Knee-deep in irony

A new health care facility being built in Battle Creek is being fiercely criticized for hiring mostly out-of-town, non-union workers. Borgess Health Park, a 65,000 square foot facility which broke ground late last year, has hired 21 contractors for the nearly $27 million construction project. However, of those, only two of the 21 contractors are local and only one of the two is unionized.

In a true bit of bitter irony, very few of the construction workers who will build the facility have health insurance coverage themselves meaning that they probably would never be able to afford the services Borgess will provide when construction is completed in 2014. From our friends at Progress Michigan:

Borgess chose to hire mostly nonunion, out-of-town contractors for the $26 million project. Those dollars could have stayed in the local community and supported local businesses. Instead, only two of the contractors hired by Borgess were local, and just one uses union labor.

To add insult to possible injury, few of the contractors hired for the project provide health care for their workers. So if any of these unskilled, untrained workers got hurt on the job, they couldn’t even afford the cost of care at Borgess’ shiny new ambulatory care facility.div>

Arlandar Washington with the Michigan Laborers had this to say:

Local union contractors are the right call for big projects like this one because they use good quality labor, and pay a fair day’s wage for a fair days work. We’re happy to welcome Borgess to Battle Creek. But if they want to build in this community, they should hire local contractors and support local businesses, who they’re counting on to choose their facility when they need care.

If our union members or their families get sick and choose Borgess, they have good health insurance that pays for their care. The irony is that nearly every contractor working on this project doesn’t provide insurance, so their workers wouldn’t even be able to afford care at this facility.

Yesterday, local construction workers picketed outside of the construction site to draw attention to the situation. Here is video of the press conference they held during the protest:

In additional ironic twist, Borgess is part of the Ascension Health Network, a “Catholic health ministry” with a Mission Statement that says:

Rooted in the loving ministry of Jesus as healer, we commit ourselves to serving all persons with special attention to those who are poor and vulnerable. Our Catholic health ministry is dedicated to spiritually centered, holistic care, which sustains and improves the health of individuals and communities. We are advocates for a compassionate and just society through our actions and our words.

Borgess Health could have made a major stride toward improving the health of the Battle Creek community by hiring local workers represented by unions that ensure they have adequate health insurance coverage. It breaks my heart to see even a Catholic health group speeding our descent to the bottom for Michigan workers by choosing cheap, out-of-town, non-unionized labor to save a few bucks.

Actions and words. Borgess and Ascension have the words right. Now it’s time for them to follow up with actions that show that their words are more than just words.

[CC Image credit: SaMi | Wikimedia Commons]

Be there or … hell with that, just BE THERE!

There will be a HUGE rally at the State Capitol Building in Lansing on Tuesday, November 11. Labor groups, progressive allies and Planned Parenthood are teaming up to demonstrate a show of solidarity unlike any we’ve seen yet.

The Michigan Laborers District Council got the ball rolling and you can RSVP on their Facebook event page HERE.

Rally at the Capitol: Right to Work is Wrong for Michigan

When: Tuesday, December 11, 2012, 9 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Where: Michigan State Capitol Building
Details: Michigans far-right legislature slipped through Right to Work legislation without any debate. Without any input. And Michigan workers are under attack. It’s time to step up. There will be a rally at the Capitol on Tuesday, December 11, at 8:30 a.m. Meet up is at the Lansing Center (320 E. Michigan) with a march to the Capitol.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact the organizer for this event:

Dan Fingas
Michigan Laborers
(313) 354-4035
dfingas@liunagroc.com

The Planned Parenthood announcement is as follows:

Locking the Capitol doors? Silencing the voice of the people? Michigan lawmakers are passing measures with devastating impacts on Michigan’s workers, women and families in the dark of night. This is NOT the Michigan we voted for! We must stand as a united front against the assault on Michigan’s families.

