After months of hard work, Minnesota working families scored a huge victory today as the state is poised to enact a budget that makes the rich pay their fair share in taxes and invests in education and other services for working families. This comes at a time when too many other states are stuck on a dead-end path of austerity.

The Minnesota House this weekend passed (Senate is expected to pass and Gov. Dayton is expected to sign today) a biennial budget that raises $2 billion in new revenue to close a $674 million budget shortfall and reverse years of disinvestment in schools and other critical services. The measure would increase income tax rates by 2 percent on the richest 2 percent, close corporate tax loopholes, and provide significant property tax relief to homeowners.

Gov. Dayton had campaigned in 2010 on a platform of closing the budget deficit by increasing income taxes on the state's highest earners, but the Legislature was resistant. Last year, working families worked hard to elect legislators who would be committed to investing in Minnesota's future, and flipped the leadership of both the state House and Senate in the November 2012 elections.

With a continued campaign-style effort that included door knocking, phone banking, town hall meetings, and student lobby days, advocates kept up the pressure for investment in Minnesota's priorities and to make sure big corporations and the rich pay their fair share. Their hard work paid off. The budget deal reverses a decade of "all-cuts" budgets and gets rid of special interest tax breaks.

Stronger Together

SEIU Local 284 and the SEIU Minnesota State Council were actively involved in pushing for this budget. Members, some of whom are public school employees, saw firsthand the challenges students, teachers and parents were facing after years of disinvestment in public education. They worried about the threat to the economic stability of their community when schools were not able to adequately prepare children for the future. Hundreds of school employees made phone calls to their legislators, testified at hearings, organized meetings with allies in the community, asked their coworkers and neighbors to sign petitions, and took part in other grassroots action. When the governor signs the bill today, it will demonstrate that strong union and community voices are a force for change for all working people.

Watch Senator Franken tell Susie's story:

More on Susie's story:

Susie Stetler is waiting on $40,000 in back pay that was withheld by her employer when she was illegally fired.

Susie was a bus driver for special needs students for Visions of Elk River, a company that transports children to the Elk River School in Minnesota. The company employs bus drivers, van drivers, and aides that accompany special needs children in the buses and vans. In August of 2009, the company fired five employees (two drivers and three aides) who were active, vocal supporters of SEIU and had previously participated in campaigns to organize the bus and van drivers. Susie was one of those workers fired.

The firings were motivated by the workers' involvement in past union activity and the employer's express desire to "get rid of" union people. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) found in September 2012 that the employer had violated the law by terminating the employees and ordered full back pay and reinstatement to their former positions.

The employer appealed the case to the D.C. Circuit. However, on February 7, 2013, the D.C. Circuit placed the case in abeyance following the decision in Noel Canning, further and indefinitely delaying enforcement of the NLRB decision as the drivers and aides approach their four year anniversary of being terminated.

After she was fired, it was hard or Susie to find another job. She decided to go back to school and has since moved to Wisconsin to care for her mother. Susie and her fellow co-workers who were fired are left in limbo, wondering if they will ever receive the back pay that is due to them.

The only way that Susie and her co-workers can find justice is for the Senate to confirm all five nominees to the NLRB.

We are so honored that Senator Franken shared Susie's story at the NLRB confirmation hearing. Because of him, the public was able to hear Susie's story as an example for why the NLRB nominees must be confirmed. We are extremely grateful to Senator Franken for agreeing to share Susie's story.

"As momentum to enact commonsense immigration reform continues to grow, the news of an agreement in principle among the bipartisan group in the House is a welcome development and unprecedented. These members deserve credit for overcoming their differences and finding common ground that will help set the framework for immigration reform in the House.

"Despite this tentative agreement, it is the responsibility of the House leadership to make sure this bipartisanship continues and that a truly bipartisan and smart bill with a roadmap to citizenship emerges from committee and goes to the floor."

The protesters' ask is simple: Stop persecuting these families until Congress gets it's job done in fixing our broken immigration system that will put these hardworking immigrants on the road to citizenship.

In the midst of the nation's debate on immigration reform, and strong bipartisan leadership to pass an immigration reform bill, the targeting and persecution of these workers is in absolute antithesis to the direction our country is headed.

"The Department of Homeland Security should immediately halt the enforcement of the I-9 audit impacting San Diego janitors until Congress passes an immigration reform bill. We are calling on the Department to stop persecuting these workers as Congress considers immigration reform legislation."

That's the central question posed by a Washington Post four-part video series on immigration reform. The series examines immigration policy over the past four decades and prominently features SEIU International Secretary-Treasurer Eliseo Medina as a leader in the fight. The first part of the series - aptly entitled "It didn't work" - looks at the first bill signed by President Reagan, with commentary discussing why offering amnesty for people who came to the country was not enough, especially since the bill didn't address the future flow of immigrants.

In his commentary, Medina notes that because of poverty and turmoil in some Latin American countries at the time, the flow of immigrants was sure to increase. He also offered that the reason immigration is now at the forefront of the national agenda is because the Latino community made its voice heard at the ballot box.

