Michigan Votes Forum

I find it absolutely amazing how much time people have to sit on this blog and rant! I, on the the other hand, have a family to care for and a living to make.

Barbara, you have a valid point about having an opportunity to get together with fellow home care workers without a union person present. The only thing is, I didn't know any other home care workers! How the heck was I supposed to find them? Do you have any idea what it's like to be a home care worker? To struggle to provide care, to wonder constantly if you're doing it right, to fight like hell to keep your family members in their home becase that's where they want to be? Well, I'll tell you, unless you're a trained professional, it's no easy task. And I'm glad that since I've started going to meetings, I can actually share my concerns with other people like me who can relate and offer support.

I was trained in Oakland County last year and I'm much more secure with the care I provide - even looking to take on new clients and earn extra money. I'm proud of that. And grateful.

Do we need another unfunded state agency?  That's the question, Sara, and should the taxpayers pay for your training?  And for your career support group?!   I can't think of another career where the taxpayers not only pay for your training, but then maintains a professional registry and hold support group meetings for you!   And you don't even work for the government!  

And yes I know a bit about providing in home health care, I've been doing it for 26 years!   I started out caring for my sister and my uncle, then to learn new skills (and be able to take on new patients and make a living at it) I worked for agencies with training programs plus took classes at the community college and got my LPN all without help from anyone.    And for the past eight years I've been able to run my own small business.  

Through the agencies around here I've gotten to know many home aides and LPNs doing in home hospice care.  Most of us are friends for years now, trade advice and take over each others patients when we need.  (Like this week my friends are taking four of my patients because I've got a bad case of poison ivy that keeps me from lifting.)  And ALL OF US PAID for our own training or got it through an agency and we didn't need the state to hold meetings for us I'll tell you that!   WE just meet up at Denny's!

It's like an apprenticeship in anything, Sara.  You work for an employer doing the easier work while you train to do the more difficult work and then eventually you are an expert.  Outside of the armed forces and law enforcement where else does the state pay for your training!

And I'm "ranting" on this blog because this has been my career for 26 years and I never asked for a union, never needed one, don't believe in them and I've educated myself about what this bill is really about, and I'm a small business person and taxpayer who doesn't believe in more government so this is how I CHOOSE to spend my sick time.

"We just meet up at Denny's" - FOR TRAINING? Wow that makes me glad that there is a registry.  Please post the name of your company so that I can avoid it.  Sounds real professional.

 Typical union thug tactic -- personal attacks, twist the truth, change the subject and smear business as evil.  Don't trust anything but unions and big government because they know what's best for the rest of us! 

DanNathan:

"We just meet up at Denny's" - FOR TRAINING? Wow that makes me glad that there is a registry.  Please post the name of your company so that I can avoid it.  Sounds real professional.

 

My friends get together at Denny's usually once a week to go over our schedules so we can cover each other if we need time off.  We also like to talk because the work can wear you down sometimes or if someone has never handled something before between us someone else has.  We have met up most of us since 1994 and it has been very helpful for me over the years.  We don't need a new multi-million dollar government agency to hold meetings for us.

 I also went to an MQCCC meeting a year ago and there were two other people there plus the two MQCCC workers who ran a meeting for three people.    And neither of them could explain to me what the MQCCC did besides hold these meetings and keep a "registry" except they hadn't got one single call from my city of people looking for an aide!  The other two aides there thought it was a job interview and had no real experience giving care but were going on to the registry.    After that meeting that's when I started checking why there even was an MQCCC.  

I was TRAINED by two different agencies in classes at the agency office by the Red Cross and also on the job one on one with a more experienced home health aide.     I also took classes at Mott and OCC. 

I have an office in my home and that's where I meet with my own employees.   Anyone who works for me has a Red Cross certificate and I've helped five other aides get certified.  I also train people myself on the job.

why are you people attacking me for having an informed opinion?  This is my CAREER!

Barbara, I think I trust the AARP, ARC Michigan and the Disability Rights Coalition to know more about caring for seniors and the disabled than the waitstaff at Denny's!!!

I researched into the people who testified in favor of this bill.  Here is Roanne Chaney for example.  (the links need to go through the moderator so I'm posting this first without them but you can also Google it)

It's from a 2004 symposium for a child care advocacy group

Trends is Family Child Care Unionization
Carol Golubock, Service Employees International Union, SEIU; RoAnne Chaney, Michigan Disability Rights Coalition

In-home providers of state-funded personal care assistant services to the elderly and persons with disabilities have benefited from changing their employment status from independent contractors to employees of a public commission. The presentation will explain how that has occurred, discuss the similarities between these service providers and family day care providers, and describe the benefits to the providers and the consumers.

