Webinar: What You Need to Know About H1N1 Flu

Forget the hype about H1N1 and let Diane Brown, an AFSCME workplace health and safety specialist, give you the latest information for you and your family. The webinars will be held Tuesday, Nov. 17 at 3:00pm and 8:30pm (ET). Find out:

• the difference between seasonal flu and H1N1
• H1N1 symptoms and how it spreads
• who is most at risk and how to protect yourself from being exposed
• who should get vaccinated and possible side effects

Discuss workplace strategies such as how to protect yourself from the flu. Learn about policies that should be in place on your job.

Click here for more information and to sign up.

Open Enrollment for Health Insurance runs until Nov. 30

Open enrollment started Oct. 26 and runs until Nov. 30. 

Significant changes are coming to co-pays and deductibles, depending on your plan. This is your chance to switch to a new plan. 

Also be aware that Nov. 30 is the deadline to verify the eligibility of any family members you cover. The Public Employees Benefits Board sent out only one open enrollment notice, so don’t overlook the chance to change plans. 

Benefits fairs continue this next week in Bellevue (Nov. 13), Olympia (Nov. 18) and Tumwater (Nov. 12). For full information and a full list of benefits fairs, go to www.pebb.hca.wa.gov.

Final Institutions Closures Report Issues

FINAL INSTITUTIONS CLOSURES REPORT ISSUED

The state Office of Financial Management has released a consultant’s final report with possible huge cuts in juvenile rehabilitation, Corrections and residential habilitation center (DD) institutions.

Final recommendations from a consultant would close Maple Lane School, Ahtanum View Corrections Center, Frances Haddon Morgan Center by 2013, Rainier School by 2017, and decimate the other three residential habilitation centers.

The report came out Nov. 4.

It gets its first legislative review today before the House Health and Human Services Appropriations Committee.

Obviously, the mobilization of members continues, but let’s not tip our hat to management here. Stay tuned.

House Health Care Vote: In WA, Who's on Board?

From the Public News Service-WA, November 05, 2009

OLYMPIA, Wash. - Today is a "Day of Action" for union members around the country to push for U.S. House approval of HR 3962, the "Affordable Health Care for America Act." The House version of health care reform may come up for a vote as early as Friday.........


Use the link below to listen (or read) the story - then make the call.


Click here to view this story on the Public News Service RSS site and access an audio version of this and other stories: http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/11216-1

Call NOW! Urge a YES VOTE on the Affordable Health Care for America Act (HR 3962)

Call NOW!   888-460-0813

Urge your representative to vote YES on the Affordable Health Care for America Act (HR 3962)

• Tell your member of Congress we need health care reform that doesn't tax our benefits, holds employers accountable and includes a robust public option.
• Calls are especially needed now to Representatives Brian Baird (3rd CD) and Adam Smith (9th CD).

---

• The House is expected to vote as early as Friday, Nov. 6. 
  
• A National Day of Action has been scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 5.

Bargaining Team ballots in the mail; due back November 13

The ballots for positions on the Federation's 2011-2013 bargaining teams are in the mail and are due back Nov. 13.

In General Government, elections will be among Federation members by their respective policy group:

• Corrections - Two candidates are vying for one seat.
• Transportation - Five candidates are running for two seats.
• Employment Security - Only two candidates were nominated for the two seats, so they have  won by acclamation: Kim Arnold and Steve Pointec.
• Labor and Industries - Six candidates are running for two seats.
• Natural Resources - Eleven are running for two seats.
• Human Services - Seventeen are running for four positions.
• Institutions - Thirteen are running for four seats.
• Miscellaneous - Fifteen candidates are vying for three seats.

In the Higher Education Coalition - the group of 12 Community Colleges and three four-year institutions, there is one big change this bargaining cycle. The administration at Western Washington University has opted out and will bargain separately this round. Meanwhile, for the first time, Eastern Washington University will be in the coalition; that under the law is via a decision made by the EWU administration.

Here is a rundown of the Higher Education Coalition elections:

• Community Colleges of Spokane - Five candidates are vying for three seats.
• Everett CC - One nomination came in for two positions, so Max Phipps has won by acclamation. The WFSE president will appoint someone to fill the vacant seat.
• Green River CC -- - One nomination came in for two positions, so Todd Henderson has won by acclamation. The WFSE president will appoint someone to fill the vacant seat.
• Seattle Community College District - Three nominations for three positions, so Betsy McConnell-Gutierrez, Milton Smith and Matthew Davenhall have won by acclamation.
• Shoreline CC - One nomination for one position, so Sam Bess has won by acclamation.
• Tacoma CC - Two nominations for two seats, so Angie Simpson and Laurie Harmon have won by acclamation.
• The Evergreen State College - Three nominations for three seats, so Kirk Talmadge, Lana Brewster and Erik Carlson have won by acclamation.
• Eastern Washington University - Nine candidates are vying for three seats on the coalition team.
• Whatcom CC - One nomination for one seat, so Amy Weaver has won by acclamation.
• No nominations came in from six coalition institutions, so the WFSE/AFSCME president will also appoint to fill those vacancies: Bellevue CC (1); Central Washington University (2); Centralia CC (1); Lower Columbia College (2); Peninsula College (1); and South Puget Sound CC (2).
  

