Mr. President, members of the Executive Board, and guests;

Today we come to you with an important report filled with good information. Our primary topic as dictated by member contacts remains health care concerns. During the recent Union Coalition Health Fairs, Women's Committee members who volunteered, observed, and learned during those events have composed a letter to the Health Benefits Trust and will send that letter electronically to them. A copy will be submitted to this body along with our report.

We have talked about various ways to communicate and engage our union sisters in rural Alaska and have made our first step towards a new program. The Women's Committee has collected 2 videos and a journal which will first travel to Bethel to be shown and shared in that community. The videos are AFSCME's The Motherhood Manifesto and North Country. When the custodians are finished with the items, they will send the videos to the next rural community who expresses their own interest in participation. We hope that the first Traveling Show will make its way all around the state. If this is successful, we can do another program.

Our next effort to encourage and promote union solidarity is a letter to every ASEA Chapter President asking them to re-invest in their membership by providing access to union training when it is available in and out of Alaska. We want to create a 2-year calendar which will be updated far in advance of training opportunities so that each chapter can consider sending at least 3 union members to these events. Our intent is to invite AFSCME to the major Alaskan cities to provide the training. AFSCME's training offers superior learning opportunities to participants. We want to strengthen our union through much needed training. We would appreciate your support for this effort.

The Women's Committee's support of the Contract Negotiating Committee (CNC) depends on some details that we wish to share with you. We have learned that Social Security will increase by 3.3% next year. Alaska food stamp program was adjusted upward at 4.1%. We would like to know what the CNC will settle for. We must not fall below these percentages. Heating oil in Bethel for 100 gallons costs $457.00 in November 2006. The bill must be paid, what are the choices?

We are also submitting to you a color coded Schedule 2A Base Payroll schedule. Please note that from Range 5 Step A up until Range 10 Step B, members are paid under the Health and Human Services 2006 Federal Poverty Guidelines. Some of these families qualify for food stamps and Denali Kid Care. There exists several special hire situations that we are concerned about that are impacting our union. A person hired as a PSA is paid $8.16 per hour, up to 29 hours per week, and needs subsidized support while earning at that level. At the same time statewide, several hundred student interns are hired and paid at least $12.16 per hour with few deductions. MASST employees receive low pay also. Should these be GGU jobs?

Meanwhile too many of our union members work 2 jobs to pay their household bills. This can lead to reduced productivity while at their primary jobs. The existing wage scale is unrealistic.

We remain in contact with the plaintiffs of the Domestic Partners Benefit Case and their affected families. The couples had complied with State of Alaska Department of Retirement and Benefits filing of their 44 page packets by the imposed deadline of December 8, 2006. They are in anticipation of their ASEA Health Benefits Trust enrollment package so that they can be paid benefits retroactive to January 1, 2006.

The Women's Committee has developed un-copyrighted art for a lapel pin. We are asking the Executive Board for the money to have this item manufactured. Then, we will sell the pin and reimburse the Executive Board.

The portion of the ASEA Policy and Procedures beginning with section 2.03.070 Women's Issues Committee contains unclear language and references. We want to address the committee's name, the appointment of the chair, the AFSCME International Women's Advisory Committee, and term of appointments.

Given that not every Women's Committee has an appointment to the AFSCME International Women's Advisory Committee, we believe that the ASEA Women's Committee should always have an elected chair in place irrelevant to whether or not that Chair is also appointed to AFSCME Women's Advisory Committee.

That Chair person should then be put forward by the ASEA Executive Board to the AFSCME International VP as their nominee to serve on the AFSCME International Women's Advisory Committee as dictated by the AFSCME International internal procedures.

P&P section 2.03.070 Women's Issues Committee is where we shall begin, Page 9 Line 34 strike AFSCME International Women's committee member to read elected chair. Page 10 Line 18 include Issues to reflect the title used in the section beginning.

COMPOSITION: this paragraph is convoluted and unclear. The Committee shall be composed of two representative members each from Juneau, Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Rural Alaska and the elected chair. This entire paragraph must be rewritten.

TERM OF APPOINTMENT: This too must be addressed.

We thank you for your time and attention to these important issues facing ASEA members today.