Page 509 News

200 MEMBERS GATHER FOR 2010 STEWARD ASSEMBLY

On February 25th, 200 stewards and officers from SEIU Local 509 and 888 participated in the 2010 Stewards Assembly. Members received training on Health and Safety in the Workplace and Beginner and Advanced Grievance Handling. Some members also attended a workshop and training on the SEIU Member Strength Program. This program is designed to help locals get more members actively involved in the union.

Applications for this assembly were higher then ever before. Another assembly is planned for September 2010. Public Sector members who applied but were not granted release time from their agency for the recent assembly will be made first priority for the assembly later this year.

“My experience at the Stewards Assembly was great. It really lit the fire again”. - Stewards reaction to the Steward Assembly

State Worker Contract Funding Now Before Legislature

The governor has submitted a funding request to the legislature to fund the state workers contract. It is part of a supplemental budget request HB4444. None of the pay raises, (1% Jan. 2010, 3% Jan. 2011, and 3% Jan. 2012) can take place until the legislature approves the funding request. Likewise, the modest furlough provision, can not take place until the funding request is approved.

An email lobbying campaign has been started by the union. It is important that all members participate in the campaign to encourage law makers to fund the contract. President Grunko has been meeting with legislative leaders to encourage passage of the funding request. Continue to save your co-pay and deductible receipts as the new agreement calls for the recent increases to be reimbursed by the state.

What’s in this issue of the 509 News?

Delta Workers say YES to Union - •Pg. 5Steward Assembly Hightlights - •Pg. 12 Member Strength - Pg. 12•Stewards Honored - Pg. 12•Leadership vacancies - Pg. 15•Organizing Committee - Pg. 11 •

March 2010Volume 44, Number 1

Page 509 News

President’s Message

2

So you are Mad at the State...by Michael Grunko

OK. So you hate the governor. The legislature failed you when revenues collapsed by not funding the pay raise we negotiated with the governor (remember, you hate the governor). Work is harder. Systems are changing and the changes don’t make any sense to you.

Did you ever walk by one of those T-shirt shops in P-Town or Old Orchard Beach where they were selling those “Life is Good” (registered trademark) hats and shirts? Is it safe to say that at this point in your life you’re not buying?

Worse yet, in the Globe and on talk radio you keep hearing about how great public employees have it, and how they should be cutting our health insurance and pension costs the same way as union workers in the auto industry.

So who are the alternatives? We know their names: Treasurer Tim Cahill, no longer a Democrat; Republicans Cristy Mihos and Charlie Baker. They all promise large tax cuts and a reduced number of state employees.

The February 18 Boston Globe asked each to come up with five ways they would close the more than $2 billion budget gap the state is facing next year:

“In response to the Boston Globe’s challenge, Charlie Baker, a Republican candidate for Governor who was the budget chief in the Weld and Cellucci administrations, emphasized reducing and restructuring state government, although he was sometimes reluctant to offer specifics about what would be cut.

“Repeating a pledge he has made recently in campaign appearances and on a radio show, he said he would slash by 10 percent the 50,000 workers in the executive branch, saving $400 million. But he would not name specific agencies he would target for reductions. Instead, he vowed to cut across the branch, beginning with jobs in the “administrative and management ranks.’’

“Baker said he would also consolidate the 17 health and human services agencies because five or six do most of the work now and there “ought to be less.’’ He said he could “produce substantial savings without impacting services,’’ by combining the purchasing, legal, and information technology divisions, for example. But he declined to say what agencies he believes are redundant, saying only that

“many case managers and many people are working at cross-purposes.’’

“He acknowledged that his five ideas would not close a $2 billion budget gap. But he said the proposals were just a sample of those he has been talking about; he joked that he could keep discussing reform plans for hours.”

Cristy Mihos, a Republican businessman from Cape Cod …vowed to freeze state wages and salaries for one [more] year, which he said would save $140 million. Legalizing sports betting, he said, could raise $1 billion for state government. And he vowed to close the Registry and let city and town halls handle those transactions.

“I just want to pare down government and cut the size of government,’’ Mihos said.

And state Treasurer Timothy P. Cahill, although he promises to cut spending on health care, education, and local aid, says he cannot offer more details about his plans until he is elected governor. “I don’t have enough insight into the budget, especially particular areas where money is being wasted, until I get in there,’’ he said.

Cahill, an independent who left the Democratic Party in July, said he would not raise taxes and would consider cutting all “sacred cows,’’ including health care, education, and local aid. But even though he has managed state finances since 2003, he declined to offer more specific cuts, saying, “It’s hard to do when you’re not in the [governor’s] office.’’

He blamed Patrick, saying the governor has not given him enough information to differentiate “real spending’’ from agencies merely “defending their turf.’’

