by Kelly Buckland and John A. Lancaster
Dear NCIL Members:
Many of you have raised issues and concerns about the recent National
Council on Independent Living (NCIL) grant agreement with Service
Employees International Union (SEIU) to do a joint fellowship to
improve and expand consumer-directed personal attendant services.
The NCIL Governing Board is aware of and shares those same issues
and concerns. It is precisely these sorts of issues that have prompted
us to enter into this grant agreement. NCIL has made a conscious
choice to work with SEIU to try and shift the focus of their many
local affiliates, to increase the availability of consumer-directed
personal attendant services, and to work for better pay and benefits
for the workers. This choice was advocated strongly by the Executive
Director. The Resource Development Subcommittee, the Executive Committee,
and the Governing Board have concurred but have expressed strong
concerns. In expressing those concerns, the Governing Board has established
a NCIL/SEIU Grant Task Force under the Health/PAS Subcommittee to
develop a NCIL position regarding these matters, to oversee the project,
and to be sure that it does not conduct activities inconsistent with
NCIL guiding principles and positions.
NCIL and SEIU entered into this agreement for the purpose of developing
a joint fellowship to improve and expand consumer-directed personal
attendant services for individuals with disabilities that support their
independent living needs while recognizing the right and need for personal
attendants to organize and have appropriate training, wages and benefits.
Specifically, NCIL is providing a fellowship to an employee of a CIL
to learn all there is to learn about consumer-directed personal attendant
services, and to devise a project with the CIL in their state that
will meet the above-stated purpose of the project.
If the project is successful in advancing consumer-directed personal
care services in Maine, and if NCIL and SEIU are pleased with the results,
then NCIL and SEIU may continue the project in the future. NCIL staff
will keep the membership well informed on its progress or lack thereof.
NCIL shares your commitment
to deinstitutionalization and consumer-driven personal attendant
services. This commitment drives this fellowship agreement with
SEIU and NCIL. SEIU is the world’s largest union.
They are going to fight to preserve jobs, raise wages and benefits,
and organize workers no matter what. That is what they do. We believe
that it is more productive to engage them and to try and work from
within to change their thinking and philosophy, than it is to try and
fight their numbers and dollars without dialogue or seeking common
issues of concern. It is NCIL’s belief that there is enlightened
staff in SEIU’s national offices committed to the purposes
of this fellowship and that truly want to support deinstitutionalization
and consumer-directed personal attendant services. They need to bring
their local affiliates around. What better way to start doing it
than with a program where a CIL will work with the local SEIU to
achieve what we want? If we are wrong, we will end the fellowship
agreement.
Again, the NCIL Governing
Board appreciates your issues and concerns. We will provide the NCIL
Membership with regular updates on the project. ![]()
Respectfully,
Kelly Buckland, President;
John A. Lancaster, Executive Director
National Council on Independent Living
[16 August 2007]
