In the wee hours of the morning on May 11^th, the Coalition of Kaiser Unions representing almost 100,000 union members who work for Kaiser Permanente reached a tentative agreement on with their employer on a new three-year deal.  The contract (one of the largest in the nation) is yet another building block in an ever burgeoning labor management partnership with the health care provider.

The agreement spanning from Washington D.C. to Hawaii provides for a 2% pay increase each year for the workers, a 3% PSP bonus for eligible employees, and no roll backs to worker benefits.

“This feels like a tremendous victory not just for union Kaiser workers, but for health care workers everywhere” said Mateos Alvarez, President of SEIU Local 105.  “By working in partnership to ensure growth of both Kaiser and unions, by coming together and saying ‘we can reduce health care costs together and not just on the backs of workers’ we have taken a small step to helping restore the middle class,” he continued.

The agreement effecting 28 local unions is set to be ratified this summer.  And, once ratified, the contract would take effect October 1^st.

For more information visit www.bargaining2012.org

Interest Based Bargaining

On Tuesday, March 6th the Coalition of Kaiser Unions sat down for the first of a hand full of bargaining sessions with Kaiser Permanente.  The negotiations for a contract covering approximately 92,000 union workers with Kaiser will use the interest-based bargaining process.

“We’re excited for this process,” said Local 105 President Mateos Alvarez.  “The interest based process much like the Labor Management Partnership really provides us a chance to shape a whole new direction for health care and health care workers in this country,” he continued.  

For more information about the Kaiser bargaining process and for updates please visit www.bargaining2012.org

Cesar Chavez in the fields

Today we commemorate the life’s work of Cesar E. Chavez.  We celebrate the service, sacrifice, and self-determination of one man dedicated to the pursuit of respect and dignity for all workers.

Raised in the fields of Arizona and California, Chavez saw firsthand the hazards, headaches, and heartaches of toiling in the sun for little pay and even less respect.  Recognizing the need for change, Chavez bravely chose to organize and to help improve the lives of his fellow workers.

Through boycotts, fasts, and public pressure, Chavez organized the United Farm Workers (UFW), an organization dedicated to giving a voice on the job and respect to the tens of thousands of workers on farms and in the fields.  But, Cesar Chavez’s legacy extends far beyond the organized fields.  Chavez had set in motion a movement committed to realizing change; a movement dedicated to facing discrimination, poverty, and disrespect on the job head on.

Chavez breaking his fast

“Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You cannot uneducate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore. We have seen the future, and the future is ours.” ~Cesar Chavez

See work that needs doing such as giant potholes, crumbling bridges, or schools in disrepair?  Wonder why no one is doing it?  Wonder why some in Congress are slashing budgets and killing jobs when it’s clear we could put American’s back to work by fixing our failing infrastructure. 

If you answer yes to any of these questions, then we need your help!  It’s time we show members of Congress the true state of their districts by showing them all the work that needs doing.

Let’s send Congress a message!  Can you take a picture of a job that needs doing in Colorado? Roads, bridges, schools, dams, any infrastructure we should be putting people back to work repairing will do.

The unemployed and underemployed can’t wait any longer.  Congress should act NOW to put America back to work.  Help us make sure Congress get’s the big picture.

The bill, HR 2164, sponsored by Rep. Lamar Smith, will be voted on in the House Judiciary Committee tomorrow. The delegation met with an aide to Rep. Coffman and delivered a large-sized letter urging his opposition to HR 2164 and his support for comprehensive immigration reform.

“We let Rep. Coffman know that mandatory E-verify is a jobs killer,” said Carlos Contreras of SEIU. “It would result in 770,000 eligible workers losing their jobs. We can’t afford that in this economy.”

“I know from personal experience that E-Verify is badly flawed and wrongly rejects legally authorized workers,” added Contreras.

The delegation delivered a report documenting that mandatory E-Verify would cost small businesses $2.6 Billion to implement in the first year. “My family runs a small business, said Akaluck Nurack, a delegation participant. “I know how difficult a burden this would be for a small business.”

The AFL CIO representatives told Rep. Coffman’s aide that the national AFL CIO is opposed to HR 2164.

Rep. Coffman’s aide did not know how he would vote on the bill. Coffman has supported Arizona’s legal defense of SB 1070, a controversial immigration law. He opposed the DREAM Act.