“I know it sounds like I’m avoiding, but I don’t want to make the mistake this guy did, by promising things that aren’t doable or real,’’ Cahill said of Patrick. “I don’t want to fall into that trap, especially without all the information.’’”

In May, we expect to be holding a candidates’ debate or forum for Governor. Will any of them show up? I hope so, because our members have some tough questions to ask them. Maybe one of them will show up wearing a “Life is Good” T-shirt.

Service employeeS international Union local 509

100 Talcott Ave.Watertown, MA 02472

www.seiu509.orge-mail: mail@509seiu.com

TEL: 617-924-8509 FAX : 617-924-8248

Page 509 News3

Treasurer’s Report

by Stephen Lewis

Local 509 continues to move money each month into our strike fund. This is to help us prepare for whatever it

takes to get pay raises for our private sector members.

Need to see your union con-tract? It is on the Local 509 web-site. The advantage of viewing it on-line vs a hard copy is that you can do a word search on-line. Let’s say you want to know what your contract states regarding vacations. With a hard copy, you can look in the index and find the section on vacations or you can

thumb through the book. By using it on-line, you can do a word search and find every place in the contract where the word “vacation” is mentioned, in seconds. If you are a steward and you need to take a contract into a grievance hearing, you can just print out the relevant pages. If you are uncertain how to accomplish these two things, just ask another union member who knows computers to show you.

There are a number of events coming up that members interested in personal growth and supporting the labor

movement may want to consider participating in.

There will be a legislative breakfast held by the UMass Dartmouth Labor Education Center on April 10 at 8 am. There will be elected officials from Southeastern MA and the Cape. There is a $10 cost that Local 509 will cover. Contact Diana Cruz at 508/999-8007.

On May 2, there will be a 5K race and walk. This is a fundraiser for the UMass Dartmouth Labor Education Center. The event will be held at the UMass Dartmouth Ring Rd. Pre-registration is $12. The race starts at 10 am. Contact Jose Soler at 508/999-8796.

For those of you in Western MA, the Hampshire/Franklin Central Labor Council is holding a legislative breakfast at the Bluebonnet Diner in Northampton on 4/9, from 9am to 10:45. RSVP to Fiore Grassetti at 413/246-8508 or org7@comcast.net. Tell him you are a 509 member. You need to register. We will reimburse the Council for your breakfast. The Norfolk County Central Labor Council is holding a Legislative Breakfast on 4/12, 9am-11am at the Quincy Marriott. It is free, but RSVP to Jim Howard at 774/230-0510 or norfolklabor@comcast.net If you want some labor culture, you can journey to the Museum of Work and Culture in Woonsockett and see my poster exhibit “Celebrating Women’s Struggles”. The posters are from many unions around the world.

SeIu 509 CeLeBrateS Kay WILLIaMS

Long time union, political and community activist, Kay Williams has retired from the Department of Revenue. Currently, Kay has been filling the role of SEIU 509 Recording Secretary but has been active in her chapter for many years.

SEIU 509 Members and Staff thank Kay of her dedicated years of service to the members of SEIU 509 and wish her all the best!

509 News is published 5 times a year by SEIU Local 509Circulation 11,500

President Michael GrunkoTreasurer Stephen LewisRecording Secretary Marianne KielyTrustees Pat Barry Bruce Callahan Philip Leduc Sergeant-at-Arms John DaCostaChapter Presidents Zevorah Bagni, DCF Stu Dickson, DDS Mimi Gordon, DEEC Bernard Smith, DMA John Labaki - DMH Ken Gorman - DOC Peter Cirioni - DOE John Tortelli - DOR Taiye Anjorin - DPH Ken Ramsay - DTA Bob O’Haver - IST Cheryl Rivers - MCB Susan Tousignant - MCB Kathy Whitman - Private Sector

Page 509 News

delta Projects workers vote yeS to form a union!

On March 9th, the employeses at Delta Projects voted overwhelmingly to join SEIU 509. Delta Projects employees voted to join our union dispite experiencing intimidation and fear of retali-ation on the job. Unfortunately, Diane Iagulli (Director of Delta Projects) spent thousands of dollars trying to intimidate and harass workers not to form a union. Many unfair labor practices charges are pending before the National Labor and Relations Board.

On February 24th, Governor Deval Patrick meet with Delta Project employees to discuss what they were experiencing on the job. After hearing their first hand accounts, Governor Patrick reaf-firmed his commitment to ask the Secretary of Workforce and Labor Development to look into these alligations.

Delta Projects serves persons with intellectual disabilities and other developmental disabilities in adult residential, adult transitional housing, adult employment supports and children’s after school and respite programs.

Interested in helping other unorganized workers form a union?

