Member Activities
Check Out Pictures From Nurse Lobby Day 2012!
This year’s Nurse Lobby Day event reminded us all of the importance of staying politically engaged. Several of our members stood up for their patients and fellow coworkers by traveling to Tallahassee with us to fight for legislation that made a difference in the future of our profession and our public hospital.
Whether it was visiting an elected official, attending an educational seminar or being part of our press conference, every activity that our members participated in during Nurse Lobby Day showed their commitment to making sure members’ voices are heard in the political process. When we unite our voices, we only become stronger!
Make sure to get involved in the political process and fight alongside us!
Thanks again to our members who were a part of our Nurse Lobby Day. Check out the slideshow below!!
Health Care, Education Tug-o-War — WATCH THE VIDEO!
February 2nd, 2012 by Whitney Ray
Nurses and teachers say they’re being pitted against each other in a tug-o-war battle for state cash. Lawmakers are trying to balance the budget with two billion fewer dollars. They plan to cut two billion dollars from heath care and increase education spending by a billion. As Whitney Ray tells us, nurses and teachers joined forces today in Tallahassee to announce they will not compete in a budget tug-o-war.
They grasped the rope tightly; teachers on one side, nurses on the other. The tug-o-war publicity stunt is symbolic of how education and health care workers say they’re being treated by state budget writers.
“We are not going to make this a fight between public education and public health care dollars to save our children’s education or to save their health care,” said SEIU Local 1991 President Martha Baker.
If there is a war, then teachers are winning. The governor and House budget proposals increase education funding by a billion dollars. Health care is facing a two billion dollar reduction.
Cutting two billion dollars from Medicaid would only save the state 400 million dollars; because most of Florida’s health care money comes from federal matching grants. Senate Minority Leader Nan Rich says the cut doesn’t make fiscal sense.
“You are dealing with 1.4 billion of federal revenue that we would not draw down for use in health care,” said Rich.
Rich says neither teachers nor nurses need to keep tugging on the rope for more money. She has a plan to raise state revenues, by ending corporate tax loopholes.
“We are not talking about tax increases. We are talking about making everybody pay their fair share of taxes that are already on the books,” said Rich.
With that in mind the two sides dropped the rope and joined forces to support the Fair Economy Act. So now they’ll be tugging it out with Republican lawmakers who see eliminating the loopholes as a tax increase. To avoid paying state taxes, some multi-state businesses with locations in Florida shift their profits to states with tax exemptions specific to their businesses. It’s completely legal. The Fair Economy Act would make it illegal.
The Miami Herald: Educators, healthcare workers say state should increase revenue, not cut spending
Educators, healthcare workers say state should increase revenue, not cut spending
Pulling on a yellow and orange rope in a faux “tug-of-war” game, educators and healthcare workers said they were going to fight against Gov. Rick Scott and the Legislature’s effort to increase education spending by $1 billion while cutting funding for hospitals and health programs.
Instead, the union-led coalition is backing an unpopular Democrat-led initiative to close business tax loopholes to increase revenue and avoid spending cuts on either side. Martha Baker, president of the SEIU chapter representing workers at Jackson Memorial Hospital, and United Teachers of Dade President Karen Aronowitz said lawmakers shouldn’t have to make an either-or choice when it comes to schools and healthcare.
“We’re not falling for that tug of war,” Baker said. “We’re not going to split monies. We’re going to stand up for a fair economy.”
The Democrats’ proposal, called the Fair Economy Act, has not gone anywhere this year or in previous attempts. Senate Minority Leader Nan Rich, D-Weston, and Rep. Evan Jenne, D-Dania Beach, are sponsoring the legislation this year. Rich says the proposal would net the state $500 million each year, but the Republican-led Legislature has not shown any interest in ending tax breaks for the state’s largest businesses.
Jenne took his normally fiery approach when addressing the crowd at a news conference hosted by Progress Florida, a progressive advocacy organization. Attendees rewarded him with cheers and applause that caused event to take on the air of a church service.
“Ladies and gentlemen, you’re doing God’s work, understand that,” he said. “Understand what you’re doing other people would literally not have the heart, the spine, the guts to do on a daily basis.”