So Roanne has been for the forced unionization and "changing the employment status" of independent contracts like myself since 2004! 

Also apparently the Michigan Disability Rights Coalition received  $18,000 from the SEIU in 2006.  I would need to do more research on other years and organizations.  

I am NOT saying these rights groups are wrong or bad, I'm saying they 1. are being financially and politically pressured to support this and 2. The few people who testified and have been a part of the MQCCC creation from the beginning DO NOT represent the members of their groups!  Iv'e talked to many people from ARC, DAV, MDA, UCP and the MS society who do NOT support what's going on once they get all the facts.    And I can't find anything on the AARP websites about this bill so as far as I can see only one person supports this not the organization.  

According to the House Fiscal Agency's analysis, this legislation is supported by the AARP, the Area Agencies on Aging, the National MS Society, and many, many others. The leading senior groups disagree with you. But I guess you know more about senior care than the AARP, right???

 NO forced unionization! Independences, free markets. How can a free republic force unionization on independant people?

Stop the maddness.  If these people wanted a union it is their right to organize and unionize.  The state has NO right to

unionize them. Check out the constitution and stick to it. It helps if you read it once or maybe even twice. You folks are not being

paid to run our lives.  There is a federal Constitution, a Declaration of Indpendence and even a state Constitution.  These

should be made into a mandatory semi-annual reading requirement for all politicians because it seems to have been forgotten by

so many.

 You are absolutly correct!  Forcing home health care givers is as stupid as forcing babsitters to unionized.  The state needs to get out of this stupid shell game.

saraknack:

 NO forced unionization! Independences, free markets. How can a free republic force unionization on independant people?

Stop the maddness.  If these people wanted a union it is their right to organize and unionize.  The state has NO right to

unionize them. Check out the constitution and stick to it. It helps if you read it once or maybe even twice. You folks are not being

paid to run our lives.  There is a federal Constitution, a Declaration of Indpendence and even a state Constitution.  These

should be made into a mandatory semi-annual reading requirement for all politicians because it seems to have been forgotten by

so many.

Just as an FYI, these people did exercise their right to organize and unionize, with a vote which was confirmed by the Michigan Employment Relations Commission, just as other unions have organized in the past.

Yeah sure whatever.  How many home care aides out of the 40,000 actually "voted" on this?  7000?  

And just so everyone else knows how this works -- the union sent out a "ballot" that looked like a piece of junk mail.  At the same time union staff was phone banking home care aides they had previously identified as "supporters".

Now, "supporter" doesn't mean that person understood what their choices were, because the "employer" wasn't opposing any of this and because these people don't even have a common worksite they never had the chance to talk among themselves about it.  The only person they had contact with on it was A UNION ORGANIZER.

So, the union then when out, first to known supporters and then to anyone on the list who wasn't against the whole scheme, and once they knew a person would vote "yes" THEN reminded that person about their ballot.  So people who might have voted no probably threw the ballot away not even knowing what it was.

It's the same scheme these unions have used all across the country to unionize people who are getting checks from the state for providing a service -- make a deal with the governor, create a fake "employer", then run a crooked election and start raking in the dues.  OH yeah, and then don't do anything for those people you just "unionized" that is anywhere worth the 7 million a year the state is sending the union in dues.   

All these "concerned home care supporters" on this thread and not one of them can explain how the union is spending SEVEN MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR to help home care aides.  They'll point at the MQCCC which is funded by tax dollars (WE DON'T HAVE) or some class or a fifty cent raise that gets chewed up by cutting your hours, but you'll notice they won't ever explain exactly how that SEVEN MILLION DOLLARS is being spent.

Seven million dollars a year going straight from the state budget to a union and no one will explain where that money goes.

Are there 140 union staff people making 50 grand a year to go out help home aides somehow?  

Is there some 7 million dollar fund somewhere for home aides in need that's given back to them every year? 

Do they have a nice office in every city that they can go to visit or use a computer?

Can anyone break that down for the rest of us or show us a web page that explains where that money is going?

Because I think a lot of it is going to politics and not here in Michigan but to places around the country where the union bosses want to buy an election.  I think it's also going to fancy hotel room and first class plane tickets and fancy dinners and parties and free cars for union officers.  I think it's going to ACORN and other left wing political organization.  

