State Budget Improves Wisconsin Home Care

Home health care aides across the state praise the Wisconsin Legislature and Governor Doyle for the creation of the Wisconsin Quality Home Care Authority (WQHCA), which was included in the Governor’s budget. The WQHCA creates a registry to aide seniors in finding qualified independent home health care providers, provides training to caregivers, and allows workers a choice whether to unite as a union.

“The budget signed today will improve homecare and allow more seniors and people with disabilities to live where they want – in their own home,” announced Mike Thomas, President of the SEIU Wisconsin State Council.

Currently, many families in Wisconsin have difficulty finding experienced home care aides as they are left to their own to recruit through classified ads or community bulletin boards. Without the most basic benefits, or trainings provided to new workers, turnover is exceptionally high. Seniors and people with disabilities who cannot find stable care providers are often forced into more costly state institutions such as nursing homes.

Through the WQHCA, people searching for home health care aides may use a statewide registry that will match them with caregivers best suited to meet their needs. Trainings will be available to both new and current home health care aides to improve care to consumers.

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A Reason to Celebrate

The smell of BBQ filled the air as SEIU members in Milwaukee enjoyed the 1st Annual Juneteenth BBQ Cook-Out. Members of the African American Caucus of SEIU from Minnesota and Wisconsin battled it out over the grill, handing out free food to union members. The cook-out took place at the Milwaukee Juneteenth festival located on Martin Luther King Blvd.

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Today Juneteenth commemorates African American freedom and emphasizes education and achievement.

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"We Can't Wait"

SEIU Members Tell Congress to Fix Our Healthcare System

During the recent congressional recess, SEIU Healthcare members across the country met with members of Congress to share the urgent need for quality, affordable healthcare for our patients, our families and our communities.

SEIU members in Wisconsin met with four congressional members.

"I had the opportunity to meet with Congressman [Paul] Ryan (Wis.1st) to discuss healthcare and to deliver our members’ stories. It’s important for healthcare workers to tell their stories, who better than the ones who live it every day?" Ethel Gates, Nursing Home CNA.

Facts from SEIU Healthcare Members on the Front Lines:
• 65 percent of members see patients who don’t get the lifesaving care they need
because they are uninsured or can’t pay.
• 70 percent of members can’t afford their own healthcare, or have a close family member who can’t afford care.
• 68 percent of members say that healthcare costs could be lowered and quality care improved if we are staffed and equipped to provide best-practices care.
• 56 percent of members see patients who don’t get the care they need because of their race, ethnicity, or language.

Health Care Congressional Report

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Save Hartmarx Jobs

Hartmarx workers, represented by Workers United, an affiliate of the Service Employees International Union, demonstrated at Target’s annual meeting in Waukesha, where Wells Fargo Chairman Richard Kovacevich was expected.

Hartmarx is a major Chicago men’s suit manufacturer that has been in business for over a century, but it has recently gone into bankruptcy due to the recession. The company’s main creditor, Wells Fargo, a major recipient of federal bailout money, has suggested it prefers to liquidate the business rather than allow it to restructure and continue operations.

Kovacevich is on the board of Target and is running for reelection. The Hartmarx workers wanted to deliver a message to him demanding that the bank save thousands of jobs rather than liquidate the business for its short-term interests.

“We want to have a discussion with the board of Wells Fargo to keep our jobs at Hartmarx not only here in Illinois but across the country,” said Joe Costigan, treasurer of Workers United.

“We’re concerned that all along the bank has been trying to liquidate these jobs,” he said. “The banks have a hell of a lot of power over working families when it comes to people’s mortgages and our jobs. And Wells Fargo is a key player in deciding if this company stays open.”

Costigan continued, “We make some of the best suits in the country and these are jobs that working people’s livelihoods depend on. These are our jobs and we want Wells Fargo to know they’re worth fighting for.”

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Banks Get Bailed Out, Workers Get Sold Out

Taxpayers, and working families joined together in Milwaukee and more than 100 other cities across the nation to take action against Bank of America’s mishandling of taxpayer funds and collect and deliver “Taxpayer Proxies” demanding the bank fire CEO Ken Lewis and commit to financial reform that puts consumers and workers ahead of profits.

The taxpayer actions took place on the eve of Bank of America’s annual shareholder meeting in Charlotte, NC. After accepting $45 billion in bailout funds, taxpayers and the government are the largest shareholders of Bank of America, and taxpayers in Wisconsin are demanding that their voices be heard.

On April 29^th a delegation of community and national leaders will deliver the “Taxpayer Proxy” demands to the Bank of America shareholder meeting calling on it to: fire CEO Ken Lewis; support strong banking reform; eliminate predatory lending practices and unreasonable fees; support the Employee Free Choice Act to ensure workers have a voice to speak out for consumers and improve working conditions; and provide affordable healthcare to bank workers so they are not forced to rely on tax-payer funded public health programs. 

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