Washington State University - One nomination came in for nine positions, so Eric Needham has been elected by acclamation and the WFSE/AFSCME president will appoint the remaining eight vacancies.

Western Washington University - Six nominations came in for nine seats, so Mary Ann Armstrong, Ron Rawls, Brandon Taylor, Timothy Harvey, Steven Vanko and Josef Bailey have all been elected by acclamation. The WFSE/AFSCME president will appoint the remaining three vacancies.

University of Washington - The 17-member UW Bargaining Team is elected by geographic location based on the formula set out in the Local 1488 constitution. The upshot is there will be only one election because no one for the other positions was nominated or there were fewer nominations than seats available, so the nominees are elected by acclamation. The one election will be among four nominees for two seats allotted to the UW Main Campus Trades Bargaining Unit. Elected by acclamation are: Paul Bentson (nominated for one of Harborview Medical Center's two at-large seats); Joe Davenport (nominated for one of two UW Main Campus at-large positions); John Miller (the sole nominee for UW Bothell's one seat); Thomas Fowler (nominated for one of the UW Medical Center's two at-large positions); and Remedios Peters (nominated for one the UW Main Campus's two custodian seats). The WFSE/AFSCME president will appoint the remaining vacancies: Harborview at-large (1); HMC Public Safety Officers (1); UW Medical Center at-large (1); UW Tacoma (1); PAC Lab/Friday Harbor/Consolidated Laundry (1); UW Main Campus at-large (1); UW Main Campus Library (2); UW Main Campus custodians (1).

Pushback against DOC cuts builds

Just about everyone now acknowledges that the cuts in DOC Community Corrections are a threat to public safety and other alternatives are needed to avoid what the Seattle P-I reported "are a tragedy waiting to happen."
The P-I, KIRO radio in Seattle, the Seattle Times, KHQ TV in Spokane and other media outlets have shed light on the harmful DOC cuts. It shows they will not be swept under the rug and the public is beginning to realize the billions in cuts imposed by the Legislature are harming them personally.

The P-I reports that since July, the Department of Corrections has ended community supervision of nearly 10,000 offenders deemed low-risk. DOC Secretary Eldon Vail told the P-I that translated to 60 layoffs so far in Community Corrections, "but we're going to get to about 250 layoffs in Community Corrections within the next month or so."

Further cuts may be coming as the state faces another $1.7 billion deficit.

But other sensible solutions are entering the public debate. The P-I reported one source as saying "there are billions spent for outdated tax loopholes, and eliminating or delaying those would be better than trimming from a Corrections staff that's already down to the bone."

The other cuts have come from Senate Bill 5288, "the legislation that ended the supervision of thousands of offenders (and) also reduced the community-custody terms for higher risk offenders, such as sexual predators and people convicted of violent crimes," the P-I reported.

On top of pressure from the union, Seattle City Council members, five area mayors, five county sheriffs, Seattle's police chief and the U.S. marshals recently signed a joint letter to Gov. Chris Gregoire and Vail to protest some of the cuts.

Vail told the P-I: "We try to make the best decisions we can to do the least damage to public safety." He added: "I am pretty concerned about, if there is another round of reductions that we can't yet articulate or identify, because we are really down now to supervising - particularly in Community Corrections - the highest risk offenders. I don't know who else to get rid of."

Open Enrollment for Health Insurance

OPEN ENROLLMENT FOR HEALTH INSURANCE started Oct. 26 and runs until Nov. 30. Significant changes are coming to co-pays and deductibles, depending on your plan. This is your chance to switch to a new plan. Also be aware that Nov. 30 is the deadline to verify the eligibility of any family members you cover. The Public Employees Benefits Board sent out only one open enrollment notice, so don't overlook the chance to change plans. Benefits fairs start Oct. 27 in Cheney, the UW and Spokane. For full information and a full list of benefits fairs, go to www.pebb.hca.wa.gov.

IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR KING COUNTY MEMBERS:

King County election officials have laid out the ballot there in a way that it might be easy to overlook Initiative 1033. It appears in the lower left corner below instruction panels. So, please don't overlook it. Just about all labor, business and community groups recommend a vote of NO on 1033 because it will add to the deficit and force even deeper budget cuts.

Movement to Save RHC's Rolls into Buckley at Rainier School Town Hall Meeting

The move to close Rainier School in Buckley and four other centers like it is part of a political agenda to wipe out residential habilitation centers—a ruse that will actually drive up the deficit and kill some of this state’s most vulnerable citizens.



That’s the consensus from legislators, parents and Federation members at a standing-room only town hall meeting to save Rainier School Oct. 22.

