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.
