Despite the polar vortex and below zero temperatures, 1199SEIU members from New York’s Capital Region were among more than 150 labor activists and elected officials who participated in a Labor Issues Forum at the Albany Labor Temple on the evening of January 22. Sponsored by the Capital Region Area Labor Federation (AFL-CIO) and its 43 affiliated unions (plus 1199) across 11 counties, the event was held to inform union members and the lawmakers who represent them about a number of pressing issues at the state and federal levels of government.

Orlando Trotman, a CNA at Albany County Nursing Home and The Manor at Guilderland Center, is an 1199SEIU delegate who braved the cold after a double shift to attend the event. “It was interesting to hear what the legislators had to say and it was even more interesting to hear what my sisters and brothers in other labor unions had to say. Some of our issues differ, but in the end, it’s only by understanding each other and speaking with a united voice that we will be able to fight back the assault on working people,” he said. “I am glad I’m here. This sort of event is what the power of unions means to me.”

The long list of speakers included representatives from an alphabet soup of unions including 1199SEIU, NYSUT, NYSNA, CSEA, PEF, CWA, IBEW and the Building and Construction Trades.

Helen Schaub, 1199SEIU’s NYS Director of Policy and Legislation discussed the effort to pass quality nursing home standards legislation. “Without adequate protections,” she said,“New York’s new Medicaid managed long term care plan could lead to a race to the bottom, a decline in quality care for residents and reduced wages and benefits for caregivers. Our proposal will ensure that managed care companies will not be able to force nursing homes to slash spending.” The initiative doesn’t require additional Medicaid expenditures.

Among the other issues highlighted at the forum were better funding for schools and restoring the jobs of 35,000 teachers, responsible targeted economic development, opposition to closing hospitals, nursing homes and facilities for the developmentally disabled and mentally ill, and more funding to keep the state’s roads, bridges and highways safe..

Congressman Paul Tonko (D-20) spoke about the need to keep working to fix the broken economy, lifting low wage workers out of poverty and the critical necessity for safety net programs like Unemployment Insurance Benefits. Congressman Chris Gibson (R-19) talked about the Trans-Pacific Partnership—a free trade agreement that would be bigger than NAFTA—and the importance of ensuring that the new trade model creates jobs, protects the environment and ensures safety, with provisions that will benefit U.S. workers, not simply the largest global corporations.

Heading out at 9 pm into temperature that had dropped another five degrees, Trotman said, “I’m ready to lobby lawmakers. As soon as I warm up a little.”