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ASEA/AFSCME Local 52 Women's Issues Committee
Quarterly Report to Statewide Executive Board
May 22, 2006
Mr. President and all members of the Statewide Executive Board,
The WOMEN'S ISSUES COMMITTEE had very productive meetings prior to the 11th Biennial Convention in March 2006. The standing committee had their mandatory annual meeting followed the next day with the Convention Committee meeting. During each session overwhelming sentiment was the empowerment of our membership, support of preventive health care, safe affordable child care, and encouragement of member participation statewide.
The Women's Issues Committee remains non partisan and works to serve the greater good of the ASEA membership. Several more women from across our state have expressed their interest in participating or supporting the Women's Issues Committee.
We want to acknowledge the support and generosity of the ASEA Anchorage Chapter. Just after the convention, they did transfer $750.00 to the general fund with the intention that the money would be transferred to the Women's Issues Committee budget, and it was. We greatly appreciate their support.
The Women's Issues Committee continues to conduct monthly teleconferences to discuss what we have learned from concerned ASEA women around the state who have contacted us with their concerns, learning and training opportunities, and other issues related to the well being of union women.
New issues since the previous quarterly report:
At the Convention we spoke with a Health Benefits Trust Board member about helping the Trust enlighten members to healthier life style choices. We suggested co-operation between them and the Women's Issues Committee with Solidarity articles and web links and posted to the PINK LINK in support of this education effort.
We want to initiate a dialogue with all ASEA Chapter Presidents regarding union training. We hope to create a two-year calendar, updated every year, with union training opportunities such as:
- AFSCME's Western Regional Women's Conference, every other year, next conference will be Fall 2007
- Western Regional Summer Institute For Union Women in Honolulu, Hawaii this year is the 25th annual Held July 7-11 Registration deadline May 26 Hosted by Center for Labor Education and Research (CLEAR) University of Hawai'i West O'ahu www.uhwo.hawaii.edu/clear click on SIUW 2006 Sponsored by United Association for Labor Educators, Hawaii State AFL-CIO and ILWU Local 142
- 2006 Midwest School for Women Workers July 16-21 Chicago, IL Sponsored by United Association for Labor Educators www.conferences.uiuc.edu/midwestschool or Assistant Clinical Professor Helena Worthen (
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- UALE Northeast Regional Summer School for Union Women will be held at Rutgers University in NJ from July 30-August 4
We will be getting short movies about Union Women, and would like to show them during or after Chapter meetings, Steward meetings or organize ASEA union women meetings.
We have reached out to AFSCME Women's Rights Department and made preliminary plans to bring more training to our membership. We will seek chapter support for this also.
We want to encourage all members to join the PEOPLE campaign.
We want to encourage all eligible members to register to vote and to vote.
We want to add the Work Etiquette Power Point to the PINK LINK. This PPP was sent to you by email. This is the first of the Quiet Coaches we have been planning to make available to our membership.
We would like to support a candidate for the now vacant Northern Region Seat, Barbara Brandt.
We learned Health Benefits Trust payment change. This change is a cause of concern and we will contact them about it. They are not paying for office visits when a woman has a pap smear.
Thank you for listening.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the ASEA Women's Issues Committee
Nadine Lefebvre, Chair
ASEA Women's Issues Committee
AFSCME Women's Advisory Committee Member
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