An Open Letter from Local 5 Past-President Sheila Velazco
To: Members of SEIU Local 5
(SEIU Arizona, SEIU Texas and Virginia Association of Personal Care
Assistants) From: Sheila Velazco, Local 5 President Re: An Opportunity and a Responsibility
(Taking the next steps to create viable union organizations) Date: August 4, 2008
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aqui Because of your hard work over the last few years and because we are part of an International union that is visionary, we have a great story to tell in the south and southwest. As President of SEIU Local 5, I feel fortunate to have been part of this story. And while I do not know all of you personally, I know the challenges that you have faced and the remarkable work that you have done. Now, before I leave the presidency of this Local, I want to share some thoughts with you and challenge you to continue the work we are doing to organize all workers in our states. As you know, every 4 years, SEIU members from across the country come together at a convention to build on our experiences and successes and establish new programs to win for workers. In 2004, members convened in San Francisco and adopted a program to invest money and people in the south and southwest so workers here would have an opportunity to join a union, raise their standards of living and have a voice in their work; in their communities; and ultimately, in their union. These members had the foresight to understand that in order for workers in California and New York to maintain or raise their standards, they needed to ensure that workers in all states—especially the south and southwest—had an opportunity to unite in a union and fight for better standards and better communities. A number of people were moved by this vision, including Executive Vice President Eliseo Medina. He heard the call and asked others to join him. Many of us accepted his invitation and found ourselves on this S/SW journey. To help make organizing the S/SW a reality, SEIU President Stern established a provisional organizing local—Local 5—to be the ‘home’ for workers in the south and southwest and provided resources. He appointed a local president and a secretary treasurer and established the Local’s ‘jurisdiction’ as those S/SW states where there was no other SEIU local union. As it turned out, SEIU’s vision and faith were well placed. Today, Local 5 has 4900 members in three states – Arizona, Texas and Virginia – and represents a diverse workforce that delivers public services to state, city and county residents, cares for the aged and people with disabilities in their homes and provides early education to young children. More and more workers continue joining the union because they see we are new and different. We are not a union based on filing grievances, but rather a union that is a “movement of workers” dedicated to creating strong, healthy communities where residents can count on quality public services. Our members say they want to be held accountable for, and respected and valued for, the work they perform every day. They have shown they are serious about delivering quality services and organizing more workers to have a voice. Now, because Local 5 has several years of experience and successes, we are ready to move to the next phase of an organizing local. This next phase begins now—with each of you participating in ratifying a new Constitution and electing your leaders. The Constitution will give Local 5 the structure and flexibility it needs to organize more workers. The elected leaders (president, secretary-treasurer and a state director from each of the three states) will lead us on this next phase of organizing and building SEIU in the south and southwest. We are not alone on this path we are walking. The International Union has also moved to its next phase of winning for workers. In June of this year, members from throughout the union again came together at an SEIU convention. This was the first convention at which Local 5 was represented by our own elected delegates. These delegates joined our brothers and sisters from all across the country, Canada and Puerto Rico to adopt a comprehensive, visionary program to fight for “justice for all” not “just for me.” To achieve justice for all requires that we all embark on a mission to ensure that healthcare, public services, janitorial and security workers have a voice and a better life; that our communities are healthy and strong, and that we partner with others to make this a reality. As members of SEIU Local 5, we all have an amazing opportunity and an awesome responsibility before us. You can help by exercising your voice and ratifying the proposed Local 5 Constitution and by electing a president, secretary-treasurer and your respective state director. These elected leaders will work together to develop and carry out strategic organizing, political, and member engagement programs and will help drive our work in innovation and quality. They will also help us determine whether and when to recommend that a geography is ready to move to the next phase of establishing itself as a viable and financially-sound local union. Moreover, in the coming months and years, they will be calling on you to help make Justice for All a reality, not just a nice idea. While I am leaving as president, I will still be a member of SEIU Local 5. So, together, let’s take the next step down the path to create viable local organizations; together, let’s write more chapters in our story by organizing more workers and electing more officials at the city, county, state and national level who care about working families; and together, above all, let’s work to ensure that Local 5 is a strong partner in our work to achieve justice for all.