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MSEA-SEIU Local 1989
65 State Street
PO Box 1072
Augusta, ME 04332-1072
207-622-3151
1-800-452-8794

MAINE STATE EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION

SEIU Local 1989

 

January 15 Legislative Update:

MSEA-SEIU Members to Legislators:

Stand Up for Quality Services and the Workers Who Provide Them!

MSEA-SEIU Retiree Member George Burgoyne testifies in support of LD 1595,
"
An Act to Provide Continued Protection of Benefits for Retirees of the Maine Public Employees
Retirement System," on January 14 before the Labor Committee.

In hearings and press events that began January 7 and continued through January 14, MSEA-SEIU members stood up in support of quality services and the workers who provide them as state legislators began addressing a $438 million gap in the current two-year state budget. We provided testimony on the proposed state budget and other legislation affecting our members, both current and retired, and all workers in Maine.

In addition, MSEA-SEIU members participated in the Maine Can Do Better press event in which hundreds of Maine people packed the State House Hall of Flags on January 12 in support of quality services. Plus we participated in the recent Infant Toddler Awareness Week event in support of adequately caring for Maine's youngest citizens.

 

LEGISLATION PROPOSING THREE ADDITIONAL SHUTDOWN DAYS

MSEA-SEIU President Bruce Hodsdon and MSEA-SEIU members Kelly Carr, Jonathan French, Jennifer Neumeyer, Debra A. Violette and Steven Keaten all testified on January 8 against the administration's legislation calling for three additional shutdown days beyond the 20 already booked.

"When state government is shut down, the work does not go away. The very real need of Maine's citizens in this recession, coupled with a hiring freeze and 1,000 fewer state workers, stretches our members to the breaking point," President Hodsdon said. "While our members on the frontline of public services recognize the state of our economy, everyday, and understand the need for taking their fair share of the cuts, they are asking: Where is the shared sacrifice and pain so often mentioned by Governor Baldacci? This budget, once again, targets Maine citizens who are poor or who suffer from disabilities. It targets Maine's children and schools. If this budget is truly meant to be one of 'shared pain and sacrifice,' then everyone, in all sectors of our economy, should be asked to share the pain. We ask that everything be on the table in order to address this revenue shortfall, not just cuts."

 

LD 1595, "AN ACT TO PROVIDE CONTINUED PROTECTION OF BENEFITS FOR RETIREES OF THE MAINE PUBLIC EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEM"

We testified in support of this legislation, sponsored by Senate President Elizabeth Mitchell. MSEA-SEIU Retiree Member George Burgoyne, who serves on the Retirement System Board of Trustees, said, "This bill needs to be approved for many reasons, two of which are that it protects retirees from having their current benefit payment reduced in the unlikely event that we experience two or three or more years of decline in the cost of living as computed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and that this protection is achieved without requiring an extraordinary expenditure by the State and without increasing the unfunded liability of our Retirement System. This is a bill where everyone wins; retirees will be assured that their benefits will not be reduced because of a negative cost of living, taxpayers win because the cost to the state of funding our retirement plan will not be increased, and future generations of taxpayers win because the unfunded liability of the Retirement System will not be increased."

 

HOME CARE SERVICES THROUGH ALPHA ONE AND HOME CARE FOR MAINE

MSEA-SEIU members testified against proposed cuts affecting self-directed home care services on grounds that the cuts actually increase costs by forcing people living as independently as possible in their own homes into more expensive boarding or nursing homes.

Roxann Garcac, a homecare worker from Dexter, and a member of Local 771 of MSEA-SEIU Local 1989, has worked as a home-care worker for six years. She has also worked in nursing homes.

"I currently work for HomeCare for Maine and I provide home-based services for four consumers, ages 65 to 87," Garcac told legislators. "The services I provide for my consumers keep them home and out of expensive nursing homes. They all tell me that the services I provide allow them to stay in their own homes and that they do not want to go into nursing homes. One of my consumers is currently in a rehabilitation facility and plans to come home after she is rehabilitated. Without the home-based care that she receives through HomeCare for Maine, provided by me, she would have to go into a nursing home."

Continuing, Garcac said, "I earn $9.40 per hour, with no benefits. For the cost of $272.60 per week, I help keep four people comfortable in their own homes, and save the State of Maine thousands of dollars in nursing home costs. This is a small amount of money that provides a great return for my consumers and the taxpayers."

Also testifying against proposed cuts in home-care services was MSEA-SEIU Local 771 President Helen Hanson, a direct care worker working in the Self-Directed Home Based Care Program.