Become a member organizer and help other human serive workers gain a voice on the job! See the Organzing Committee update on Page 11

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Chapter News

4

Private Sector human Services Chapterby Kathy Whitman

I am looking into my crystal ball to see what is in store for 2010. Just last week we had our “January Thaw” only I did not get thawed out much, did you? While the acorns predicted a hard winter I am wondering just how hard it is supposed to get. Many mistakes were made in the senatorial race for the Ted Kennedy Seat. Now we have to worry about just how hard this winter will really be.

While campaigning for Martha Coakley, I heard a lot of negativity from voters. The big comment I heard the most is people believe there is a lot of “waste” in the state budget. I wondered what they meant by that, so I asked. It seems most folks use highway workers and motor vehicle workers as their example. Our image is based on that picture. When they drive by a road crew all they see is people standing around doing nothing. When they are standing in line, all they see is workers who are standing around doing nothing. This is not the picture that represents our Human Service Workers!

I heard that the Governor is asking for a 3% cut off all state contracts; which will have a tremendous effect on all our members. The Senate and House are holding off passing the money to fund the Union contract for our

sisters and brothers in the state alliance contract of Local 509seiu. However, just before the election the Governor restored some positions that had been previously cut; kind of hard to keep track of all the ups and downs. And, then there is the CBFS fiasco.

Just how bad will it get? I have no answer; the crystal ball had a snowstorm. But if we do not change the picture the public has of state workers, we will be the ones to pay the hard price.

Since the last issuance of the 509 news, your DTA Chapter has changes to report.

First, after many years as the Western Regional Vive President, Frank Rocchi has retired. All of us wish him well and thank him for his years of dedication on behalf of DTA workers. Replacing Frank in our line-up is Kirsten Myallaked from the Springfield Liberty Street office. Replacing Frank will not be an easy task, but I am sure that Kirsten will be up to it. We should

all be thankful to Kirsten for being willing to fight on behalf of all DTA workers during these difficult times.

Secondly, Regional Vice President Thomas Foster got his long sought after transfer, thus vacating his position and making room for a new Vice President that will be

department of transitional assistance Chapter by Kenneth Ramsay

determined after ballots are counted on March 19 th, 2010. Thomas has been kind enough to continue serving members of his old region until that time. Again, we should all thank Thomas for services rendered.

During the months ahead, our main focus will be on protecting jobs by advocating for the funds necessary to maintain and increase staffing levels. This is a difficult task given the political\economic situation both in this state and nationally. However, it is unjust to do economic harm to those who can least afford it. We do not accept any presented justifications or job cuts or reductions in your hard earned compensation.

Your DTA team will continue to fight for more workers, less Central Office interference with our delivery of service to those in need, pay raises and the protection and enhancement of our retirement system.

STICK TOGETHER AND BE STRONG!!!

SeIu 509 SChoLarShIPS

The deadline has passed for the SEIU 509 2009-2010 Scholarship Applications.

The winners will be announced on April 1, 2010.

Check SEIU509.org for the results.

Page 509 News5

by Cheryl Rivers

Our last Chapter Board meeting took place on February 9, 2010. There were three topics, which were of concern

to the members. They are the contract including furloughs, medical insurance co-pays and deductibles and pension reform.

It has been reported to the Chapter Presidents and the Joint Executive Board that the legislature is looking favorably at the contract. The Governor has submitted a request to the legislature and hopefully, by the time you read this article, we will

have a positive answer regarding the supplemental budget. Thank you to President Grunko and his team for working so diligently for us.

If the contract is funded, we will be involved in furloughs. We need to think of how we may want to individually implement our furlough time. We can make the choice of not

Massachusetts Commission For the Blind Chapter

department of Mental health Chapterby John Labaki

Greetings.It has been a painful and challenging year. Our members continue to experience difficult times

due to possible layoffs from in-patients services, consolidation of a state hospital, merging and co-locating offices, lack of services and programs available to our clients, increase in workload, safety issues and concerns in workplace, and more. While we expect further budget cuts (DMH budgets FY10 $ FY11, 3.5% cut to $622million) we are keeping up the good fight that we began two

years ago in concert with our friends and supporters to save and reinstate the services and jobs we lost a couple of years ago. To quote a great person, “Together, we can.”

During our meeting with the Commissioner and her team last month, we offered ideas and suggestions on how the department can save some money.

As you know, we won some battles and, sadly, lost others. We are stepping up our endeavors by organizing a mental health campaign through the Director of Organizing, Erin Shackelford. We are very appreciative to Erin and to all the committee members for the work, assistance,

and guidance you are providing for this plan to make it successful. In our ongoing meetings with management, we are asking to back fill all 509 positions and to accept our recommendations on the future role of case management. Our thanks go to Colleen Doherty for leading the work on this issue. A few weeks ago, we submitted a request to convene with management to discuss job functions and case assignment practices for Social Worker titles and to develop guidelines and criteria for case assignment. While much was accomplished, much more needs to be done and achieved.

