults and 80,000 children will have health insurance. Not only this, but we could create over 6,000 jobs!
We want health care costs contained and we want better health outcomes for the people of Oregon. We spend so much money on health care, but people in other countries, who spend a lot less, are actually healthier! We can do better and we want the health care providers to work with us to make this happen. We don’t just want health insurance, we want to be healthier!
Stay tuned for part two of lobby day.
~Susan
2 years ago
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Hi again, it’s Susan. I have been talking with union members. We have been discussing the world as it is and how it could be better if everyone had health insurance that covered what you needed covered: emergencies, preventive care and routine care.
Many of us have no insurance or insurance that costs too much to use. I’m sure you know people in that situation.
I have family members who have no health insurance through work or it costs too much for their share of the insurance. They don’t qualify for the Oregon Health Plan and when they get sick, it’s a struggle. Most doctors don’t want to see you if you don’t have insurance. So, a sore throat, that might be strep throat, does not get evaluated, and the sick “tough it out” even though they feel miserable.
I find that scary because, down the road, untreated strep throat can lead to bigger health problems. Then, the uninsured person has a serious illness. He goes to the emergency room, where they have to take people who are seriously sick and treat them. He gets a big bill and either struggles to pay the bill or defaults on it. We all pay for defaulted bills. Hospitals raise the cost of services and insurance companies raise the cost of the insurance and co pays. We all lose.
Is that fair? No, but that is how the world works right now. It is a broken system. First, the sick person is miserable, and I hate to see people suffer. There are many illnesses that are easy to treat when found early.
People with serious health problems like diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure can be treated and very often managed with routine care. However, if you don’t have insurance, you put off going to the doctor until it is a crisis. Medical crises are expensive!
For example, a diabetic who goes without regular monitoring and maybe never learned about the disease, does not manage their diabetes. Suddenly this person is very ill and goes to the emergency room with a very high blood sugar. The medical staff has to run lots of tests and treatments. This ties up an emergency room bed and staff time that could be dealing with car accidents, etc. The patient is really sick and winds up with a big bill. The patient has to miss work and maybe does not have sick days. The employer has to try and cover the ill employee’s work and this costs money.
There is a better way: if the patient had health insurance that covers routine care. Then, the patient has a small, affordable co-pay. So, the patient goes to the doctor, the diabetes is managed and the patient is educated about diabetes. The patient feels better and regularly goes to work. He learns about the disease and changes some habits and stays healthier.
Win for patient, win for employer, and win for health care system! How is it a win for the health care system? Many ways: it is less expensive to provide care at a medical office than the emergency room; the emergency room can focus on real emergencies; and the patient does not default on the medical bill.
The better way will come from reforming medical care on the national level and here in Oregon.
How? We take our real-life stories to our legislators and let them know that we are suffering, our children are suffering, our bothers and sisters are suffering.
We can influence legislators to change how the health system in Oregon works. We can get rid of inefficiencies in the way health care works. We can demand that insurance companies prove their case before allowing them to raise rates. We pass HB2009 and expand coverage to a 100,000 more Oregonians by increasing the hospital and insurance provider tax and leverage federal matching dollars!
Are you ready to do something? Come to our lobby day on April 8! Do you have a story to share? Contact me.
Bye for now!
Susan
2 years ago
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Do you dream that your life could be better? That your children’s future could be brighter than yours?
I believe our lives can get better and the future can be bright and full of possibilities.
You might think I am looking at the world through rose-colored glasses, but I do think our lives can be much better than they are now.
How? One person has to fight super hard to make changes in this world, and that happens and change happens, but it is very difficult. However, if many people stand together united they can speak with a big, strong voice and make things happen. We, union members and community members, can make the change we want to see if our world.
How? We stand together and let our voices ring out!
Where? Wherever we want to be heard! Isn’t that wonderful?
Here is your chance to speak up and be heard! Come join me at the Oregon legislature on April 8th in Salem, Oregon.
Why should you come?
Do you worry about what you would do if you had an ill child and needed to take lots of time off work caring for your child? Yes, there is FMLA, but the rules about FMLA have changed. If the Oregon law, OFLA, changes too, life could get harder for you.
Can you afford to take time off if your child is ill? Some employers let you use ill time for an ill child absence but not all employers do that. Also, many employers do not pay ill time, so taking time off work can really leave your paycheck short.
Wouldn’t it be great to be able to get some money when you had to take family leave? We are working on a bill in the Oregon legislature that would do just that.
Is that an issue you are passionate about? Would you like to share that passion with the people who make the laws? Come to Salem and talk to your legislator about this. Don’t worry, we won’t make you talk if you don’t want to, but if you do want to talk, we will help you get ready.
Do you care about how much health care costs? Do you have people in your life who don’t have health insurance and are scared to death that if they get sick, the medical bills will bankrupt them? I do. I have family members who have to declare bankruptcy because of medical debt. It is a terrible thing and will affect their lives for many years. If healthcare was less expensive, they probably could have found a way to pay the bills and not have to go bankrupt. We can influence lawmakers to change the way healthcare operates in Oregon, to make it more cost effective.
The laws we have are in place because people cared enough to do the work needed to make them happen. The laws that protect us in the workplace, safety laws, worker compensation, overtime laws, are there but they could also be taken away if we don’t continually fight for them. Here is a chance for you to make a difference in your world, take a day and join us to talk to the people who make and change laws.