Watch all four videos of the Washington Post's 4-part series.

"The Department of Homeland Security should immediately halt the enforcement of the I-9 audit impacting San Diego janitors until Congress passes an immigration reform bill. In San Diego, 550 janitors are losing their jobs due to a recent I-9 audit. These workers are exactly the people that immigration reform is designed to help. Many have been in this country for decades and have paid their taxes, own homes and worked hard to provide for their families. It goes against the spirit of the movement for commonsense immigration reform to target these law-abiding workers instead of criminals.

"We are calling on the Department of Homeland Security to stop persecuting these workers as Congress considers immigration reform legislation."

Washington, DC - Today at the May meeting of the International Executive Board (IEB) of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), SEIU President Mary Kay Henry swore in Luisa Blue and Courtni Pugh as new IEB members.

Their appointment strengthens the voice of SEIU's Asian American and Pacific Islander members, a growing segment of America's labor movement, and reinforces how the diversity of SEIU's 2.1 million members is a source of strength for the union. Roughly 56 percent of SEIU members are women and some 40 percent are people of color. SEIU represents more immigrant workers than any other union in the United States. Blue and Pugh join two other AAPI women Merle Cuttita and Maria Castenada.

"The diversity of our union is a source of pride for SEIU members. When our members speak out about our shared vision of a more fair and just society, they truly are doing so on behalf of diverse communities across this country," said SEIU President Mary Kay Henry. "Luisa Blue and Courtni Pugh have the experience of being treated as "other" and leading a movement that respects "us" and understanding we are all in this together. They have long been strong voices for organizing workers and our communities to be powerful forces for economic and democratic changes that benefit everyone."

Luisa Blue is Chief Elected Officer of SEIU Local 521 which represents 55,000 workers who provide vital community services in the diverse central California region. Blue first became active in the labor movement in 1977 at San Francisco General Hospital where she worked as a medical-surgical nurse and then a critical care nurse with SEIU Local 400 where she worked on a successful campaign that won voter approval to improve the collective bargaining rights for San Francisco City & County RNs.

Blue is also known for her work as a vocal leader in the Bay Area advocating for compassionate care of AIDS/HIV patients during the 1980 and for being a founding members of what became SEIU Nurse Alliance.

In 1992, Blue helped to found the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), the first and only national organization of AAPI union members. Since its founding, APALA has played a unique role in addressing the workplace issues of the 660,000 AAPI union members and as the bridge between the broader labor movement and the AAPI community. Blue has twice served as APALA's national president and continues to serve on the APALA Executive Board.

Gregory Cendana, currently APALA's Executive Director, was on hand for Blue's swearing in.

Courtni Pugh is president of SEIU Local 99 which represents nearly 45,000 employees in public and non-public organizations in early education, child care, K-12 and community college levels in southern California.

Pugh, a seasoned activist, community organizer, and political strategist, walked her first picket line at the age of 5 with her father who was a truck driver and member of Teamsters Local 364 for more than 35 years. Pugh has gone on to serve as Legislative Director for U.S. Congressman Danny Davis in Washington D.C., hold senior posts in such campaigns as John Edwards for President, Kerry-Edwards 2004, and Gore-Lieberman 2000 and in 2006, she became the first woman, and first Asian American, to serve as Political Director of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor. She has also served as Executive Director of the SEIU California State Council, again becoming the first woman and first Asian American to do so, and, in 2010, played a key role in running labor's independent expenditure campaign in support of Jerry Brown for Governor.

Pugh has also been active in southern California's AAPI community. She cofounded the Congressional Asian Pacific American Staff Association (CAPASA) in 1997. She also cofounded and served as president of the National Korean American Service and Education Consortium's (NAKASEC) action fund. Pugh is also an originating board member of the Midwest Asian American Students Union (MAASU), former Asian American National Outreach Director for the Democratic National Committee, former Asian Pacific American Women's Leadership Institute (APAWLI) fellow and former board member of the Korean Resource Center in Los Angeles.

Pugh currently serves as on the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs.

• Providing preventive health services like well child visits, cancer screenings and annual checkups at no additional cost;
• Allowing young adults to stay on a parent's health insurance plan if they're under 26;
• Saving seniors on prescription medicines if they participate in Medicare;
• Providing coverage for people with pre-existing conditions; and
• Ending the worst insurance company abuses like charging women more than men for the same coverage and putting arbitrary dollar limits on care.

"Another day of debate keeps the momentum for commonsense immigration reform going strong. Today, working families across the nation can continue applauding Senators for passing amendments to the immigration bill that strengthen protections for future and current workers. In particular, the W Visa program was further bolstered with components that reflect the unprecedented agreement made earlier this year between Labor and Business.

"While the debate will only intensify in the days ahead, we will continue the drumbeat for smart immigration legislation that not only mirrors our national values, but also includes a clear and direct roadmap to citizenship."

