By JEFF KLATKE
Council 75 President
I am proud to issue this report as President of Oregon AFSCME for November 2015. Please share this report with the members of your local.
A key to a high-functioning union is communication. This month I am pleased to announce that all of the monthly president’s reports are being archived and are available on the Oregon AFSCME website at www.oregonafscme.com/PresidentsReport. To access these reports from the website menu go to Members Resources and scroll down to President’s Report. One reason this archiving will be of value is because all information on the website is searchable by key words or phrases, so all of the information shared by the president, no matter who the president is, will also be searchable.
On Nov. 21 the Board met for the final time in 2015. The Board adopted the budgets for 2016 and made a number of endorsements of candidates and ballot measures. Those endorsements made by the Board will be published as we approach the May 17 primary election, or contact your District VP.
To prepare for the Oregon primary election in May, Oregon AFSCME is hosting two candidate interview trainings in early December; Dec. 8 in Salem from 6-8 p.m. and on Dec. 10 in Portland from 6-8 p.m. To sign up to attend either of these classes in person or via Web-Ex click here. These candidate interview trainings are a great way to learn about how you can meet, influence and objectively evaluate candidates for public office. These training sessions will provide good background for members who wish to participate in the interviews that Oregon AFSCME is scheduling for all candidates for the Oregon Legislature and statewide office. Those interviews will be scheduled for dates early in 2016 and will be published in numerous ways. For the most up-to-the-minute interview schedules contact the District VP where you live or work (The regional districts currently coincide with the Oregon Congressional Districts: CD1-Suzanne Bonamici; CD2-Greg Walden; CD3-Earl Blumenauer; CD4-Peter DeFazio; CD5-Kurt Schrader. The regional district VPs can be reached at RD1VP@OregonAFSCME.com, RD2VP@OregonAFSCME.com, RD3VP@OregonAFSCME.com, RD4VP@OregonAFSCME.com, and RD5VP@OregonAFSCME.com).
Finally, I want to remind everyone that open enrollment in 2016 health insurance plans through the Affordable Care Act closes soon. AFSCME has partnered with Working America to reach out to our Child Care members in Local 132 about their ability to receive health insurance through the ACA and to help all eligible members from any local to enroll. Working America is planning an enrollment event for Sunday, Dec. 13 and will publish the details of that event soon. The following is a message from Working America:
Need health insurance coverage?
Whether AFSCME members are looking for a year round plan or an insurance plan to cover gaps in coverage throughout the year, Working America Health Care is there to answer the questions for union members as well as for our friends and family.
Don’t get overwhelmed by all of the options. Instead, take advantage of Working America Health Care! You’ll receive personalized, unbiased support before, during, and AFTER plan enrollment. After you enroll you will have access to your own Health Advocate (For members of AFSCME or Working America that enroll in a Qualified Health Plan through Working America Health Care).
Going without coverage for more than 3 months in a year may result in fines and tax penalties. Make a plan for year-long coverage today!
Visit WorkingAmericaHealthCare.org/AFSCME or call 1-888-312-0472 to learn more.
You can also reach out locally to Melissa Dronen at 503-224-1046 or mdronen@workingamerica.org.
See Working America’s flier for AFSCME members attached to this article and visit their website here.
I plan to publish a president’s report like this every month. If you are a local president or other local officer, please share this information with the members of your local.
If you ever have any questions or wish to send me a comment, you can reach me at president@OregonAFSCME.com.
Thank you for being active in your union.
Download:
WorkingAmericaFlier.pdf
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