coordinated care :: Article CreatorUnion Workers Push For Health Care And Insurance Bills Following Coordinated Strikes
After thousands of Twin Cities union workers went on strike last week, workers are pushing for changes at the Capitol — including public health insurance open to all Minnesotans and insurance for striking workers.
About 200 unionized health care, education and property service workers with the SEIU Minnesota State Council met with legislators Wednesday for an organized lobby day.
"I would make the case that over the last few years here in Minnesota because of the leadership of SEIU and our allied partners, we have maybe made more progress than we have in a generation around workers and union rights," said Gov. Tim Walz, who gave a speech to rallying workers before they headed to St. Paul. Statewide labor unions, including the SEIU Minnesota State Council, have endorsed Walz.
Although Walz didn't address specific legislation, he spoke broadly in support of better access to retirement benefits and higher wages: "And things like providing health care for everyone," Walz said. "I'm not concerned about what your status is, I'm concerned that your child can go see a doctor. That's what I'm really concerned about."
Your gift today creates a more connected Minnesota. MPR News is your trusted resource for election coverage, reporting and breaking news. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.
Much of the legislation SEIU members are fighting for is directly related to health care and insurance. Among those priorities: affordable health care for airport workers — who have yet to reach a contract — and unemployment insurance for workers on strike. The latter has been introduced in both the House and Senate.
"We think that if employers forced workers to go out on strike, that they should have the same access to unemployment insurance as if they were laid off or if any other circumstance," said Jamie Gulley, the president of the SEIU Minnesota State Council. "And so we're lifting up our voice to really advocate for striking workers to have the same rights to unemployment as everyone else who is out of a job."
Gulley said another priority for health care workers is expanding who is eligible to buy into the MinnesotaCare insurance program, which provides coverage for low-income Minnesotans.
They're advocating for the "MinnesotaCare Public Option" bill, which would expand a public health insurance option for all Minnesotans. The House Commerce Committee approved the bill in a public hearing Wednesday.
"As health care workers, we think that everyone should have access to affordable quality health insurance, and access to the care that we provide," Gulley said.
In an interview with MPR News on Wednesday, Gov. Walz said he's in favor of the public option for MinnesotaCare but isn't sure it could pass this year.
"I don't think it's fully fleshed out yet, and just to be candid, it's a cost," Walz said. "It's a cost analysis, and we're not in a budget year. And again, I feel a sense of urgency, but getting it done right is critical."
About 200 unionized health care, education and property service workers with the SEIU Minnesota State Council met with legislators Wednesday for an organized lobby day.
Cari SpencerMPR News
Tavona Johnson, a home worker and member of SEIU Healthcare Minnesota and Iowa, is advocating for that bill. She said when her husband was diagnosed with cancer, they had 12 weeks to secure health care for chemotherapy — or find $14,000. Her employer does not provide health care.
"We tried to gain access to health care insurance through the MNsure marketplace. The premiums were astronomically more than our mortgage," she said. "When he passed, we had drained our savings and retirement. And so there's nothing left for me. I just have to start over."
Early March, 4,000 commercial janitors ended a three-day strike and months of bargaining with a tentative contract, including an hourly wage jump from $18.62 to $20 and more sick days. St. Paul teachers averted a strike after reaching a tentative contract that followed a weekend of more than 40 hours of mediation. Nursing home and construction workers protested too.
The coordinated strikes had been in the works since October, when union members set a March deadline for change.
"Could we win together if all of our usual contract struggles as workers that are usually in different bargaining rooms, in different unions and different parts of the city. What would happen if we aligned those all to come to ahead in that first week of March? And could we win more?" said SEIU Local 26 President Greg Nammacher. "And I think the resounding answer is yes. All of us have won settlements much stronger than the ones that we would have won by ourselves."
SEIU Minnesota State Council President Gulley said contracts have not been reached for airport and nursing home workers, who will be back at the bargaining table.
New Alzheimer's Center Of Excellence In East Hamilton Responding To Increased Need For Dementia Care
A resident and his family at The Lantern at Morning Pointe Alzheimer's Center of Excellence in Knoxville showcasing life at a Morning Pointe Lantern memory care community.
The Lantern memory care wing at Morning Pointe of East Hamilton Assisted Living and Memory Care has limited apartments available and often has a waiting list.
Officials said, "The need for memory care and dementia care services across the United States has been growing. According to the Alzheimer's Association's 2023 annual Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures report, there is a projected increase in Alzheimer's cases of 16.7 percent in Tennessee between 2020 and 2025.
"With the increase in dementia comes a greater need for clinical care and support for families of individuals facing a recent diagnosis.
The demand has grown for secure and dementia-friendly residences where these individuals can find coordinated care tailored for their stage of disease, as well as meaningful interactions and activities suited to their needs, interests and abilities.
"For all these reasons, the Morning Pointe of East Hamilton campus is about to expand the local Alzheimer's and dementia care options, adding a new, free-standing Alzheimer's/memory care community next door to the current building, which will transition to assisted living only. Together, the campus will offer a continuum of care for seniors with varying needs."
Expected to open in early 2025, The Lantern at Morning Pointe Alzheimer's Center of Excellence at East Hamilton is located at 1775 Generations Way in Ooltewah, just off East Brainerd Road by the new Publix Super Market at the Shops at Enclave.
The Lantern will be a single-level building with 60 apartments. It will encompass two levels of care under one roof – Lamplight for early stages of Alzheimer's and other dementias, and Lantern for the more advanced stages. Residents can engage at a level of activity and care that provides the right amount of mental stimulation without being either underchallenged or overwhelmed. Care staff will be specially trained on the different stages of Alzheimer's anddementia and how to care for each resident's needs with compassion and comfort.
Memory care programming will include the Best Friends Approach, Teepa Snow's Positive Approach to Care, Meaningful Day purposeful programming, music therapy, art therapy and cuddle therapy. There will also be a strong focus on clinical care with physical and occupational therapies, life enrichment and wellness offerings and intergenerational activities.
In addition, residents will benefit from Morning Pointe's Farm to Table program with local, farm-fresh andseasonal ingredients.
The Lantern will hold a public groundbreaking ceremony on Friday, March 22, at 11:30 a.M. Several local dignitaries and Alzheimer's representatives will celebrate the role The Lantern will play in serving the memory care needs of the greater community. Speakers will include Morning Pointe Senior Living Co-founders Greg A. Vital (president of the company) and Franklin Farrow (CEO), as well as Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp, Hamilton County Commissioner Chair for District 10 Jeff Eversole, Hamilton County Trustee Bill Hullander, Tennessee StateRepresentative for District 30 Esther Helton and Manager of Programs and Education for the Alzheimer's Association Amy French.
In addition, the East Hamilton High School Choir will provide the opening song, and the school's JROTC will lead out in a flag ceremony and pledge of allegiance.
"We are seeing an increased need for memory care services and support in our country and in our state, and now is the right time to expand our East Hamilton campus to rise to meet that need," said Mr. Vital. "We are looking forward to serving more families right here in the greater Chattanooga area and supporting them on their journey with Alzheimer's and dementia."
Aerial shot of the Morning Pointe of East Hamilton campus, including the existing Morning Pointe of East Hamilton Assisted Living and Memory Care and the cleared land where The Lantern will be built.
Comments
Post a Comment