The Campaign for Quality Services Begins

Sept-Oct 2001

SEIU has laund a campaign calling for improving services for people with developmental disabilities. The Campaign for Quality Services focuses on increasing funding and recruiting and retaining professional staff. The campaign will look at the whole system of services within the developmental disabilities community. To assure that services are provided by the best staff possible, the campaign calls for improving training and paying staff a living wage with full benefits.

Local 535 members Sandy Blocher, Karen Beal, Cathy McCoy, and David Mulvey kicked off the campaign with a booth at this year’s Support Life Conference in Sacramento, October 4-5. The conference is a major event that brings together all the major players in the developmental disabilities community. “We wanted the consumers and the community to know that our union can play a significant role in improving the quality of services,” states Mulvey, service coordinator, Tri-Counties Regional Center. “At the booth our members spoke with consumers, providers, advocates, workers, and parents about the campaign. Our message is that together we are stronger and have a better chance of advancing our common agenda of quality services for the communities we serve,” he added. Plans are being made to continue building the coalition by meeting with key members of the legislature, community groups, consumer groups, provider groups, and advocacy groups. The campaign has also begun a petition drive to ask the governor to increase funding for direct care providers in the developmental disabilities community.

The campaign, a joint project of SEIU International and Local 535, will involve our members as a key component. The campaign staff has begun to meet with 535 members and chapter leaders in the various regional centers represented by Local 535. Be on the watch for the meetings coming up at Bay Area regional centers. To get involved in the campaign, contact Düng Tran at (800) 273-7712 xt 32 or David Mulvey at (805) 461-7402 x13.