"Over the years, we have seen these programs get cut, cut and yet cut again. It seems to me that we are not treating our elders and those with disability with respect and dignity when their services get cut. It also seems to me that the direct care workforce is not yet respected as it should be, especially when workers are already making low wages and then they may be told that they will forced to make less," Hanson said. "What happens when workers do not make enough to survive? They leave the people in their care, in search of a job with better pay. That leaves the people needing care also in the lurch because they cannot find another worker. Would you be willing to help someone with their ADLs (Activities for Daily Living) such as bathing for $7 or $8 an hour? Just think about that for a minute or two."

Continuing, Hanson said, "I know the state is going through severe revenue shortfalls. I urge you to consider consolidating some of these programs in an effort to gain some sustainability over them. Look into turning the seven or so home care programs into three or four. Look into taking all the home care agencies that rely on state funding and bringing them down to five or six regional agencies, thereby saving on administrative cost. Look into the way Goold Health Systems and Elder Independence of Maine do business and see if there's some place to consolidate there. We've got to find a more efficient way to deliver these much needed home care services to those who want to remain home and independent as long as they can."

 

HOME BASED CHILD CARE SERVICES

MSEA-SEIU Kids First President Penni Theriault testified against legislation the would repeal the maximum threshold that sets rates for child care providers at the 75th percentile of the local market rate in 2011. "We understand that the state has questions about a small piece of the language regarding rates for children with special needs," Theriault said. "Yet the setting of the market rate at the 75th percentile has been recommended by advocates of quality early childhood education. We urge you to remove the specific language in the statute that the state has issues with while retaining the language that sets the market rate at the 75th percentile."

 

CHILD DEVELOPMENT SERVICES

MSEA-SEIU members who work for Child Development Services successfully defended the services they provide against proposed legislation that would have substantially reduced funding for those services. The legislation was rewritten to study the manner in which these services are delivered.

"The Child Development Services workforce is strongly committed to the children and families they serve. They know that the early intervention CDS provides is an investment in Maine's children and ultimately results in cost-savings to our public education system," said Mary Anne Turowski, director of politics and legislation for our union. "CDS has been the subject of much legislative attention and scrutiny over the years. Our members are now concerned about how the proposed budget cut of $1.29 million, effective 7/10/10, will impact the children and families they serve. For example, one cost-savings proposal is the idea of co-locating CDS services with other agencies or in schools. This idea has been explored before, and the short answer is there is 'no free lunch.' Non-profit agencies want some form of payment, as their budgets are stretched to the breaking point. Schools have indicated that they have no space available to accommodate CDS services. Our members are concerned that such a move would result in less services to families and children in their communities, create additional travel costs and the staff time associated with travel, and will ultimately create more inefficiencies in the system. Finding free or inexpensive space, with enough room to conduct team meetings, or meet with families, confidentially, is an impossible task."

Continuing, Turowski said, "The CDS workforce recognizes the tough economic times we are all in. They see first hand how the economy impacts and stresses their families, who are already struggling with a child identified with special needs. Our members are willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that families and children get what they need. They pledge to work collaboratively with their site directors to achieve savings and efficiencies in the services they provide. But they urge both committees to find other alternatives to this budget cut."

 

MAINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM

We also testified against legislation cutting funding for services provided by rank-and-file workers of the Maine Community College System. We suggested that rather than reduce services directly benefiting students, that the Maine Community College System Board of Trustees considers administrative savings at the top. Currently each of the seven community college campuses each has a president, vice president and a number of deans. We suggested that consideration be given to a system that would have just one president, seven vice presidents and a hard look at the number of deans within the system. This would result in savings that could be redirected toward the mission of providing quality education to students.

 

LD 1665, "AN ACT TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF H1N1"

We testified in support of LD 1665, "An Act to Prevent the Spread of H1N1," sponsored by Senate President Elizabeth Mitchell and cosponsored by Representative Jim Campbell. Our members who currently have no sick leave include personal care attendants who work for HomeCare for Maine and Alpha One. Because they work in the homes of the people who use their services, they cannot go to work sick. This is a low-wage workforce, without sick leave, health insurance or other benefits.

Also, we told legislators that our recent conversations with our Kids First members who are childcare providers give witness to the impossible decisions that parents make everyday regarding staying home with a sick child or losing pay, or worse, even losing a job. These providers experience the consequence of having a sick child in their daycare because a parent cannot take a day off from work. On behalf of all the working people who have no sick leave benefit, we urged legislators to support LD 1665.