We invite you to participate in your chapter business and planning. Hope you find time to lend us a hand. Recently, the chapter has lost two chapter executive board members, Janet Jones and Gary Dauer, due to their retirement. Their input, involvement, and leadership will be greatly missed. We wish full health and success to both of you. This leads us to express our wish to fill all chapter vacancies soon. Please do not hesitate to let me know if you are interested, and/or to discuss any concerns/issues that you may need assistance with.

working the furlough day(s) and not receive vacation time. No work/no time. Or we may chose to work the furlough days and receive vacation time. Furlough money may be deducted all at one or over the remainder of the fiscal year (through June 30, 2010). Those who work the furlough days will have through the calendar year 2010 (December 31, 2010) to use the vacation time accrued as a result of the furlough.

Health Insurance reimbursement is still being worked on. Please make sure that you ask for and save medical receipts for co-pays and deductibles. Reimbursements may be made via payroll every three months.

As far as pension reform, the union will be forming a committee, which will speak to the reforms, which the Governor has proposed. It has been reported that these proposals will not be detrimental to existing workers. We can expect to hear a great deal more in the near future.

Our next Chapter Board meeting is March 9, 2010.

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Masshealth Chapterby Bernie Smith

Most of our members know by now that I have retired. My term as chapter president, however, still runs on for nine more months. So, for now, I will continue to serve as your chapter president. You can reach me at the Union office main number, (617) 924-8509, the extension is 229. By e-mail it’s:masshealth@509seiu.com.In the near future we will be having steward elections in the local offices. All are invited to run, but remember you will be expected to perform certain functions and to share important information with your fellow workers.

As a chapter, each office is plagued by chronic shortages of personnel. Still, the management is continually laying on more work. There is only so much a person can take, especially a conscientious one. A recent trend has been to increase expected productivity numbers. How these are manufactured is anybody’s guess. These have been applied to overtime staff and special project workers. The point is, that if you kill yourselves to meet these higher quotas they will be applied to all workers. There are no work standards, and we will gladly bargain with the management if they so choose.I doubt this will happen though.

It would behoove workers to set a reasonable bar in each office, and to not exceed that limit. “Work to rule”; do what you are supposed to do at a reasonable and steady pace. If you knock yourself out to achieve a high standard you will forever be expected to attain that level together with all your co-workers. Try to gain more meaning out of your work than just being a gerbil on a treadmill. This requires working together and not against one another. In solidarity.

by Mimi Gordon

February 2010 marks s ix months s ince Commissioner Killins initiated her “Reorg Plan” which

had a major impact on our Unit 10 members. It has only been one month since the Form 30’s (job descriptions) were finalized. I am anxious to hear feedback from members about how the implementation is going. Please give feedback to me, Lorenzo, or your regional steward or officer. We continue keep “reorg”

on our labor management agenda. Sadly, since the implementation of “reorg”, there have been two Unit 10 resignations and one retirement. The good news is that there will be two Unit 10 positions posted. One is to fill the vacancy created by Nancy Doyle’s retirement; the other is a new Ed Spec “D” position for the Quincy office.

The big news for licensing is the promulgation and implementation of the regulations.

As you know Local 509 filed a “Demand to Bargain”. This gives the union the ability to negotiate the impact on our members of the increase in work. In the past, the union and management have negotiated agreements about new initiatives regarding new policies and regulation changes. The agreements have identified mechanisms for addressing issues that may arise and protection of staff for the additional work. Even if all of the forms, policies, translations TA were perfectly in place, it is reasonable to anticipate that enforcement of the new regulations will involve more time for licensing staff. Please give your feedback to me or reps in your offices.

Finally, stay tuned for more to come about QRIS. We were informed at our

labor/ management meeting that the quick training schedule was due to the trainers’ tight schedule and also to increase the possibilities for federal monies. More to come on this topic as we learn more.

early education & Care Chapter

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department of revenue by John Tortelli

It’s been a busy two months for the DOR Chapter. We attended a hearing at the labor relations board to oppose

the Department’s expansion of the so-called “rat” clause beyond federal tax information. This clause requires that you report anyone you suspect of violating the confidentiality policy.

Mike Grunko, Cliff Cohn and I also met with the State Auditor’s office regarding the use of collection agencies for current support cases; this is our work and must not by outsourced.

Meanwhile, our legal and medical teams are still analyzing the survey results obtained in the Salem office. We anxiously await their conclusions.

