With our trademark green shirts and rally signs, AFSCME has always taken pride in calling ourselves “the Green Machine.” At this year’s International Convention our union has taken this idea to a whole other level. The 38th International Convention, which kicked off in San Francisco today, will be the “greenest” convention on record.

What does this mean exactly? It means the nearly 6,000 delegates, staff and guests who are descending on the Moscone West Convention Center are taking unprecedented steps to reduce waste and protect our environment.

We have replaced the use of bottled water with reusable water bottles, which are also free of chemicals that pose health risks. Biodegradable and compostable utensils, plates and cups will be used to eat only locally raised and organically grown food. Even the rain ponchos provided to Convention delegates have been made from recyclable, PVC-free plastic.

Most impressive is the reduction of paper waste. By providing every delegate with small computer flash drives, our union will save 3.3 million sheets of paper. What’s more, most of the documents we do have to provide to the delegates have been printed on 100-percent recycled paper by a local printing company that uses wind power and is a member of the Forest Stewardship Council.

“By providing documents electronically whenever possible and taking other steps, AFSCME upholds our commitment to go green and help protect our environment,” said President Gerald W. McEntee.

Now that’s what you call a Green Machine!

This week nearly 6,000 delegates, alternates and guests have gathered in San Francisco for AFSCME’s 38th International Convention. The Convention, with the theme “We Make America Happen,” convenes today and runs through Friday. The goal of unity will be an important one for our union as delegates continue building AFSCME’s power to win strong contracts and elect leaders who will fight for working families.

This exciting week gets started with President Gerald McEntee’s keynote address to kick-off the Convention. McEntee is expected to call on attendees to continue implementing the sweeping measures of the Power to Win plan, and to work harder than ever before to take back the White House for America’s working families.

Another highlight comes Thursday morning as Senator Barack Obama will address the AFSCME Convention live via satellite. We will be streaming his remarks online for AFSCME members. Check back on our website at afscme.org/convention or here on the Greenline for information on how to watch the speech and to view additional posts, photos, videos and more Convention coverage.

U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton and former Vice President Al Gore will also be featured Convention speakers, along with Speaker of the California Assembly Karen Bass and Governor Martin O’Malley of Maryland.

Most importantly, though, the Convention is about charting the future course of our union. Delegates will vote on key policy resolutions and constitutional amendments to guide our union for the next two years. They will elect all of AFSCME’s International Executive Board members—president, secretary-treasurer and 32 vice presidents.

In addition, our union’s new tagline, “We Make America Happen,” will be visible all week as it captures the critical role AFSCME members play in making our communities better places to work, live and raise a family. Throughout the week, members will attend educational workshops and visit action center booths, which cover such topics as political action, retirement security and our campaign to guarantee quality, affordable health care for all Americans.

The economic woes of our nation are growing, placing state budgets in a tightening vice grip which in turn forces cuts in state spending that slow down economic recovery. As states revenues plummet, the need for Medicaid coverage rises.

And so today, AFSCME President Gerald W. McEntee, testifying before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Health, called for a short-term increase in federal assistance to state Medicaid programs. Medicaid is how we come together to care for our neighbors and family members who have no options for health care. We rely on Medicaid to help keep the hardships of the economic downturn from damaging the health of children, seniors, individuals with disabilities, and the those whose declining wages or loss of a job have pushed them into poverty.

McEntee testified that, “The increase is necessary to stave cuts are necessary to stave off cuts during this economic downturn is a vital economic investment in our nation.” He called the federal assistance “a moral imperative.”

McEntee told the subcommittee that AFSCME strongly supports the bipartisan legislation (H.R. 5268). “By temporarily investing additional federal dollars in Medicaid, the bill focuses assistance to those hit hardest by the economic downturn and protects our nation’s health care infrastructure,” he said.

Said McEntee, “Medicaid matters to us all and must be protected and sustained.”

Hear hear.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Democratic leaders have been meeting with economists to develop a new stimulus plan and Speaker Pelosi said the plan was likely to include aid for states suffering declining tax revenues and help with the states’ share of costs for Medicaid services to the poor as well as transportation infrastructure, public schools and other public facilities.

