University of Washington / Harborview Medical Center

Local 1488 Newsletter

Washington Federation of State Employees • AFSCME Council 28 • AFL-CIO • www.wfse.org/local1488

AFSCME 1488
Takes Part in
2011 Lobby Day
Olympia, WA—AFSCME Local 1488 Morgan Abenojar knows the value of his
members traveled to the state capitol service.
in Olympia on February 21, 2011, to
participate in annual lobby day acti- 1488 member Ed Vazquez & family (L to R: Paloma
[10], Ed, Erika [7], & Maria).
As a custodian at UW for the last four-
vities organized by the Washington teen years, Abenojar has put three
Federation of State Employees' (WFSE) make the budget fair for everybody daughters through college, imparting
Council 28. who works for a living." to each a respect for public services and
public institutions. The lessons have
Among the participants were Paula Paula Lukaszek, a plumber at UW apparently stuck.
Lukaszek, Phil Salvador, Yong Nam, since 2003, agreed.
James Grady, Salvador Castillo, Doug His eldest is a social worker at Washing-
Nielson, James Bals, and Morgan She said that it seemed as though civil ton State's Department of Social &
Abenojar. servants and other public service em- Health Services (DSHS), while another
ployees were being unjustly blamed daughter is graduating from UW with a
"There's a big sense of urgency this for budget crises at the state and local degree in health services management
year with what's happening in Wiscon- level. this year. The youngest is an architect-
sin," said University of Washington ure student—also at UW.
(UW) truck driver Doug Nielson. She pointed to Wisconsin Governor
Scott Walker's proposal to return civil Abenojar has been traveling to Olympia
"We're tired of the corporate welfare servants to 19th century-style working to lobby state officials annually since he
going on in this state, and we need to conditions by stripping them of their became a member of local 1488.
collective bargaining rights as a prime See AFSCME 1488 LOBBY DAY page 2

example.

Lukaszek said she thought the best

way to counter such attacks was to
educate people about the value of
public services in their community.

- "People need to realize the import-

ance of the services we bring to the
1488 members Paula Lukaszek & Doug Nielson. state," Lukaszek said.

WFSE/AFSCME Seattle Field Office, 444 NE Ravenna Blvd, Suite 108, Seattle, WA 98115
Standing in Solidarity with Wisconsin
lic employees, who may be returned cently, a representative of the Stu-
to 19th century-style working condi-
tions with the loss of their collective
bargaining rights.

"Let it be said here in Olympia,

Washington," continued Kucinich,
"that workers have a right to orga-
nize, a right to collective bargaining,
Olympia, WA—Amid a thunderous a right to decent wages and benefits, L to R: Rebecca Johnson, WSLC; Sarah Cherin,
UFCW 21, & Theresa Mosque, WSLC.
roar and chants of "Workers' Rights
are Human Rights," Ohio Congress-
man Dennis Kucinich told attendees
at a noontime President's Day rally
inside the Washington state capitol
rotunda in Olympia that state work-
ers and especially union workers are
the best hope for economic justice,
jobs, workers' rights, and human
rights.

"This is a very important moment in

the history of our country," said Ku-
cinich, referring to Wisconsin Gov-
ernor Scott Walker's proposal to
strip civil servants of their collective
bargaining rights. "Because this is the
moment that working men and wo-
men stand in solidarity for the basic
economic rights that we have a right
to expect in a democratic society!"
To lift the spirits of state workers in
Wisconsin and Washington, the two-
time presidential candidate reminded
listeners that public employees
"don't have to beg to the govern-
ment, because you ARE the govern-
ment!"
Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich (center) dons AFSCME green.
a right to a secure retirement, a right
to safety in the workplace, a right to
sue employers if they don't have a safe
workplace. You have a right to a job,
and you have a right to participate in
the political process, and it is your
participation that's going to change
this political process all across Ame-
rica."
For more information on the union’s
response to this shif change, con-
tact organize@afscme1488.org.
"We need a grand coalition of the
American people that says that we
stand for jobs! We stand for health
care for all! We stand education for
all! We stand for retirement security
for all! And we stand for peace!"

The rally in the rotunda is part of In closing, Kucinich delivered per-

Washington Federation of State Em-
ployees (WFSE) Council 28's annual
lobby day activities and coincided
with AFSCME's desire to demon-
strate solidarity with Wisconsin pub-
haps one of the most important mes-
sages in his brief, 6-minute address
by calling on all people who work for
a living to come together to achieve
a brighter future. The rally in the rotunda.

PAGE 2
AFSCME 1488 Lobby Day
(from page 1)
"I will support us," he said.

Meanwhile, other 1488 leaders like

Ed Vazquez and Florife Estrella have
made it a point to bring their families
to lobby day.

Vazquez, a shop steward in 1488's

UW custodial unit, said his family
likes coming to the capitol, and that
they understand the issues.

"I like it, 'cause we're going to be on

TV," said Vazquez's 10-year-old
daughter Paloma.

Vazquez said he hopes that more

members take the opportunity to
take a hand in shaping the decisions 1488 member Florife Estrella & family (L to R: Felicity [12], Danny, Florife, & Flordanise [14]).
that affect their workplace.
Florife Estrella understands this well.

She is married to Danny Estrella, a

1488 retiree who left active service at
UW in 2008.

1488 member Jim Bals (L) lobbies State Rep. Joe 1488 members Doug Nielson (R ) & Paula Luka-
Fitzgibbon. szek (center) lobby State Rep. Eric Pettigrew.

"People usually wait till they got wa-

ter up to their neck before they start
coming out to meetings, but then the
damage has already been done," said
Vazquez, referring to people's ten-
dency to ignore budget and admini-
strative matters up until the moment
their jobs are threatened.
"If they [state and university officials]
1488 members prep for legislative visits (Clock-
wise: Salvador Castillo, James Grady, Yong Nam,
Phil Salvador, & Paula Lukaszek).
"The more people involved the bet-
ter," said Estrella of her family's pre-
sence at lobby day. "I want to be act- 1488 member Paula Lukaszek (L ) lobbies State
ive and learn more about politics, Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos.

don't see faces [at the table], said Vaz-
quez, "then they laugh at you."
especially the budget cuts. I'm con-
cerned because of the economy now,
and I oppose the budget cuts.
PAGE 3
For more information about AFSCME
1488 or to learn how to get involved,
contact us at 1-800-924-5754 or
organize@afscme1488.org.
 PRSRT STD
Local 1488 US POSTAGE
PAID

Newsletter
OLYMPIA WA
PERMIT NO 238

Washington Federation of State Employees

AFSCME Council 28
1212 Jefferson Street SE, Suite 300

Local 1488 Newsletter

Olympia, WA 98501

WFSE 28 President Carol Dotlich addresses the AFSCME reaches the state capitol rotunda in WFSE 28 President Carol Dotlich soaks up the
crowd. Olympia. energy.

UPCOMING
EVENTS
March
Sat, March 6 –
1488 Membership Meeting
Seattle Labor Temple
UW students join in.
2800 First Avenue
Seattle, WA 98121
CONTACT US:
Seattle Field Office
206-525-5363 • 800-924-5754

Local 1488 Administrators

organize@afscme1488.org
AFSCME rallies in the state capitol rotunda in
Olympia.