by Gregory Ware
Mechanic for the City of Santa Ana

(This letter to the editor appeared in the Orange County Register Mar. 5)

"All candidates for elected office would do well to remember that voters still believe in the American Dream of retiring with dignity and security after a lifetime of hard work and playing by the rules."

by Arnella Sims
Los Angeles County court reporter and member of the SEIU Local 721 executive board

(This opinion piece appeared in the Los Angeles Times online edition.)

Economists, law enforcement officials and political and business leaders all agree: A healthy economy and our civil society depend on having timely, reliable access to our justice system. But you wouldn't know it reading The Times' Feb. 10 editorial, "Rebuilding California's courts."

by Andre Quintero
El Monte Mayor, SEIU 721 Member

(Andre Quintero is the newly elected mayor of El Monte. He is an SEIU 721 member and a city attorney for Los Angeles. A life-long resident of the city, Andre has ambitious plans to breathe new life into his hometown.)

For awhile I was just like everyone else, I had low expectations for those representing me and I was comfortable with that. But I finally said enough is enough, we should expect more of our local leadership. We need to raise the bar.

By Terry Y. Keating

City of Los Angeles engineer and SEIU 721 bargaining team member for MOU 8 

After years of alleged legal victories that always disappointed, we are seeing proof that our reasons for moving out of our old union, Engineers and Architects Association, were absolutely right. Working together, member to member, to forge shared objectives and strategies, standing up for ourselves, and speaking with our own voices is getting the job done right, right now.

By Tim Burke
City of Hemet Lead Water Distribution Operator

In 2010, my vision is to have a union that better communicates with members, employers and the community through greater involvement.

This is my vision and soon members in the Inland Region will gather on Saturday, Jan. 30, in Moreno Valley to bring all of our visions, hopes and aspirations together as we work to find solutions to the challenges we face.

By being involved with our union, we improve our ability to communicate and send a strong message about who we are, leading to a stronger and more positive union presence in the workplace and the community.
 
Participation is simple, whether it's at your work site, attending union meetings or helping out as Contract Action Team members during negotiations. 

It can mean handling grievances to resolve work place issues or participating in union groups that reach a diverse membership such as our republican, lavender, African-American or Latino caucuses.

In my experience as a union member, communication has been our greatest challenge.
Communication starts with engagement and every member of this union has the opportunity to participate at any level.

By developing strong lines of communication between ourselves as union members, we will have a more successful union. Remember, good communication opens doors, tears down walls and allows us to be heard.

You've heard my vision. Now, what's your vision for a stronger union?

By Melinda Carter
Radiology Technician

I work at Martin Luther King-MACC. I began my service there in 1985 in emergency radiology working the 4 p.m. to 12 a.m. shift. I did not know what I was in for or the challenges I would face, but after that first trauma patient rolled in, and we saved a life, I knew I was in the right place.

But there was a great injustice served to the community of South LA when King-Drew Medical Center was downsized and its trauma center closed.

I have dedicated myself to a career of service, as have my coworkers. Coworkers with whom I cried the day the hospital closed and workers were transferred to other facilities. We cried not so much because of lost friendships, but because we felt as though we were losing a chance to save lives.

Years ago I became a union steward. I began to learn more about the politics of it all. Things such as national health care reform and unionizing health care workers so we could all have a voice in patient care. Now I know for sure that no voices are louder than the employees who still work at King-MACC. We few who remain at King are totally committed. We are excited about the future and all the possibilities and the opportunities we have to move forward in a positive way.

We realize the need for quality health care where we live and work. We know our patients and neighbors deserve access to care.  We are grateful and thankful for the chance to once again to serve and become the health care provider of choice for our community. We want to distinguish ourselves by exceeding all expectations.

We will do this in the honor of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

By Rosie Martinez
LA County Public Health Nurse

As a health care provider, I am appalled that some insurance companies practice denial of care related to prenatal or domestic violence as "pre-existing conditions."  

If we do nothing, insurance companies will continue to charge women as much as 48% more than men for the same insurance coverage.

The House bill will make "gender-rating" illegal, so insurance companies can no longer charge women more than men, and will ensure no woman will ever be denied health care because they were the victim of domestic violence or rape.

By Harold Sterker
LA County Public Health Educator
SEIU 721 Executive Board Member

The House of Representatives just did something it's never done before: it passed real health insurance reform. The America's Affordable Health Choices Act (H.R. 3962) is a historic step towards creating an affordable, high-quality health care system for working families in California and across the country.

By Wendy Thomas
Communications Supervisor

Part of our mission as SEIU 721 workers is to partner with county employees across all departments and unions as well as our local community groups. This year, I wanted SEIU 721 to make a big splash at the Riverside Sheriff's Family Picnic held in late September. And we did!

We held an SEIU 721 informational booth for our brothers and sisters in the Sheriff's Department to learn about what we do and why it's so important for unions to partner with public safety as we strive to serve our communities in Riverside County.

During a very hot Saturday, more than 1,000 members of the Sheriff's Department and their families had the opportunity to learn about the critical services that more than 200 SEIU 721 members in the Department provide such as dispatchers, forensics, coroner's, courts and corrections.

SEIU 721 members also provide a large network of other crucial support to the law enforcement family in the form of social workers, nurses and doctors.

A big purple thanks to Sheriff-Coroner Stan Sniff for inviting SEIU 721 to participate in such a great family event that links together public services and public safety.

By Tom Johnston
Ventura County Medical Center

Here in Ventura we don't question whether or not a public option can work. We know it can.

The Ventura County Medical Center has been redesigned to be the hub of system of interconnected public, public/private and private clinic and physician-office-based providers, all with the intent to maximize service to citizens and its employees without devotion to profit, corporate interests or CEOs.