On September11, 2001, 62 members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) perished when hijacked planes crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon near Washington, D.C. Window cleaners, elevator operators, porters, tour guides, state employees, first responders, and maintenance workers were our friends, our family, our neighbors, our co-workers, and our union brothers and sisters. Ahead of the 10th anniversary of this national tragedy, SEIU International President Mary Kay Henry issued the following statement:

“Ten years ago, America faced one of the greatest tragedies in generations when four hijacked planes crashed into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon near Washington, D.C., and in rural Pennsylvania killing thousands of people.

“But from our darkest hours, we rose to meet a brighter day, inspired by countless stories of unmatched heroism, stories of everyday people answering a higher call in our greatest moments of need. Stories of first-responders risking their lives to save others, security officers guiding hundreds out of burning buildings, and strangers reaching out a friendly hand to those in need. These narratives remind us what is so special about America.

“Ten years later, we are still trying to reconcile the unimaginable courage and the raw humanity America witnessed September 11, 2001. And 10 years later, we are still striving to honor the legacy of those who perished—not just because of their heroism that day—but because their bravery is among the most compelling accounts of what it means to be an American.

“The stories of the 62 members of SEIU—members of 1199SEIU, SEIU Local 4053/PEF and SEIU 32BJ—who perished that day are among these compelling accounts of bravery. The immigrant janitor and single mother who worked tirelessly to realize the American Dream. The paramedic, husband and father, who put himself through night school to answer the call of public service. The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance employee, committed to civic life and social activism.

“Today, as we reflect on the heroism and bravery of those who perished on September 11, 2001, we are reminded of just how many men and women risk their lives each day. Now more than ever, we are called to renew our commitment to public service and to honor the legacy of the brave and heroic by respecting the work of those who keep our communities safe and protected.”

Additionally, this added government regulation is a burden on small business.  With an economy already struggling to revive, forcing additional regulatory measures on small business is costly and detrimental to job growth. But, worst of all, mandatory E-Verify is a jobs killer.

·        Mandatory E-Verify will send more jobs overseas. Up to three-fourths of agriculture workers are undocumented. If mandatory E-Verify were to work as advertised and these workers left the fields, higher production costs and prices would lead to off-shoring of millions of jobs.

·        Mandatory E-Verify without reform would expand the underground economy and greatly reduce federal tax receipts. More employers and workers would resort to “under-the-table” cash transactions outside of the tax system, causing the federal government to lose $17.3 billion over 10 years. The real losers would be American workers in an underpaying and substandard labor market and taxpayers who would have to pay more taxes to offset the losses or suffer drastic cuts in services.

·        Mandatory E-Verify without Comprehensive Immigration Reform is a job killer and dangerous to the American economy. Many employers who are struggling in this weak economy would lay off workers rather than comply with a new costly and burdensome government mandate. Job growth would be stalled and scores of new workers would be pushed into the underground economy – rewarding bad-actor corporations and making life difficult for responsible corporations.

Building Worker’s Strength with Comprehensive Immigration Reform

As we face the most serious recession since the Great Depression–as healthcare costs skyrocket, income disparity grows, and the middle class continues to shrink–the American public wants fundamental reform of economic and social policies that have benefited a lucky few at the expense of the majority. Immigration reform is no exception. After years of failed piecemeal solutions and enforcement-only traps and tragedies, we face an unprecedented opportunity to re-build our immigration system so that it honors our values, strengthens our economy, supports working families, and restores the rule of law for the long-term.

Our Immigration System is Broken and Hurts all Workers:
•    As U.S. workers struggle in today’s economy, it is clear that we cannot reclaim the American Dream for workers until we eliminate our two tiered labor force and pass comprehensive reforms that build the strength and unity of all working people. As long as unscrupulous employers have the ability to exploit workers because they lack legal status, the current system will continue to drive down wages and breed divisions in workplaces and in our communities.

•    The problem is not immigrants; the problem is our broken immigration system. An immigration system that lacks legal channels for worker to fill available jobs is just like a financial market lacking adequate regulation: a catastrophe waiting to happen. Our economy–indeed our society–has grown dependent on the labor of undocumented immigrant workers who are vulnerable to exploitation and live in constant fear of deportation.

Comprehensive Reform is the Only Way to End Illegal Immigration:
•    The only way to ensure that every job in this country is filled by a legal permanent resident is to get undocumented immigrants out of the underground economy, into the system and under the rule of law. A united workforce will rise together: building the strength of working people and guaranteeing civil rights and basic fairness for all workers–no matter where they come from.

•    It is unacceptable to live in a country where millions of workers are living in shadows, outside of the rule of law. We must require immigrants to get into the system–pass background checks, pay fines, learn English, get on the tax rolls, and become U.S. citizens. This is not amnesty; it is the only smart, practical way to drain the pool of easily exploited labor and stop big business’ high profit, low-wage model.