Extremist politicians are going on the attack and shutting the public out once again, let’s make sure we are there to hold them accountable! Join Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan and other progressive organizations for a rally at the Michigan Capitol on Tuesday, December 11, 2012, at 9:30am!

RSVP HERE

Michigan workers are not their only target. As this year’s legislative session comes to a close anti-women’s health lawmakers are trying to push through dangerous, onerous and outrageous policy initiatives which include efforts to:

• Regulate women’s health centers out of existence.
• Limit abortion access for women in rural areas.
• Prevent private insurance companies from covering any abortion services.
• Give a tax credit for fetuses, but not children.
• Allow providers to deny any health care service they deem objectionable.

Let’s stop playing politics with women’s health and Michigan’s future. Women are not a political bargaining chip and neither are hard working Michigan families!

On Tuesday, December 11th at 9:30am, we can join together as a united front against attacks on Michigan women and families!

RSVP HERE

I hope to see you there.

Sincerely,

Meghan Groen
Director of Government Relations
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan

You can, of course, still sign my petition HERE.

Then, finally, consider participating in one of the AFL-CIO’s phonebanks. Here is the information on how you can get involved:

Join us in the Fight against Right-to-Work for Less!
What: Phone Banking!
Where: Michigan AFL-CIO – 419 S. Washington Square, Lansing, MI 48910
When:
Friday, December 7th
Saturday, December 8th
Sunday, December 9th
Monday, December 10th

Shift Times:
Friday, Saturday & Monday:
10:00am-1:00pm1:00pm-4:00pm4:00pm-7:00pm

Sunday:2:00pm-4:30pm4:30pm-7:00pm

Please come join the fight and stop the Republican effort to bust Michigan unions!

Contact:
Tonya Ellison 614.397.2426 or tellison@aflcio.org

This is going to be big

Next Saturday, May 5, 2012 is the kickoff of the second attempt to recall Rick Snyder. It will start with a huge rally at the state Capitol building and you won’t want to miss it. The event starts at 2:00 and thousands of people are expected to attend.

In fact, it’s essential that thousands of people DO attend. The huge rallies in Wisconsin galvanized the activists and volunteers there and we need to do the same here as we fight back against a conservative/corporate takeover of Michigan.

Please plan to attend and help spread the word throughout all of your networks.

Speakers include:

• John Nichols from The Nation magazine
• Tony Trupiano from the First Shift radio show
• Bruce Fealk from Michigan Rising
• Les Little from Hood Research
• Pat Selby, Director Project Vote Michigan
• Zachary Steve, President Young Dems of Michigan
• Stephanie Terpening, musician
• Mariah Schafsnitz & Paul Barton
• Sarah Lawrence, Poet and Activist
• Mark Boyd (Not Exactly Rick Snyder)
• Rev. Charles Williams, National Action Network
• Chris Savage from Eclectablog (me)

Here’s the flyer for the event. Click on it for a full-size version.

You ain’t from around here is you, boy?

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker had quite a day yesterday. First, he was greeted by upwards of 2,000 protesters at an speech for the Illinois Chamber of Commerce. Then, when he got to Michigan, he was greeted by a crowd estimated to be anywhere from 1,300 to nearly 3,000.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker was greeted in Michigan by nearly 2,000 union protesters chanting for his recall, but inside the San Marino Club the embattled governor received a standing ovation from GOP faithful cheering his reforms.

The Republican governor is trying to hold onto his job in the aftermath of his successful efforts to curb collective bargaining rights for public employees in Wisconsin.

Outside the banquet hall, throngs of union protesters lined Big Beaver Road, chanting “we are the 99 percent.”

They held signs saying “Stop the Attacks” and “Recall Walker.”

The Detroit Free Press has much more fawning coverage HERE but I can’t bring myself to quote their dreck. The Troy Patch has coverage and photos HERE.

So far as I can tell, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder was not in attendance.

Here are some photos generously provided Eclectablog reader Mariah Schafsnitz. Mariah said officials put the number of protesters at more like 3,000.