Send a Speak Out letter to your legislator:
Let your legislator know how you feel on issues. Send them a Speak Out letter! Each letter can be customized by the member before being sent to allow for your own personal view of the issues. At the bottom of this page is a link to send a general letter to the editor anytime you wish. We currently have the following issue letter writing campaigns:
Opposition to Sections 1717A and 1707 of the House Surface Transportation Authorization
The House version of the Surface Transportation Authorization (STA) includes language that will mandate the outsourcing of engineering, design, surveying and mapping services and presumably all related support services. Sections 1717A and 1707 can be found at the following link on page 220 (engineering and design services) and page 211 (for surveying and mapping) of the House STA.
Send the following letter to your member of Congress in opposition of the proposed language at: http://seiu517m.seiu.org/page/speakout/transp-contract-opp
Copy of the letter that you can edit and send:
On behalf of SEIU Local 517M, I am writing to express strong opposition to Sections 1717A and 1707 of the House Surface Transportation Authorization. These sections would mandate the outsourcing of engineering, design, surveying and mapping services on all Title 23 transportation projects. We urge you to oppose Sections 1717A and 1707 of the Surface Transportation Authorization and to call for their immediate removal from the bill.
These sections would infringe upon a state department of transportation’s ability to choose how to best deliver its transportation program. States need and deserve the flexibility to decide whether it is more cost effective and efficient to utilize their own staff or to contract with the private sector to deliver their transportation projects. Staffing decisions in state DOTs are best made by state leadership and transportation departments who understand the unique circumstances in their states.
In addition, a federal mandate to outsource engineering, design, surveying, and mapping services has the potential to waste billions of federal dollars on non-competitively bid engineering contracts throughout the United States. Billions of dollars that would be far better spent on actually building or repairing highways, bridges, and other critically needed transportation infrastructure.
Again, please oppose and call for the immediate removal of Sections 1717A and 1707 of the House Surface Transportation Authorization.
Anti-Worker/Anti-Union Bills Pending Vote in Michigan House
There are several bills now before the Michigan House that would greatly curtails what members, through their union, can do to voice their Free Speech rights and efficiently operate. Your legislator needs to hear from you. Tell them to concentrate on fixing the economy and putting people back to work and not attacking unions and your constitutional rights. The bills are:
- HB 5023 fines striking public employees one day’s pay and their union $5,000 for each day of the strike, expanding the penalties beyond the current rules that only apply to public school employees.
- HB 5024 sets fines and restrictions on members and their unions for mass picketing.
- HB 5025 requires an employee’s annual written authorization to have their union dues deducted from their paycheck by employers.
- HB 5026 eliminates the prohibition against employers advertising for strike breakers.
Send the following letter to your legislator in opposition to these bills at: http://seiu517m.seiu.org/page/speakout/opposition-to-anti-union-bills
I am writing in regards to House Bills 5023-26 which limits my First Amendment rights to free speech and limits the ability of my union to represent me in an effective and efficient manner.
There are already prohibitions against school employee strikes and adding a fine is unnecessary. Picketing is protected under the First Amendment and thus not within the Legislature’s control. HB 5025 forces an annual check off by employees to have their union dues deducted from their paychecks. Payroll deductions are bargained and requiring an annual check-off goes around the process that is already in place. These bills are a direct attack on Unions in the state of Michigan. Work on Legislation that will create jobs and improve our economy, not bills that attack the middle class worker and their rights.
Thank you for your consideration on this issue, and I urge you to vote “no” on House Bills 5023, 5024, 5025, 5026.
Sincerely,
Daily Newspaper Letters to the Editor
Send a letter to the editor to various papers throughout the state. There are no pre-written letters on this site. Members are free to compose their own. Send your own Letter to the Editor
Why is it that all you mass mailings are one sided. There are those employees that have a different opinion than those offered by the union management.
SEIU respects the views, and opinions of ALL it’s members. With over 2.2 Million member supporting such internal groups as The Lavender Caucus, AFRAM, and the SEIU Republican Caucus for example there is an involvement opportunity for all. There is no way any mass mailing, or sample letters can represent the views of each of these members. These letters express views of the majority of the member, and their best interests. Your Union is run by your elected representatives, and we have a hired support staff of highly trained, dedicated, and qualified experts. In this day with Unions being under national attack members can no longer sit back and do nothing. Just paying your dues is not enough! Members can not just rely on your elected leadership, or paid staff to make everything better. Those attacking our wages, benefits, and very way of life have the money to buy political influence but we have the people! We need members of all views to be involved.
If the letter doesn’t fit your opinion, draft your own! The whole point is to get involved to fight for your rights. It doesn’t matter if you are Republican, Democrat or Independant, you are under attack by your government so get involved!
I do not see how attacking and taxing working people creates any jobs. The republican legislature and Rick Snyder appear to have declared war on the middle class. You should think of how you will want to have your name recorded in the history books. Tax breaks for the rich and no taxes for business is causing more harm than good, except if your a rich republican.