Fareed E. Michelen
Community Outreach Specialist, NYS AFL-CIO

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The following Technology Summit Resolution was passed unanimously at the last Rochester & Genesee Valley Area Labor Federation, AFL-CIO Executive Board:

Technology ? Call for an AFL-CIO Technology ?Best Practices? Summit

Current Issues: As we move into the 21^st century, the Area Labor Federation needs to grow with technology and communication channels. Since 2006, we have established our own website ? with the help and direction of Chris Garlock (former staff member, and current editor of ?Union City? of the DC Metro Labor Council, AFL-CIO); increased our use and maintenance of the E-Activist system with the help of Bob Marino (NYS AFL-CIO Technology ?go to guy?); and, we have updated/upgraded our copier/fax/computer services to meet the immediate needs of our office.

However, these efforts are patchwork, and responsive at best. Many of the solutions are to problems which are already occurring, not prior to their occurrence. We, the staff, are troubleshooting our own computer issues, many times repeating the work done in other ALF/CLC offices, and only sharing solutions when discussing ideas with other staff at infrequent and non-technology focused events.

Concept Summary: To facilitate a technology & staff based solutions/best practices summit. This summit would include staff members from ALF?s and CLC?s throughout NYS, and ultimately throughout the country.

These summits would be tasked with providing best practices for, but not limited to: purchasing; software practicalities; technology solutions; field applications; communications equipment; data storage; photographic solutions; website development; database administration; message distribution; and, reporting structures.

Together as a staff, we would be tasked to find solutions which could be shared and reproduced throughout the internal AFL-CIO structure, thus reducing time and increasing similarity and training opportunities among our national AFL-CIO staff members.

Motion: We agree, and encourage the NYS AFL-CIO and the national AFL-CIO, within the next 6 months, to convene a working summit of technology staff members to begin the solutions described above. We also encourage our brother and sister union affiliates of the AFL-CIO to endorse this technology summit for implementation within the same timeline.

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Health Justice Forum:
Featuring: Congressman, John Conyers, MI-14 (D); Congressman Eric Massa, NY-29 (D); Donna Smith, CNA/NNOC; Tim Carpenter, PDA Director; Jeff Cohen, Media Critic, FAIR.
Sunday, November 15, 2009, 2-4pm
George Eastman House, Dryden Theatre, 900 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14607
For more information, please contact Robin Wilt (585) 309-2638
To RSVP, please visit http://tinyurl.com/ydseljx

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Nationwide Day of Single Payer Activism: Action in Rochester, NY: Wednesday, Oct 28, 2009, 12pm

On October 28th, as part of a nationwide day of single payer activism, "Mobilize For Healthcare For All: www.mobilizeforhealthcare.org will organize a rally to confront what they call "the single biggest opponents to health care reform directly: the health insurance industry". They continue, "The insurance industry lobby group American Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) has responded to the call for meaningful health care reform by releasing biased, dishonest and widely discredited reports about the potential impact of reform.1, 2 Let's show MVP/CIGNA that the public knows that retroactive premium increases and private health insurance rationing in a commodity-driven health care system is part of the problem, not the solution to implementing a sustainable system of health care in the United States. Bring your signs and your MVP/CIGNA denial stories, and join Rochester's coalition of single-payer advocates for a demonstration outside MVP headquarters in favor of health care reform that includes universal and comprehensive coverage, and holds down health care costs through major reductions in administrative complexity, negotiation on a large scale of drug prices, and the elimination of health care as a commodity? i.e., Medicare for all.* If you can join us, and/or have an MVP denial story, please contact Betsy at 473-8724 or lfrarey@rochester.rr.com. *Please note, in a concurrent action, activists from Single Payer New York will conduct a sit-in protest inside MVP headquarters."

Progressive Democrats of Genesee Valley added, "Rochester for HR 676: Private insurance is not the answer - We want Medicare For All! Peaceful protest outside MVP on Alexander St (next to where Genesee Hospital was?you'll see the big MVP sign on top of the bldg). Noon to 1 pm, Wednesday, October 28. Bring your signs, bring your stories.