On the political front, we have seen a dramatic change

within our state that has important national implications. I think the public was tired of having a single party’s narrow ideological agenda fostered upon them - an agenda in which voters felt they had no voice. In the future, it is important that politicians, as well as Unions, listen to the voices of voters and members when deciding what policies to implement. In this year of trying to increase member participation, the Union needs to focus on issues that benefit all of our members. Maybe the Union should conduct a poll - as is done at contract time - to decide where our money and energy could be most effectively spent. After all, the funds ultimately come from members’ dues so they should have a say in the way they are spent. Policies like this would go a long way in reconnecting to our members and gaining their trust and support. The Union membership also needs to take an interest and become active and let their voices be heard. After all a Union is only as strong as its members.

Hopefully this will be a great year for all.

department of Children and Familiesby Zevorah Bagni

Brothers and Sisters of the DCF Chapter:I thought I understood the axiom “You can never please all of the people all of the time.” Even so, I still continue.

The past two years have shown me that my wishes and reality are often far apart. The Integrat-ed Case Practice Model (ICPM) continues to bring a diverse range of responses across the twenty-nine area offices.

From the Southeast: “Zevorah, I can’t believe that you have not been able to stop this ICPM. It is killing workers. Workers with 16 or more cases get 3 Initial Assessments (IAs). They have to stop all work with families because the IA is time–driven

From the Northeast: “Zevorah, What are you people doing to stop this madness?! Do you have any idea how this ICPM is affecting the health of social workers? Some managers suggest that workers should consider quitting

if they can’t keep up.From the Metro: “Zevorah, for an investigation and an IA to be weighed higher than the more complex ongoing case is not only shortsighted; it’s unfair. What are you do-ing about this in negotiations?

From Boston: Zevorah, we like the ICPM, and want it in place! We don’t like the union trying to stop this model.

From the West: “Mrs. Bagni and Vice-presidents. If DCF could hire enough social workers maybe this could work. Out here we still have high numbers. Plus, as we close cases, they come back within weeks or three months. This is not working.

From Central: “The “Vote of No Confidence” did not get the message across? The ICPM is harmful and we hope the Commissioner is ready for the probability that chil-dren will die because workers can not keep up”.

Negotiations continue with minor success.

Page 509 News8

maximize the number of interview rooms that will be available to staff for client meetings but even this option is met with resistance. We can only assume that this “experiment” will be as big a failure as the Davis Square site. It is bad enough that our staff will be unable to perform their duties, but the clients will be the ones who lose out on services. Work groups are being put together to address some of the issues we have brought to the attention of EHS. We are concerned that it is too late for changes with the build out so far along. This battle will apparently be ongoing after the move in date.

On a more positive note, we are expecting the examiner promotions to be posted at DDS within a month. We also have the meeting scheduled for the alternative work options at the end of March.

by Susan Tousignant

The state budget news was not as bad as expected but still bad enough that it appears Homecare staff will be cut. We are working to assist the staff to find other

employment within the agency at this time. Thankfully the DDS and VR programs at MRC have been hiring on a regular basis. Many of the staff at Homecare will qualify for these jobs and the hope is that there will not be any layoffs.

The Barnstable EHS Center is taking shape and is a great disappointment to us. We have

been unable to convince EHS leadership that “cubicles for counselors” is a bad idea. This message has also been conveyed by union representatives from the other agencies involved in the consolidation of offices. We are trying to

Mass rehabilitation Commission Chapter

in DDS far more then the agency we work for. The DDS Chapter leadership will be working to refine individual letters that Service Coordinators submit with their DDS Group 2 retirement applica-tions.

Facilities Closings Planning- We are trying to get the administra-tion to retain all of 43 affected positions. We will be working with the Patrick Administration to compel ANF to commit to saving these positions and re-deploying them to meeting com-munity needs as Service Coordinators, Clinical Social work, day/vocational service and Residential Supervisors.

ISO-Support Broker SC Positions- We will be meeting with the Patrick Administration to create more Service Coordinator jobs so as to be a meaningful part of self-determination waiver services expected to start 7/10. Without new jobs, this represents signifi-cantly labor intensive work.

ISP Changes- DDS management is interested in streamlining the ISP to remove redundancies and shorten the document. A sur-prising number of members have expressed interested in making these changes. The Chapter leadership is open to this possibility but does not feel this is possible if there are significant layoffs

department of developmentalServicesBy Stu Dickson

Chapter Lobby Day On March 24, 2010- All members of the DDS Chapter membership are strongly encouraged to make time to participate on an im-portant lobby day on 3/24/10 to prevent significant layoffs in DDS. We need significant numbers of people to commit to this day to have an impact on the House budget. As many as 70 positions could be laid off in the DDS Admin acct, which contains Service Coordi-nation.

