SWEB and Staff Update July 15, 2009

On behalf of Roni and I, I want to thank each and every one of you for standing up and participating in the Budget Action July 14th.
We had members out everywhere across the state and the media coverage has been incredible. For those of you that did not get media at your shop, please don't think that your efforts went unnoticed. Management was assigned to report any and all participation and support to Harrisburg.

We did not have custom made signs for everyone, nor did we have a t-shirt for everyone and these were not the important things. The important thing was that I saw young members who for the first time saw what a union was about; I saw tenured members talk about the rebel - rousing of the "good ole days"; I saw children and coalitions and other unions and communities all together in a single effort to bring pressure on the legislature to pass a budget that fully funds public services. I saw trucks and cars honk in support and citizens give a "thumbs-up" as they passed by. We even had a child speak about his mother not being paid in Reading. The press and the community heard our stories, the human side and the impact of this budget impasse on our lives. The word that lingered with me as I finally drifted off to sleep last night was "AWESOME". It was an awesome day.

This is what the Board had in mind when they authorized the Human Services Campaign. This was a huge payoff for our efforts all these months. But, we are not done - we are just beginning. As the Democrats have now made some movement, we need to focus on the Republicans. PLEASE call, write, email and visit your Republican legislators. Tell them to pass a budget that fully funds public services and tell them to pass stop gap (1771) so that our workers will be paid for the vital services they provide to the citizens of Pa. Watch the website for updates @ www.seiu668.org. We will be contacting the Chapter Chairs to move future as quickly as possible.

Kathy and Roni