Healthcare

Statement of AFSCME President Gerald W. McEntee on tonight's vote in the U.S. House of Representatives:

Washington, DC — "Tonight's historic vote marks a major milestone in the struggle to break the power of the insurance industry and provide quality, affordable health care for millions of American families. Democrats in the House, with the determined leadership of President Barack Obama and Speaker Nancy Pelosi, demonstrated the courage that is necessary to defeat the special interests and do what is right for the American people. AFSCME members will remember those who stood with us and those who stood with the insurance industry. I have told Senator Harry Reid that we intend to continue our efforts as the battle moves to the U.S. Senate. Together, we will not fail. Tonight, we celebrate a monumentally important victory for our country. Tomorrow, we get back to work in the fight to make health care reform happen."

AFSCME's Make America Happen campaign for health care reform has been the largest issue mobilization campaign in the union's history, generating more than 400,000 phone calls and letters to Congress. In addition, the 1.6 million member union has invested in an aggressive $10 million television, online and print advertising campaign, along with an unprecedented use of texting and new media.

More AFSCME Jobs Going to Private Sector

AFSCME Rally in Milwaukee on Friday, March 12, 2010 11:30-1P at the South end of the Milwaukee County Courthouse 10th & Wells.

Where something Red to show your support in saving our brothers and sisters jobs in Milwaukee.

Welcome Back!

This past week I was given the official notification from Doug Burnett at AFSCME that my blog is approved and that I may continue to use this as an official informational tool from me to you. Please click on the Scott's bio page also because I will be placing information on it as well.

It feels good to be back in the saddle and I will provide you with results from Candidate Screenings who your local elected leaders have agreed to support. I will be creating a sidebar tool that lists upcoming events in your areas. Please check back often because as all of you provide me with information I will post.

On February 26, 2010 Labor held its' Candidate screening in Racine. We were disappointed in how many candidates failed to accept our invitation. Our conclusions are that we have quite a few people running for office in Racine and Racine County who are not Labor friendly candidates. So each of us needs to be aware of this when we go to the polls on April 6, 2010.

The entire County Board is up for re-election in Racine County and all Even Aldermatic positions are up for re-election and will be on the April 6, 2010 ballot:


Monte Osterman County Board D 3
Michael Gabbey County Board D 3 No response
James Kaplan County Board D 4 No response
Kenneth Lumpkin County Board D 4 10:30
Mark Hjortness Country Board D 14
Ronald Molnar County Board D 14 No response
Ken Hall (I) County Board D 15 1:00
John Leiber County Board D 15 No response
Joseph Bellante County Board D 19 No response
Donna Deuster County Board D 19 No response
Gilbert Bakke County Board D 21 No response
Patrick Lee Haley County Board D 21 No response
Jameel Ghuari Racine Common Council D 2 9:30A
Eric Marcus Racine Common Council D 2 unable to attend
James Kaplan Racine Common Council D 4 No response
Sherrie Lawson Racine Common Council D 4 10:50
Dwight Mosby Racine Common Council D 6 11:10am
Sandy Weidner Racine Common Council D 6 No
Donald Dwyer Racine Common Council D 10 Responded
Dennis Wiser Racine Common Council D 10 12:10pm
Fran Eulingbourgh Racine Unified School Board 12:30pm
Susan Kutz (I) Racine Unified School Board
Julie McKenna (I) Racine Unified School Board 10:10am
Bill Van Atta (I) Racine Unified School Board 9:10 AM
Gene Racine County Judge 9:50am
Georgia Racine County Judge 12:45


Labor waits to endorse School Board candidates until after their screening.
Racine County Judge Postion: Racine Candidates received a dual endorsement
For the first time in Jim Kaplan's history of running for office he was not endorsed. As a retired member of AFSCME Local 67 this was very disappointing to me. He has proven to be an unfriendly leader to labor by not responding to our questions or appearing at the screening.
Ken Hall County Board Incumbent 15th District was endorsed.
Ken Lumpkin former County Board Member, Community Activist, and Editor of Insider News of the 4th District was endorsed.
Sherrie Lawson Horlick High School Teacher and Community Activist was endorsed for the 4th District for Racine's City Council.
Jameel Ghuari was endorsed as the candidate for Racine's City Council 2nd District.
Dwight Mosby Sr. former County Board Member 15th District was endorsed.
Monte Osterman Candidate County Board No incumbent running endorsed by answers to packet sent back for 3rd District.
Mark Hjortness Candidate County Board No incumbent running endorsed by answers to packet send back for 14th District.

Good Luck to all candidates and Thank you for participating.

Friends of Falk New Year 2010 Message

Friends of Kathleen Falk

Dear Friends,

A New Year means it is time to look back at what we accomplished and ahead to what we should do.

Despite the awful economic times, here in Dane County we didn't just hunker down; we worked hard to move the ball forward on big issues that are basic to a strong future for all of us.

A year ago, I challenged our community to work collaboratively to reduce the problems our kids and families face because of people who drink too much alcohol too often. I pulled together a first-of-its kind county coalition to work on changing cultural norms and laws.

Our pilot project in middle schools is changing kids who drink alcohol before they are 13 years old. We've lobbied the state legislature to adopt long-overdue reforms on drunk driving.

We took big steps in 2009 to clean up our lakes and create green energy and good paying jobs at the same time! Our "Cow-Power" project is a great private-public partnership, using technology to remove the phosphorous in cow manure (which we have a lot of!) to generate green electricity to run 2000 homes, help our important dairy industry expand, and serve as a model for communities across the nation.