More than 80 Local 491 members, parents, local elected officials, firefighters and community supporters joined with two key legislators the town hall meeting in the Buckley City Council chambers.

The Save Rainier School town hall meeting followed by three days the all-day picketing of the governor’s Spokane regional office by more than 100 Lakeland Village Local 573 members.

It’s all part of a pro-residential habilitation center (RHC) alliance to fight the recent consultant’s report recommendation to close Rainier School and Frances Haddon Morgan Center and decimate by 90 percent Lakeland Village, Fircrest School and Yakima Valley School.

Rep. Christopher Hurst, D-31st Dist., who organized the Rainier School town hall meeting, made it clear the fight is not just a local fight, but also a statewide mobilization.

“All the RHCs are targeted for termination,” Hurst told the standing-room only crowd in the Buckley City Council chambers.

Hurst’s seatmate, Rep. Dan Roach, R-31st Dist., warned of a “domino effect” that “if one (RHC) goes, they’ll all go.”

They handed out a call to action to generate letters to the governor, the state budget director and the top leaders in the state House and Senate (see below).

The legislators and others in the audience were disturbed by an Oct. 19 news report in which the governor, commenting on the adverse reaction to the consultant’s report, appeared to suggest one institution should be played off against another.

www.theolympian.com/politicsblog/v-print/story/1008084.html

“The message to us to not cut anything really is not helpful,” The Olympian quoted Gov. Chris Gregoire. “We need to be working together and figuring out how to get from where we are to the end….”

The governor continued: “Rather than tell me it’s not a good study … tell me what a good study would show. What should we close? The days of saying, ‘this is bad,’ ‘shouldn’t do that,’ ‘don’t cut this,’ and so on are gone. … This is a day of, you know: ‘This is not the right thing to cut; you should cut over here.’ ‘This is not the right thing to close; you should close over here.’ That’s the dialogue we have to engage in right now.”

Meanwhile, at the Rainier School town hall meeting, Hurst and Roach made up a high-powered bi-partisan team that is crying foul on the consultant’s report and the real motives behind the push to close Rainier and the other RHCs.

The 31st District representatives said the forces that hate RHCs have seized on the economic downturn to wage a political fight to close the facilities under the guise of fiscal restraint.

“This is not about people and finances…,” Hurst said. “They (the anti-RHC forces) believe they should not exist.”

When California drastically downsized and forced the severally developmentally disabled residents into the community, the mortality rate shot up 66 percent, Roach said.

“That is something they (the anti-RHC forces) can’t ignore,” Roach said.

Closure won’t save any money, but will actually cost at least $1.6 million a year in transition costs, they said.

“There is no monetary gain on the state level, it costs more money and it will cost lives,” Roach said.

Local 491 President Joy Cage said the argument that RHC residents need to be in the “community” is misleading.

“Rainier School is not an institution, it’s a community,” Cage said.

Rainier School residents and those at all RHCs are valued and accepted in their community, she said.

“They got dignity and they got respect in the community of Rainier School,” Cage said.

The consultant’s report advocates moving most residents into a community network that right now doesn’t exist. “We’re concerned about people’s health and safety,” Cage said.

 “It’s not about money, it’s about what’s going to happen to our people in the community,” Cage added.

Parent Bob Gee said his daughter Angela has lived at Rainier School for 30 of her 46 years.

“I want my daughter to have consistent care,” he said.

He scoffed at the anti-RHC forces that distort the Americans with Disabilities Act to imply that those like Angela face discrimination because they choose to live at Rainier School.

“I would dare you to ask Angela if she feels discriminated against,” Gee said.

He said Rainier School and the other RHCs have underutilized capacity to provide respite care for home-cared disabled clients so parents and family caregivers can get a breather.

CALL TO ACTION FROM REPS. HURST AND ROACH

Here is the call to action issued by Rep. Hurst and Rep. Roach at the Oct. 22 Save Rainier School Town Hall meeting. We’ve modified it to apply to all RHCs because of the town hall meeting’s consensus that if one RHC goes, they all go in a domino effect.

Get the word out!

It’s important that we get the word out about protecting Rainier School, Frances Haddon Morgan Center, Lakeland Village, Fircrest School and Yakima Valley School. Everyone needs to contact these four people and let them know, in your own words, what these RHCs mean to you, and how the closure would affect you, those you love, and your community.

A personal letter goes a long way, and is by far the most impactful way to get your message through. Although even an e-mail can make an impact if it is written with a strong, heart-felt message, a personal letter is always the best. Try to encourage your friends and family members to send individual letters as well.

Victor Moore, Director
Washington State Office of Financial Management
P.O. Box 43113
Olympia, WA  98504-3113

Governor Christine Gregoire
P.O. Box 40002
Olympia, WA  98504-0002

House Speaker Frank Chopp
P.O. Box 40600
Olympia, WA  98504-0600

Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown
P.O. Box 40403
Olympia, WA  98504-0403