I think all that because no one can explain how that money is being spent on home aides here in Michigan.  I've called the union ten times asking them to explain it and all I get is a run around.   

I like to ask all the posters here who are defending the MQCCC this question.

Now that the governor's budget proposal is out, where would you say they should cut 50 million dollars out of the Human Services budget BEFORE they defund the MQCCC?  What in DHS is LESS important than the MQCCC?  Can the MQCCC justify it's existence with FACTS like how many individuals actually use the registry or attend their trainings in a year?   As compared to for example how many clients are helped by 2 million dollars worth of case workers or WIC payments?  

I know someone from the union is going to come on here and say that home help aides cost less than putting people in nursing homes.  This is true.  But if the MQCCC was gone tomorrow how many people would that actually force into nursing homes?  

Your ever so subtly implied allegation of wrong-doing against MDRC is not appreciated.

I have not signed any documents for union dues to be taken and/or paid from my check.  So, therefore, I would like all monies taken from my check to be returned to me immediately!

I would also like to know where this money is going.  I have requested from this union SEIU reports on how this money is used for the Home Care Worker, but to no avail.  We received information on the General Membership Meeting after the Meeting.  Whenever, a call is made to this Union, yes there is always the run around.  Return my money and I will also join those in action for a law suite to be brought on for all of us, meaning these Home Care Workers/Providers!

The MQCCC and SEIU should be sued by all of us!

Ms. Brown, I would like to see the same.  This could not have been said any better than it was said.  I do agree with your statement.

Yes, Barbara the election was rigged and I am mad as Hell also!

 Unions only protect themselves and the job, but do not protect the working man and woman. We can defend ourselves by writing to our Senators and Representatives who we elect to serve us. We do not need any unions to fight for us. We the people have the ultimate power and control, and we need to let the unions know that by demanding respect.

 @Barbara: Well said and I totally agree with you.

 @Barbara Brown: I would like for you to have my cell phone number (313) 718-6367. I love the way you express yourself and get information across to the Michiganian.  I am currently taking courses, and getting my degree in healthcare studies. I have a small business, and take care of three clients (2 family and 1 non-family). The union did not encourage me to do what i am doing. i did it for myself. Every time I have went to the union and complained, they did nothing for me. Infact, they ridiculed me to other members telling them that I am crazy and don't know what I am talking about.

 No, we do not need another government agency or a union. There is a Literacy problem in Michigan, especially in Detroit. A third of the providers that are in the union comes from Detroit.  Many people lack computer and financial literacy. I have started my own computer and financial consultant firm to help people that lack this information; however  I am needing help myself because of poor marketing skills and not enough resources to sustain. I may change my structure of my company from c corporation to s corporation, and maybe I can get some help with resources.

All home help aides should go to the Attorney General in January and demand he investigate this "election" and exactly who authorized the state to collect "dues" from our checks.   When I was in a real union years ago you had to sign a card giving them permission to take dues out of your check.  But not with this!  I signed nothing!

This is all so crooked we should all get all our dues back WITH INTEREST.  This "union" won't show us how they are spending our money.  Half the time I call them no one even answers the phone or I get disconnected.  Now I'm getting mail about a dues INCREASE??  

hatlady1:

I have not signed any documents for union dues to be taken and/or paid from my check.  So, therefore, I would like all monies taken from my check to be returned to me immediately!

I would also like to know where this money is going.  I have requested from this union SEIU reports on how this money is used for the Home Care Worker, but to no avail.  We received information on the General Membership Meeting after the Meeting.  Whenever, a call is made to this Union, yes there is always the run around.  Return my money and I will also join those in action for a law suite to be brought on for all of us, meaning these Home Care Workers/Providers!

The MQCCC and SEIU should be sued by all of us!

Has any one out there ever read our supposed union "contract"?  Its not like a real union contract AT ALL.  Theres nothing in it that spells out our wages or how our hours are figured out or how many hours we should be paid for each service.  I brought up going to the union to a social worker about how she computed hours and she laughed me out the office!  Theres nothing in it to protect anyone who is fired or wrongly accused of something.  And the union won't even help you AT ALL if you are accused of something.  Its nothing but alot of pretty words about how important we are but ZERO that actually protects our pay or hours or even our jobs.  Its all a complete joke and a complete hoax.