There were a few “amen”s shouted as Jenne railed against the state’s tax code, describing it as antiquated and favoring corporations over the commoner.
“The reason I’m doing this bill is to stand up for the middle class, to stand up for the people that make this economy run,” he said. “And to understand that you, not some corporate entity, are the life’s blood of this state.”
The House Appropriations Committee has approved a budget that doesn’t cut health care spending as much as the governor proposes but still reduces Medicaid reimbursements to hospitals and nursing homes to the tune of about $145 million.
The Senate hasn’t proposed a budget yet, but Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart, who chairs the Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services Appropriations, said his general fund allocation will be $7.3 billion, requiring him to cut $300 million more than the House proposal.
Members Take Off For Tallahassee!
Jackson’s caregivers are descending on our state’s capitol today to lobby our elected officials on issues affecting our patients and profession during our annual Nurse Lobby Day! Safe staffing legislation, funding for Jackson Health System and our ongoing fight to keep Jackson public are just some of the topics that members will be discussing with legislators during our two-day trip. For the first time this year, members traveled to Tallahassee with educators from the United Teachers of Dade. On Thursday, teachers and caregivers will be holding a joint press conference to oppose Gov. Rick Scott’s decision to rob Medicaid to begin replenishing cuts to public education. Instead, they are calling on lawmakers to support the Fair Economy Act package of legislation.
Stay tuned for more coverage and pictures of our annual event.
Click here to see news coverage as our members depart for Tallahassee!
Check out more pictures below:
Members Stand Up for Breast Cancer Awareness at Komen Race for the Cure
Team 1991 participated in the annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure on Saturday, October 15th, with more than 60 members walking together through downtown Miami in support of breast cancer awareness.
More than 20,000 people packed the streets of Miami to participate in the 3.1-mile race that wound through the streets surrounding Bayfront Park, starting at 8:30 a.m. Thanks to all of our members for making this year’s event so successful by gathering pledges and supporting this important cause. Scroll down for more pictures!
Race for the Cure Registration
SEIU Local 1991 will once again be a proud participant in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure! The event will take place on Oct. 15th, 2011 in Bayfront Park, Downtown Miami at 7:30 a.m.
Our union will be covering registration costs for each SEIU Local 1991 member participating in the race. Following your registration, you will receive a T-shirt, along with information on where we will meet on Race Day. The deadline to register is Friday, September 30th.
Our goal is to raise $1,991.00 to support breast cancer programs and research. We can reach our fundraising goal if we collect $19.91 from 100 supporters. This year, you will be working with other members in your unit to raise donations. Talk to your co-workers, brainstorm fundraising ideas and ask your family, friends and fellow employees for donations for this important cause! The unit who raises the most money for Susan G. Komen will win a prize! For a pledge form, click here!
To sign up online, fill out your information below:
Susan G. Komen Race 2010
On Saturday, Oct. 16th about 35 members participated in the annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure at Bayfront Park in downtown Miami. Thanks to everyone who participated in another successful event!
Local 1991 Members March in Gay Pride Parade
On Saturday, April 16th, members marched in the Gay Pride Parade. This is the third year our union participated in the event. We also had a booth there where we gathered hundred of signatures for our Save Jackson Campaign! Check out pictures from our event!
Nurse Lobby Day 2011
As Legislators marked the half-way point in the 2011 general session, nearly 100 Local 1991 members, CIR doctors and nurses from other unions, descended on Tallahassee to let our voices be heard about issues affecting our patients and profession.
After participating in educational sessions to learn about effective advocacy and the issues at play, our members fanned out around the capitol, discussing key issues with their Senators and Representatives. Topics discussed included proposed bills attacking collective bargaining, bills undermining the public sector pensions (particularly the FRS) and budgets in both houses which threaten severe cuts in education and healthcare.
Nurse Lobby Day 2010
More than 100 Local 1991 members arrived in Tallahassee on Wednesday, April 21, for our union’s annual Nurse Lobby Day. On Wednesday, our members toured the Capitol and attended an educational program about lobbying and advocacy skills. During the trip, members will be meeting with elected officials to lobby for safe staffing legislation, Jackson funding and other issues, followed by a press conference at the Capitol on Thursday. Check out these pictures from our event!