Group 2 Strengthened For Service Coordinators- Chris Condon and I met with the state Retirement Board on Jan 27th following DDS challenging Ser-vice Coordinators qualifying for Group 2 retirement. The Retirement Board informed DDS management in no uncertain terms, that “as far as we are con-cerned, Service Coordinators are Group 2 employ-ees.” It is very unfortunate that an outside party, especially the Retirement Board, values our workers

Page 509 News

department of Public health

by Marianne Kiely

Sadly, this will be my last article as Chapter President but by no means will I be leaving my role as a leader and activist in our chapter. I would like to thank all of the members through out 509 that took the time to vote for me as the next Recording Secretary of Local 509. I feel honored to follow in the footsteps of Kay Williams. Kay has been a long time activist for justice in the workplace and the rights of working people over the years Good luck in your retirement Kay! Enjoy the sunshine of the south! I have truly enjoyed getting to know the membership in the DPH Chapter and have appreciated the members sharing their stories with me. We may be a small chapter but our members have amazing heart and commitment to the populations we serve! Newly elected DPH Chapter President Taiye Anjorin has con-sistently been a strong supporter of our chapter work. I am proud of the work we have done to-gether. We have opened dialogue around Career Lad-ders for HSC at LSH, which obtained contract money to fund our Chapter Conference and training series for employees held last spring. We provided leader-ship about the threatened layoffs of prison chaplains and beat back management’s attempts to do so. We cemented the notion among our members that we can do anything together but if we are divided we are certain to fail! The demand to bargain for the chaplains was filed and a hearing will be scheduled to address the issue of management unilaterally deciding that the group denominational chaplains meetings that had been in effect for more than 10 years for some were no longer going to be allowed. Management is obligated to negotiate changes in conditions of employment with the recognized bargaining agent for employees: The Union!As our Union continues to move forward it is impor-tant for us as members to continue to have a vision for the future. The future of organized labor is under attack and it is our responsibility as members to ensure that our union remains viable. We need to have mem-bers remain active and take on various roles. I’d like to thank two members Joseph Winkley and Chaplain Mike Naigle for attending Lobby Day at the State House on 2/3/10. They both went to the various legislators to ask for their support of the supple-mental budget that includes our contract money. Our members have powerful stories to tell. We will contin-ue to reach out to members and ask them to be active and tell their stories.

department of Corrections

by Ken Gorman

COPS has been engaged with a number of ongoing issues and is working to address members concerns as the develop. We have and will continue to do our best informing the members of developments utilizing this article and the web sits on the “Intranet” or the Local’s site. The Division of Labor Relation ruled against our reallocation of title (upgrade). We have posted the decision on our intranet site for the members review and have more detail on the subject at that site and on the local’s site. The Chapter will continue to work for the upgrades in the best venue possible. On a positive note the CPOs Group Four legislation was reported out of committe favorably. Political director Chris Condon was extremelyhelpful working with the Chairs. We will continue our efforts in thecoming weeks and months. The union has requested the stewards & Officers to poll the membership for the names of members who may have prior “03/07” time working for contract vendors with the Commonwealth. We have also posted the requeston the web site so we can obtain the correct list of effected members.This information is needed by the union to address concerns in Article15 of the CBA. Staffing has been and will continue to be of great concern to the Chapter. We are working to establish a train-ing class staffed with andsolely for CPOs. Staffing is short throughout the Department and is critical in the operational concerns with the department’s missionchanges Another serious development pertained to the proposed modifications inthe medical protocols medica-tion. The Chapter engaged the mater from the moment to the changes was rumored. It was through our preemptive efforts tht our facilities were not included in the additional duties. There are ongoing and collateral issues forthcoming from the modification that we will be addressing

For more details visit the web sites.

Page 509 News

organizing Committee reportBy Dennis MacDonald, Co-Chair and Vice President of the Private Sector Chapter

On January 9th, eleven members of Local 509 attended the first NOC (National Organizing Corps) training in conjunction with our Brothers and Sisters at Local 888. For some members, this was their first training of any kind with the Local. Along with SEIU’s Member Strength program, NOC is focused on engaging more members to get involved with our Union. Those who attended can attest to the fun of training alongside members from different agencies as well as 888 members. By the end of the training, those present made commitments to ask fellow members to attend the next NOC training and/or join the 509 Organizing Committee. One goal of the Organizing Committee is to involve 50 members in the SEIU 509 organizing program by July 1, 2010. We are looking to involve members from both Public and Private sectors.

Two weeks later, my fellow co-chair of the Organizing Committee, Marianne Kiely and I traveled to Maryland with three Local 509 staff members (Erin Shackelford, Tonya Ellison and Ninfa Breton) to attend a three day NOC event called “Train the Trainers: Local Union Training and Planning” with nearly 200 SEIU members and staff in attendance from all over the country. We found the experience was educational, exhilarating and energizing. The Local 509 attendees worked together as a team over the weekend, mapping out strategies that will be introduced to 509 members at future NOC trainings and boost volunteerism within the rank and file members.