"According to Speaker Boehner, the Affordable Care Act is 'the law of the land.' But that hasn't stopped him from allowing the 37th attempt to repeal it. This is just a political charade. Today, members of Congress will vote to take away the healthcare benefits that Americans of every age and from every walk of life are counting on. This is about House members putting their political agendas before the health of seniors and working families who built this country and earn their paychecks one hour at a time.

"Voters have the right to ask, 'what are we paying them for?'"

"After several delays, we are encouraged that Tom Perez's nomination to head the Department of Labor passed out of committee today. Mr. Perez's nomination should not face more obstructionism and the full Senate should take up his nomination as soon as possible for a fair up or down vote.

"We are also pleased that the Senate HELP Committee started confirmation proceedings for nominees to the NLRB. Right now, workers' rights are endangered by the lack of a functioning NLRB. Due to unresolved cases, thousands of workers are waiting for justice. Workers turn to the NLRB when their employer breaks the law and without a fully functional NLRB, they are left with no recourse to recoup lost wages, get their jobs back or resolve other violations of our labor laws. The NLRB is essential to enforcing our labor laws and must be able to do its job. Obstructionism in the Senate should not stand in the way of workers seeking justice."

With 2.1 million members in Canada, the United States and Puerto Rico, SEIU is the fastest-growing union in the Americas. Focused on uniting workers in healthcare, public services and property services, SEIU members are winning better wages, healthcare and more secure jobs for our communities, while uniting their strength with their counterparts around the world to help ensure that workers--not just corporations and CEOs--benefit from today's global economy. www.seiu.org

WASHINGTON, DC - After the House Committee on Homeland Security held a markup and passed the Border Security Results Act of 2013, Eliseo Medina, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Secretary-Treasurer, released the following statement:

"Communities from across the nation have been driving a very clear message to Congress: we want a commonsense immigration bill that will smartly and fairly carry out measures to secure the border and, more importantly, create a roadmap to citizenship. The Senate Judiciary Committee has this bill in its hands, and as they carefully debate it, they continue to strengthen the legislation with balanced and bipartisan amendments.

"On the other hand, some members of the House prefer a piecemeal approach in the midst of undeniable momentum for comprehensive legislation that includes the centerpiece of true immigration reform--a pathway to citizenship without burdensome barriers. Rather than ignore the progress made by the Senators on border security, the House should reexamine its steps going forward and work with the growing consensus of leaders, communities and industries who want to fix our broken immigration system once and for all with a solution that recognizes the millions of aspiring Americans who deserve an opportunity to earn citizenship."

Yesterday was an intense day for immigration reform in our country, representing the continued tension felt in the immigration debate.

As the Senate moved closer to reaching an immigration solution that honors workers and paves a roadmap to citizenship for aspiring Americans, a handful of conservative Members of Congress continued their defiant opposition to what has been a bipartisan effort.

First, the second day of markups began on the Senate immigration bill, and much positive progress was made. Many amendments were adopted which would strengthen protections for current and future working families and cultivate immigration from underrepresented countries. Two visa programs - the H-1B and STEM visa program - were strengthened which will attract highly-skilled workers to American businesses.

But happening simultaneously, conservative House members held a press conference to oppose the Senate immigration legislation. While other House Republicans support a path to citizenship, six house members spoke in staunch opposition, offering only piecemeal "solutions" and defiantly ignoring the growing consensus across America in favor of true commonsense immigration reform.

SEIU Secretary-Treasurer, Eliseo Medina summarized, "No doubt, there is still much work ahead for the Senators and the communities in support of this legislation. However, the momentum for immigration reform is persistently growing and will not be deterred by a few members of the House who choose to push Band-Aid bills that will do little to gain support from the American public.

"The call for a comprehensive and fair immigration solution with a roadmap to citizenship is the future that America demands and will fight for in the coming weeks and months."

To make your voice heard in the debate, call your Senator today and affirm, "I support immigration reform with a clear roadmap to citizenship."

The National Council on Aging's joint study with the National Hispanic Council on Aging reveals that in addition to affording millions of immigrants the opportunity to participate fully in our democracy, immigration reform has multiple economic benefits for all seniors and individuals with disabilities, including strengthening Social Security.

Currently, undocumented workers contribute about $15 billion a year to Social Security but they don't receive benefits when they reach retirement age due to their undocumented status or, in some cases, migration from the United States.

Our current immigration system, in contrast, offers none of these benefits. Millions of undocumented workers are at risk of being deported, ultimately shrinking the nation's labor force and placing a significant strain on Social Security at a time when more and more older Americans find themselves relying on the system for the bulk of their retirement income.

"Comprehensive immigration reform will help millions come out of the shadows. Many of the half-million older adult immigrants have worked for decades and contributed millions to Social Security. They should be able to receive the payments they've earned. Social Security is particularly important to (Hispanic seniors) and instead of denying earned Social Security benefits to new Americans, we should reward their contributions to the United States," says Jason Coates, public policy associate, National Hispanic Council on Aging.

Passing a commonsense immigration reform bill would allow millions of undocumented workers an opportunity to pursue every aspect of the American Dream.