Uniting Native-Born and Immigrant Workers will Raise Working Standards for All:
•    One clear lesson emerges from the history of working people in America: workers win when unions are inclusive and use their strength to reach out to the unorganized, and unions loose when they do not.

•    Immigrants are not a threat to native workers’ wages; the problem is our broken immigration laws allow big business, and its low-wage high profit model, to exploit workers who lack legal status. Once we get undocumented workers into the legal system, we can build a united movement of working people, equipped to fight the corporate greed that has driven down wages for all working people in America.

•    Our choice is clear. United we stand; divided we fail. It’s time to eliminate the second class workforce, unite all working people, and replace our current regime of employer sanctions with vigorous labor and civil rights protections that will raise living standards for all workers.

Today’s Costly Enforcement without Reform Approach Does Not Work:
Enforcement without reform has been tried for decades with dismal results. Instead of solving problems, it only succeeds in marginalizing immigrant communities and degrading the quality of life for the rest of us. 

•    At a time of skyrocketing U.S. deficit and while the Department of Homeland Security is more stretched than ever, we are throwing away billions of taxpayer dollars on border and workplace enforcement policies that have failed again and again.

•    Estimated to cost well over $200 billion, it is neither desirable nor feasible to deport 12 million people living and working in our communities. These costly policies just breed fear and misery, devastate local communities and distract us from the larger goal of finding a comprehensive and practical solution to immigration reform.

•    Throwing More Money at Virtual Border Fence is like Throwing Money in the Trash. Since 1986, we’ve spent hundreds of billions of dollars militarizing the U.S. Mexico border, but our success at apprehensions has gone down.

Employment Verification Without Reform will Wreak Havoc on our Workplaces:
•    Efforts to verify workers’ status in the workplace–such as E-verify–will lead to unfair firings, racial profiling, and enormous discrimination of workers, regardless of their lawful status. It will also push workers further into the underground economy, eroding wages for all workers.

•    The Social Security Administration’s own internal reports suggest that through E-Verify as many as 3.6 million workers a year will be misidentified as not authorized for employment–which could lead to mass layoffs and confusion for U.S. workers at a time when they are already struggling to stay afloat.

•    Worksite verification without comprehensive reform will push undocumented immigrants out of the legitimate taxed economy and into the underground cash economy. It will harm those employers that play by the rules and benefit abusive employers who continue to push down wages and working conditions for all workers.

•    SEIU encourages Congressional leaders to fix today’s flawed worksite enforcement models by scrubbing the database, offering real protections for workers who face discrimination, and prioritizing crack downs on employers who break labor laws. Done alongside comprehensive reforms, an effective employment verification system will ensure that every worker is in the system, paying taxes, and protected by equal labor rights.

Anti-Immigrant Policies are NOT Consistent with American Values:
•    Crude attempts to shut down our border and round up anyone who looks a certain way do not begin to solve our broken immigration system. These policies are driven by nativism, hate, and fear–not the values of pragmatism, fairness, and inclusion that have made America strong.

•    Instead of ripping apart families and destroying local economies, our government should focus on fixing the root causes of our broken immigration system.  Our immigration problems will not go away until we find a fair and practical way to bring undocumented workers out of the shadows, and create legal channels for much-needed immigrant workers to come here in the future.  The alternative – punitive attacks, family destruction, and harassment without hope – is shameful and fundamentally un-American.

•    Americans are fair, Americans believe in order, and Americans are pragmatic–we need to bring these values to the table while we develop a comprehensive strategy to fixing our broken immigration system.  It’s time to replace angry political bickering with real solutions. Immigrants work hard, pay taxes, sacrifice for their families, want to learn English, and believe in the American Dream.

Local 105s Stand for Security campaign is part of a national effort by 35,000 private security officers united with SEIU to raise industry standards by increasing professionalism and training, improve wages and benefits, and to develop career opportunities for security officers.

We protect property and people in facilities–including high-rise commercial buildings, banks, power plants, airports, warehouses, stadiums and the high-tech industry–all across America.

Through our national, community-based campaign–Stand for Security–we have reached out to fellow security officers, building owners, security providers, spiritual leaders, and elected officials across the country in order to bring good jobs to our communities and more safety and protection to those we serve.

We recognize that today’s world is shrinking–many security employers are global enterprises–and so we have begun to work with security officers in other nations to raise industry standards across the globe.