Marianne and I will continue to update you about growth of both the Local 509 Organizing Committee and new members recruited to become part of the National Organizing Corps.

For more information about the SeIu 509 organizing Committee:

Private Sector members: Dennis MacDonald at (781) 883-7519 or dennismacsteward@gmail.com.

Public Sector members: Marianne Kiely at (508) 384-2350 or mkiely@509seiu.com.

Next organizing Committee Meetings: 3/18/10 – 5:30pm at the SEIU 509 Watertown Office

4/13/10 – 5:30 pm at the Courtyard by Marriott in Milford.

Dinner served. Please RSVP to Dennis or Marianne

Above: Dennis MacDonald, Marianne Kiely, Erin Shackelford, Ninfa Breton and Tonya Ellison with members from 1199 SEIU at NOC Training in January.

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SeIu Member Strength Program

At the 2008 SEIU International Convention, the member delegates voted overwhelmingly to support the Member Strength Program. With all the attacks on unions and the living standards of working peo-ple, The Member Strength Program was designed as a way to fight back by encouraging more mem-bers to be involved and become leaders in their Union. Two of the goals of Member Strength program are to have 50% of the members engaged in union activities and 10% to be active leaders in the union by 2012.

President Grunko has appointed Cliff Cohn as the Local 509 Member Strength Director. First step in this program is to do a “Base Line Assessment” of our current level of member engagement . 509 members and staff are working together on this assesment. Once this assessment is complete we will develop a plan to get more 509 members involved in union activities. If you are interested in learning more about the SEIU Member Strength Program, contact Cliff Cohn at 617-924-8509 ext. 530.

Stewards honored at Stewards assembly

The following members were honored for their leadership at the Stewards Assembly on February 25th.

Leadership in New Member Organizing: Brian Morrison and Alba Passerini Leadership in Member Mobilizing: Anthony LaboLeadership in Political Action: Dennis MacDonaldLeadership in Community Involvement: Brett Antul-CabralLeadership in Quality Public Services: Joe Bockman

Steward recognition will become an annual part of the Steward Assembly.

Massachusetts State Sen. Ben Downing was recognized as “SEIU 509 Legislator of the Year for 2009”.

“I enjoyed hearing challenges that people have faced and overcome to make positive change. I also enjoyed gaining tips on involving more members in our union”

- SEIU 509 member response to Member Strength training at Steward Assembly

Pictured Left: Sen. Ben Downing with Brian Morrison, Alba Passerini and new members from Brien Center. Sen. Downing, Morrison and Passerini provided support to the Brien workers during their fight to establish a union at their worksite.

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Get ready For the uS CeNSuSSpread the word, encourage your co-workers, family and neighbors to participate.

In the coming weeks the Federal Government will start the census count. You will receive a questionnaire in the mail, or a census taker might come to your home. It is very important that

everyone participate in the Census.

Every year the Federal Government distributes $300 billion to the states according to census data. Therefore, if the census does not account for people living in Massachusetts, then our state loses

out on Federal money. This means less for schools, highways and health care. It would mean even more strain on the state budget.

For more information, please go to www.2010.census.gov

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CoMMIttee oN PoLItICaL aCtIoN rePort

By Stephen Lewis

Hooray, the people have spoken and they have spoken for Scott Brown as our new state senator. Sen. Brown rushed his taking of the oath of office so he could hurry to Washington DC to help vote against Presi-dent Obama’s appointment of Craig Becker to a long vacant seat on the National Labor Relations Board. Two things of note here for those who voted for Brown for a change, and to break the log jam in Washing-ton. Craig Becker is an attorney for SEIU and eminently qualified for a seat on the NLRB, and certainly a far superior choice than the representatives of big business that former President George W. Bush appointed. Secondly, one of the log jams in Washington has been at the NLRB itself. Because there are vacant seats, the Board has been unable to have the needed numbers to make decisions. The NLRB has jurisdiction over all labor matters in the private sector. Cases involving Local 509’s organizing in the private human service field would come under their purview.

Related to the election of Sen. Brown but of much more significance is polling done around the election. Two issues are frequently cited as to why people voted for Scott Brown – the economy and the healthcare legislation. Interestingly, people want healthcare reform, but don’t see the legislation currently being debat-ed in Washington as reform. A polling question asked “Would you favor or oppose the national government offering everyone the choice of a government administered health insurance plan like Medicare that would compete with private health insurance plans.” The voters who supported Obama in 2008, but sat out this election favored this kind of a plan by an 86-7% margin. Those who supported Obama in 2008 and voted for Brown also favored this type of plan by an 82-14% margin.

In the popular TV series The Wire, one police officer investigating crime advises a colleague to follow the money. In that spirit, and with relation to heathcare reform, please note that would-be-Governor Charlie Baker is raking in the campaign cash from the health insurance companies. I guess Charlie won’t be support-ing the idea of a single payer system (ie healthcare instead of health insurance).