Speaker Pelosi suggested a $50 billion package and said:

“our distinguished experts here say, again, something targeted, temporary, and timely, as were our criteria before, is very important… we can’t have them [middle-class tax rebates] exclusively dominate the package.  We have to have assistance, direct assistance, in terms of the other issues that were named: Food Stamps, LIHEAP, and the issues that relate to infrastructure, Medicaid, aid to the states.”

Senate Democrats announced they are developing their own stimulus plan. Emerging plans suggest a $50 billion package, which could include increased funding to states for their Medicaid costs, increased funds for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to address skyrocketing energy costs and extended unemployment benefits longer than the 13 additional weeks enacted in the first stimulus package.

While the details of these stimulus plans are expected this week, the House and Senate may not vote on these plans until after Labor Day, when Congress returns from its summer recess.

AFSCME strongly supports increased stimulus funding to provide states and localities with fiscal relief, especially through increased Medicaid funding and flexible anti-recession grants.

When they get to rewrite the rules that decide who receives health coverage and who doesn’t, the insurance companies win every time. A new video from Health Care for America NOW asks: what would happen if we all got to live by insurance company rules?

The video is funny, but these are serious issues – our health care system is broken, and we need to fix it now. For more information on AFSCME’s campaign for quality, affordable health care we can all count on, visit www.afscme.org/healthcare.

Last week, those of us who believe in health care for all celebrated an important – and all too rare – victory with the passing of a Medicare bill that puts seniors and the disabled ahead of profits and privatization.

“To a rousing ovation from his colleagues, Senator Ted Kennedy arrived back in the Capitol to vote on the Medicare bill, which passed by a veto-proof 69 – 30 margin. Kennedy’s vote could have been critical. Senate Republicans had blocked movement on this legislation by just one vote a couple weeks ago. (Read more from AMERICAblog.)

“Ostensibly, Wednesday’s vote was about restoring cuts in Medicare payments to doctors. What it was really about, however, was the fight against creeping privatization,” wrote Paul Krugman.

Said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of President Bush and his support of Medicare Advantage:

“If you had to list car salesmen, members of Congress and insurance companies, insurance companies would be at the bottom of the list. I’m personally comfortable with the president casting his lot with insurance companies and HMOs. We’re comfortable casting our lot with the American people.” (from Firedoglake)

The President vetoed the bill, but Congress moved quickly to override his veto. As the New York Times editorialized:

“President Bush’s veto was easily overridden as Republicans in droves abandoned his misguided effort to help the insurance industry hold on to its large subsidies.”

And now 44 million beneficiaries can count on a more solid Medicare program.

More than 8,500 service employees of the University of California, represented by Local 3299, launched a five-day strike to focus public attention on their battle for a fair contract and an end to poverty wages.

The workers have been negotiating in good faith with UC executives for almost a year, but talks have remained deadlocked for months. On July 11, after the union announced its intention to strike this week, the Superior Court of San Francisco issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting the strike. But leaders of Local 3299 say the judge’s order does not prevent union members from striking since the court stated only that Local 3299 could not strike until it provided the University of California with “adequate notice” of the exact dates of the strike, which the union did on July 10.

“It’s our right to strike,” LaKesha Harrison, a licensed vocational nurse and president of Local 3299, told UCLA’s the Daily Bruin. “It’s illegal for them to prevent people from exercising their constitutional right. We have to protect the workers.”

The employees, who have been working without a contract since January, are paid wages which are dramatically lower than other hospitals and California’s community colleges, where wages are 25 percent higher, on average, according to a report: “Failing California’s Communities.” Service workers, for example, are paid as little as $10 an hour.

“I am striking for my family,” says Rosario Cortes, a senior custodian at UC/Santa Cruz. “It’s a shame that I work at a world-renowned university but they aren’t paying me enough to support my family. UC has a responsibility to our communities to provide good jobs, starting by agreeing to a minimum wage that would lift many of us out of poverty.”

Many UC employees are forced to work two or more jobs, or rely on public assistance, to meet their families’ basic needs, according to Local 3299, which also represents some 11,000 patient care workers at UC’s five medical centers, who are not formally participating in this week’s strike action although they, too, are currently fighting for a new contract. Some, however, have walked out in solidarity with their striking sisters and brothers, despite disciplinary threats.

