ASEA/AFSCME LOCAL 52 Women's Issues Committee
Quarterly Report to the Statewide Executive Board FEBRUARY 2011

Madame President, members of the ASEA Executive Board, ASEA staff, members and guests;

The Women's Issues Committee (WIC) reports for this quarter that our committee has continued to focus on soliciting members and involving women in our union and becoming activist.

We would like to thank the Statewide Executive Board for appointing two new members and reappointing Mrs. Nadine Lefebvre. Sister, Wendy Parker comes to the committee with personal experience in dealing with the changing attitudes and ideologies pertaining to women in the work place. Over the years she found herself migrating towards positions that were not traditionally given to women. Each time she found interest in an untraditional work environment, she met roadblocks, which had to be circumvented in order to achieve her desired status. It is her goal to help dissolve those roadblocks for women in the future and help educate women on their abilities, and responsibilities towards changing attitudes that have so long become engrained in our society.

Sister Elsa Dehart is a family nurse practitioner and a public health nurse. She has been involved in multiple women's issues including working with victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. She has a strong desire to see women who work for the State having equal opportunities and pay scales within the employee system. She also believes that women have unique issues that need to be heard and addressed in order for our State to be the best place in which to live and work. Our committee still has 2 vacancies to fill.

Since our last report our committee continues to keep informed on AFSCME news, ASEA local news and politics while sharing those matters with our members and at our Chapter meetings. Updating our website and the required information that needs to be posted for members to follow our committee work was also a focus. During our December meeting we had a guest, Mr. Don Burell, former aid to Senator Bettye Davis and who now works for the State and is interested in helping us continue the dialogue and support Child Care for State Employees. He is interested in partnering with the Next Wave and WIC to help assist in exploring this option. Committee members are well aware of HB51 ChildCare Centers for State employees & others and stressed that we share that with members and encourage them to talk with their respective legislative members to support the bill.

In January we reviewed our P & P's and discussed the changes that were put forth previously to the Statewide E-board and to submit any comments prior to the deadlines. Our mission statement will be removed and put on our website. Staff explained the reasoning behind the changes that were put forth by the Statewide Eboard and fielded questions from committee members in reference to the suggested changes.

The AFSCME Women's Leadership Conference was discussed and AFSCME will be having regional conferences for AFSCME women members. In the fall there will be a conference for the Western Region states. Staff answered an inquiry in reference to the AFSCME Advisory Council and the appointment of a WIC member to attend.

The commiuee discussed getting information from the ASbA Health Trust about how the new Patient Protection and New Affordable Care Act (PPACA) bill will affect our members. It was referenced that the compliance date for changes to the Trust plan is July 1, 2011. There will be worksite meetings in the near future that will be addressing this topic. Another topic that was brought forth to some our committee members on our jobs was in reference to employees breast feeding in state offices and we as a committee will continue to share this issue and direct women to AAM 280.460, AS 01.10.060(b) and AS 29.25.080 for guidance.

Lastly most of our committee members will be traveling to attend the PEL this week and our February committee meeting will be canceled. We will be very interested in HB51 and other bills our PAC will be following and educating us during the PEL. Our committee continues to strive toward informing our members about women's issues that effect them in their families and at their workplace.

Thank you for your time and support of our efforts on behalf of the women, families, and all ASEA/AFSCME members in Alaska.

Respectfully, In solidarity
Dawn Bundick, Chair
AFSCME Statewide Women's Issues Committee