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MeMBerS Meet WIth LeGISLatorS

In February, DCF Members meet in Lawerence to discuss the Group 2 bill with elected officials (above). These meetings are an important part of the process allowing Legisla-tors to here from members the dangers and risks associated with being a DCF worker. If you’d like to arrange one in your office, please call Deputy Political Director Melody Hugo at 617-924-8509 x514 or mhugo@509seiu.com.

On February 3rd, Eleven SEIU Local 509 members spent the day at the State House lob-bying for funding of the Alliance Contract. In the morning, the members received a lob-byist training. The spent the rest of the day meeting with Legislators and their staff. The day ended with a meeting with Lt. Gov. Tim Murray.

The DDS Chapter will lobby the Statehouse about budget issues on March 23rd. Please contact Stu Dickson at the union office if you are interested.

Interested in becoming a SEIU 509 Member Political Organizer or to learn more about the program, contact Melody Hego at

617.924.8509 x. 514 or mhugo@509seiu.com

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Board Vacancies

Mass Rehab ProfessionalCEB: VR Central Region (1), Boston (1)

Department of Developmental ServicesCEB: Developmental Centers (1), Metro Boston region (1),Community (4)

Mass Comm of the BlindCEB: Region VP – Dept. of Industrial Accidents (1), At- Large Seat (1)

MassHealth/EHSCEB: Tewksbury (1), Taunton (1)

Department of Public Health

JEB: Joint Executive Board MemberThe SEIU 509 Joint Executive Board is the policy-making body of SEIU 509. The SEIU 509 Joint Executive Board is made up of members from every chapter and Chapter Presidents. The Joint Executive meets on the 2nd Tuesday of the month.

CEB: Chapter Board MemberEach Chapter is governed by a Chapter Executive Board. The Chapter Executive Board meeting dates are determined by each chapter.

Nominations for vacancies must be submitted in writing to Vanessa Story at the union office via fax, email (vstory@509seiu.com), or U.S. mail, no later than 5:00 P.M. on Friday, April 16, 2010.

Nominees who are unopposed shall be declared elected on that date. If offices are contested, election dates will be announced and candidates will be notified by certified mail.

Only “members in good standing” are eligible for nomination. A “member in good standing” is one who: •hassubmittedasignedLocal509membershipap-

plication at least four weeks prior to the deadline for nominations;

•hashadduesdeductedforthefourweekspriortothe deadline for nominations; and

•wasemployedinthejurisdiction,onapprovedleave of absence, or retired from a Local 509 juris-diction.

CEB: Recording Secretary, DYS (1), At-large (2), DPH Central office (1), DPH at-large (1),

Department of Mental HealthCEB: Northeast (1), In-Patient Facilities (2), At-large (1)

Department of Public Welfare CEB: Worcester region (1), Western Mass (1)

Department of Children & FamiliesJEB: Central region VP

CEB: Western region (1), Metro region (2), Southeast region (1), Greater Boston region (3)

Private Sector Human Services Recording Secretary

JEB: Western Mass (2), Metro North (1)

CEB: Elder Services of Berkshire County (1), Boston Center Homecare (1), Central Boston Elder Services (1), Clini-cal & Support Options (1), Coop for Human Services (1), Edinburg (1), Elder Services of Cape Cod and the Islands (1), Fidelity House (1), Highland Valley Elder Services (1), Mystic Valley Elder Services (1), NELCWIT (1), North Suf-folk Mental Health (1), ServiceNet (1), Walnut Street (1), Womanshelter/Companeras (1)

There are no current vacancies in: DOR/CSECOPSDEECDOE

Photos of the Steward assembly were taken by Phil Wachsler. Phil is a member of the dta chapter and union activist.

thanks to Phil for donating his time and photos to this edition of the 509 News.

Are you a photographer, writer, artist, musician or have a special talent or interest that you would like to share during meetings or conferences? We are always looking for ways to liven up 509 events with member talent.

Please contact Vanessa Story at vstory@509seiu.com if you

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509 NewsNonprofit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDBoston, MA

Permit No.59649

SEIU Local 509100 Talcott AvenueWatertown, MA 02472

Notices

the SeIu LoCaL 509 oFFICe IS MoVING (but not far)

The lease at the SEIU 509 Watertown office is ending. At the end of March the union office will be moving from 400 Talcott Ave. to 100 Talcott Ave. in Watertown.

The new space at 100 Talcott Ave will allow us to be able to hold more onsite meetings. All of the office phone numbers will remain the same.

As of April, 1, 2010, our new address will be: SEIU 509100 Talcott AveWatertown, MA 02472617.924.8509www.seiu509.org