Come share in a dream of a better life. Come to Salem on April 8th for Healthcare lobby day. You can email me and I will be happy to answer your questions.
Susan
2 years ago
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Hi again! This is Susan, signing on from the Oregon legislature. Did you know that the Federal government has just made changes to the Family Medical Leave Act? The changes will make it more difficult for you to get and/or keep your FMLA protections. Oregon has its own version of a family medical leave act, and it matched the former version of FMLA pretty well. Now, the Oregon Bureau of Labor & Industries (BOLI) has to figure out if the Oregon rules around OFLA (Oregon Family Leave Act) should change. Since labor law says your employer has to follow the law which is more beneficial (helpful) to the employee, this can make a big difference in your life!
I went to a public comment session at BOLI last week & offered testimony (which is a fancy way of saying offered my opinion). The federal law is changing, making it more difficult to get FMLA and adding more hoops to jump through to keep it. The Oregon law, currently, makes it fairly easy to get OFLA. I think we should leave the Oregon law alone. I looked at the federal law changes and here are a some examples of the changes.
A big change is how the leave entitlement is figured; the new federal law says it is based on a weekly average of hours over the previous 12 months vs. OFLA using a 12 week average! This is a big difference!
Another change to federal law is how long the employee has to get a “deficiency” (problem) with certification paperwork cleared up, the federal law says the employer only has to give 7 calendar days and if it is not taken care of the FMLA leave can be DENIED! I don’t think this is enough time. Have you ever had to get something from your doctor’s office? It can take a lot longer than 7 calendar days!
Also changing is who can contact your doctor. The revised law allows people who aren’t medical professionals to get information to clarify your medical certification.
You can look at the changes to the federal law at the Oregon BOLI web site. Send comments to Commissioner Avakian. Do it right away — a decision whether to make rule changes will happen soon!
OFLA helps us take time off when we are sick, have a new baby, or have a sick child or other family member. Let’s let BOLI know we like the law the way it is!
This is our state and we get a say in how things work! Speak your piece!
Hey, I also want to ask you to come join me at the Oregon legislature on April 8th for Healthcare Lobby Day. Come tell your legislator what you think on this & other issues that affect your life. We are working on a paid family medical leave bill; wouldn’t that be helpful when you needed to take FMLA/OFLA?
I also am collecting stories about how FMLA/OFLA has helped Oregonians and how you would have liked to take FMLA/OFLA if only you could have afforded to do it!
Write to me or call SEIU Local 49, phone 503 236 4949. to sign up for lobby day.
What do you think of my blog? Drop me a line.
2 years ago
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Hi all! Hello from the Oregon state capitol! My name is Susan Kolibaba and I am a health care worker and member of SEIU Local 49. I am working for you this session of the Oregon legislature. I see how our legislature is making and changing laws in our state that affect everyone in Oregon. I have gotten involved in politics the last few years because this is my state and my country and I want a voice my world! Laws are being passed every day that affect my life and yours too. I want a say in how the world works! How about you?
I want to tell you about what is going on down here in Salem, home of the Oregon legislature. We (SEIU) are working to make the lives of working people in Oregon better. SEIU, Local 49 and Local 503, are talking with our legislators and working to pass laws that help make our lives better.
I am working as an intern, which is a fancy way of saying that I am working with the leaders of our union to represent you in Salem. It is exciting work and I want to share it with you. Watch for updates to this message, I am going to begin a blog! (Well, I am going to try, because, until recently, I did not know much about blogging! So bear with me and we will learn together).
I am working on a paid family leave bill. Have you ever needed to take time off work to care for a new baby or maybe an elderly family member? Many of us have the legal protection to take time off work through Family Medical Leave Act (a federal law) or Oregon Family Leave Act (an Oregon law) but can’t afford to do so. Wouldn’t it be so helpful to have a fund that you could get money from, so you could be home with your new baby, newly adopted child or even a dying parent? We are working to pass a law that would allow you to draw from a fund that would supply money, up to $300 a week, for up to 12 weeks. Wouldn’t that be a great thing!
We are working with legislators on this. Stay tuned for more information, we will want to hear from you about your experiences in this area. We are going to be collecting stories from our members and then sharing them with our legislators. We have a voice and it is a big strong voice when we use it together!
I have been doing this work for a few weeks now and have already had some great experiences! I have been learning how the legislature works and it is really interesting! Do you remember the videos that used to play on Saturday mornings that educated us on things like how a bill becomes a law? Well, I have been getting a crash course on this and have been trying to remember the songs, remember, “I am a bill, just a bill”? etc.
Would you like to come join us at the legislature for a day? We will be having what is called a “Healthcare Lobby day” on April 8th in the Oregon legislature in Salem, Oregon.
You too could talk with a legislator! No worries, we will help you do this, no experience required! Legislators love to hear from the people they represent.
Did you know the Oregon capitol is called the “people’s house”? It is a really special building and it has an interesting history. I hadn’t ever been there until a few years ago but now feel like it is part of what makes Oregon a special place to live. Would you like to visit it and maybe even climb the stairs to the very top where the golden pioneer statue is? Come join us for Healthcare lobby day on April 8th, 2009. Call SEIU Local 49 to find out more! 503 236-4949.
Well, time to drive home to Portland now, I’m getting to know the I 5 freeway between Portland and Salem really well!. Talk to you soon! Susan
Get Involved! Help pass the paid family leave bill!
2 years ago
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