SEIU District 1199 WV/KY/OH
Executive Board Summary: January 13-14, 2012
Our mission is to improve the lives of working people and their families
and to achieve greater social and economic justice.
January 2012 Executive Board
Overcoming Challenge, Creating Opportunity
More than 150 Executive Board Members and nearly 60 Member leaders
met in Columbus, Ohio on January 13 and 14 to reflect on 2011 and
discuss our Union’s overall strategy for 2012. Our Union faced many
challenges in 2011, which included attacks from employers in an attempt
to erode our Union and an attempt by Ohio Governor John Kasich and
extreme politicians to strip public employees of their collective bargaining
rights.
As we faced these and other challenges, opportunities were created. Our Union has grown stronger as
workers have united to fight these attacks. We have built sound relationships with other groups who will work
with us and stand for the 99%. Our Union organized more than 100 events in 2011 to hold politicians
accountable and demand they focus on all of us, not just the wealthiest Americans. Now it’s up to us to
continue the fight and elect leaders who will focus on improving the lives of those of us on Main Street rather
than Wall Street.
Political Screenings
Our dedicated Executive Board Members met on Friday
afternoon and screened more than 80 political candidates to
determine who would best defend the labor movement and stand
with our Union. Candidates addressed small groups of Board
Members who are constituents in their District to offer specific
details of their plans and answer questions. Executive Board
Members were excited to be involved in the largest one day
screening process in SEIU District 1199 history and enjoyed
meeting with their political candidates.
Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute
On Saturday morning, our Union paid tribute to Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. with a video highlighting a speech he gave in
support of the labor movement and the work Unions do to
improve people’s lives. Dr. King’s support of Unions and the
work the they do is evident in many of his speeches. “Now
everyone knows that the labor movement did not diminish the
strength of the nation but enlarged it.” King said in a 1961
speech. “By raising the living standards of millions, labor
miraculously created a market for industry and lifted the whole
nation to undreamed of levels of production. Those who attack
labor forget these simple truths, but history remembers them."
Resolutions
Executive Board Members voted on and approved several resolutions on Saturday morning, including a 2012
Budget and the initiation of an amendment to the By-Laws to include a procedure for election of Delegates
and Alternates to the SEIU International Convention. A resolution to make contributions to progressive think
tank organizations was also approved by the Executive Board. Research conducted by many of these
organizations was instrumental in convincing Ohio
voters to repeal Senate Bill 5 last
November.
These organizations
continue to help shape public policy
to
benefit
working
people.
Executive Board Members also
approved a wage increase for the
staff of the Union.