To read more about Local 3299’s campaign, click here (PDF). Also, visit Local 3299’s campaign website at TakeBackUC.org, and check out these stories in the San Francisco Chronicle, The San Diego Union-Tribune, and this video from KCRA-3 TV in Sacramento.

Former Sen. Phil Gramm of Texas, the co-chair of John McCain’s presidential campaign and his top economic advisor, says America has “become a nation of whiners” and the only downturn facing our country is a “mental recession.” AFSCME President Gerald McEntee says McCain and his campaign haven’t got a clue about the real problems facing America’s working families.

Every time you look around lately, John McCain and friends are spouting off about important issues like the economy, globalization and Social Security. And with each passing day, they give Americans a clearer sign of just how out of touch they really are.

Read more at the Huffington Post.

On Monday, July 7, Senator John McCain told a Denver town hall meeting that Social Security, as originally conceived more than 70 years ago, is an “absolute disgrace.” In his latest entry on the Huffington Post, AFSCME President Gerald McEntee says the real disgrace is how little Sen. McCain understands about Social Security and the U.S. economy.

Just like George W. Bush, McCain’s out to destroy something he knows nothing about. When they combine ignorance with power, they leave it to the rest of us to pick up the pieces from the damage they cause. Bush tried to destroy Social Security and we fought him tooth and nail.

If John McCain thinks he can do what we kept Bush from doing, he’s got another thing coming. The American people won’t let him destroy Social Security.

Read the full post.

This entry by AFSCME President Gerald McEntee was crossposted on The Huffington Post.

Our health care system is broken and it’s hurting American families and businesses. That’s why AFSCME is co-chairing “Health Care for America Now,” an unprecedented coalition of major organizations including labor unions, community-based membership groups, women’s groups, health professionals, businesses and leading netroots activists working together to push for quality, affordable health care for all.

For decades, we have been working to expand the American Dream to include health care for all. Year in and year out, we hear promises and pledges from politicians. But still, nothing gets done.

Meanwhile, millions of Americans live without health care. Millions more are routinely denied the health care they need by insurance companies that put profits over the needs of patients. Our businesses can’t compete in the world economy because of escalating health care costs. The middle class is being choked. State and local government budgets are squeezed by skyrocketing costs. We have a broken system that leaves too many people on their own at the mercy of insurance companies.

This is wrong. It’s immoral. It’s got to stop. We don’t need more needless delays, idle discussions or political posturing.

We need action. Fixing America’s health care system must be a priority for all of us – especially union members. As health care costs rise, American workers are being forced to sacrifice wage increases at the bargaining table just to maintain health care. Health insurance premiums are going up three times faster than pay, and many working families are shouldering a growing share of the costs. They are paying more and getting less – while being forced to fight with the insurance companies to get the care they need and get their bills paid.

The scores of organizations joining “Health Care for America Now” are committed to building on the greatness of our nation by giving every American access to the finest medical care available anywhere in the world.

We know this won’t be easy. We know the odds are great. But the odds were great when Americans cured polio, when we built the Hoover Dam, when we conquered the atom, when we put a man on the moon.

All we need is the political will. There is nothing we can’t achieve if we put our minds and our hearts and our votes together. That’s why we’ll be organizing and lobbying, building a grassroots army to make 2009 the year we get health care that works for all of us – providing people care they can afford with a doctor of their choice.

As we build a massive grassroots movement to solve our health care crisis once and for all, we’ve got a message for our elected officials: If you put profits ahead of patients, get out of the way. Don’t tell us about reforms that lack a guarantee of coverage. Don’t tell us about taxing the health care benefit employees receive on the job. Don’t tell us that insurance company practices don’t need to be regulated. Don’t tell us that $10,000 deductibles are okay.

Those ideas won’t work because they don’t address two critical things we need to do: control escalating health care costs and guarantee access to everyone.

We don’t have time to waste. We’ve got work to do. If you support quality, affordable health care for all, it is time to roll up your sleeves, get ready for work, and get on board.