And now we have embarked on a process to explore how to collect all the food we waste each day (30% is wasted!) in order to convert it to jobs and green electricity.

This past year we went after every federal stimulus dollar we could. As a result, we are improving our airport, fixing our roads, and building a new county nursing home – featuring solar and geothermal heat -- that will serve some of our most vulnerable citizens.

The 2010 county budget which we recently finished was the toughest in history. The key in helping us maintain essential services was our successful negations with all the unions that represent our 2500 employees. We came to the table, respectfully and honestly, to save jobs and $8.5 million for taxpayers.

As we begin 2010, I know better days are ahead. My resolution is to do as much as I can to create more jobs and more opportunity for the many who are searching for work. Together, we will all succeed.

Happy and healthy year to you all!

Sincerely,

Kathleen Falk

Ratification of Two Year Contract

PRESS RELEASE

Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk issued the following statement after the Dane County Deputy Sheriff's Association and the Deputy Supervisors Association ratified a two year contract on Tuesday, December 29. The two year contract includes a 3% cut in pay for 2010 and eight additional days off.

"Today's ratification means all county employees - our sheriff's deputies, 911 dispatchers, snow plow operators, nurses, social workers, department heads and elected officials, including myself, have agreed to be part of the solution to address the worst economic recession our county has seen in decades," Falk said.

"Three out of every four dollars spent by county government go to public safety and protecting our most vulnerable citizens - our kids, families, seniors, and the disabled. Together county government is working together to help weather this economic storm and preserve public safety and human services when our citizens need them most." Falk said.

Local 60 is one of AFSCME Council 40's largest Locals and it is vital to our members and their families that they keep working. Kathleen Falk has done a great job maintaining positions for our members in Dane County.

Falling on Deaf Ears

As Americans and as AFSCME members we deserve the best healthcare benefits available. We work hard for our benefits and have gladly given into wage concessions to keep our healthcare benefits which in most cases have seen increased deductibles and more insurance carrier micro-managing of essential care.

Why do we want this bill to pass that includes the following:

• A new tax on high cost healthcare plans (our plans)
• No Public Option
• No Medicare buy-in for adults between the ages of 55-64
• No requirement for employers to pay their fair share to ensure their employees are covered under a comprehensive healthcare plan

Remembering a Member

To all,

Last night one of our retirees, a Correctional Officer from the Walworth County Sheriff’s Dept passed away. Howard Hagen was a union leader at the local level for his 9 year employment with us. Howard retired October 16, 2009 due to his deteriorating health conditions. Howard had fought a 2 year battle with cancer and succumbed to his illness on Saturday night. Before that Howard served the City of Chicago as a Police Officer for 34 years and was a leader in the FOP (Fraternal Order of Police) Lodge 7. Before that, Howard served his country in the United States Marine Corps.

Howard started work for our department on a bet with his wife. She didn’t think that he could pass the test to work for our department. That is a bet that I am glad that he won. Howard did this because as an employee of Chicago, he would not have received Medicare, because they did not pay into Social Security. Howard is survived by his wife, children and grand children. He joins the partners he had one the streets in Chicago to now guard the streets of heaven.

Please keep his family and our local in your thoughts and prayers this season. Howard touched these members and united these officers more than any person that I have seen.

Mike Recklies

AFSCME Healthcare Call

Please pick up the phone right now and call 1-888-460-0813. This is AFSCME's special toll-free hotline to the U.S. Capitol switchboard. Ask to be connected to Senators Feingold and Kohl and use this script as a guide:

Hello, my name is ------ and I’m calling from -------.
I’d like to speak with the person in the office who works on health care reform.
I support real health care reform — but I want to see it done right.
I am asking Senator _____ to support a strong public option and employer mandate, and to get rid of the tax on middle-class health care benefits that’s in the Senate plan.

The goal of health care reform should be to make it more affordable and accessible.
We can do that through competition from a public option. Taxing the benefits of middle-class Americans is a terrible idea.
Can I count on Senator _______ to support a strong public option and oppose the tax on middle class health care plans?

Please make a call to Senators Feingold and Kohl this week and let them know how important Healthcare Reform is to the economy of the United States.

AFSCME Members are Tireless

AFSCME members and activists are tireless in our efforts to elect pro-worker candidates and shape public budgets to protect public workers and vital government services -- and to ward off legislative attacks on working families. Learn more about what's happening and what you can do in Madison and on Capitol Hill and in your community to help elect politicians and enact policies that are right for your family.

Health Care Reform - What Does it mean for Union Members?

Congress is on the verge of passing the most sweeping healthcare legislation in decades. In the current issue of AFSCME Works magazine, an article titled, "Health Care Reform: What's In It for Union Members and Families" lays out what it means for AFSCME members
(pp. 10-11 and also available at www.afscme.org/healthcare).

Visit afscme.org/healthcare to read “Health Care Reform: What’s In It for Union Members and Families?" and sign up for one of these exclusive AFSCME Health Care Q & As! Sign up for an AFSCME Health Care Q&A at: www.afscme.org/healthcare.

Find out at an AFSCME Health Care Q & A!

Still have questions? AFSCME’s health care experts are happy to answer them during one of our AFSCME Health Care Q & A sessions in early December.

Please visit http://www.blogger.com/www.afscme.org/healthcare to sign up for one of these Q&A conference calls.

Calls will be held at the following times (all times are Eastern):

Tuesday, December 1, 2009
3 – 4 p.m.
8 – 9 p.m.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Noon – 1 p.m.
3 – 4 p.m.
8 – 9 p.m.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Noon – 1 p.m.
3 – 4 p.m.
8 – 9 p.m.