PEORIA -- The Peoria chapter of the National Organization for Women met March 10 to give out Women's History Month Awards and hear news of events.
One of the most interesting awards went to the Service Employees International Union Health Care Unit in Illinois, which has organized in-home workers who are personal assistants for the disabled, homemakers for the elderly, and child care providers. Most of these workers are women, who need a living wage.
In accepting the award, the union members announced a week of rallies, beginning Tuesday, March 13, with a 4:30 p.m. march from the Labor Temple, 400 NE Jefferson, to Caterpillar Headquarters on Adams and Main, to demand that corporations and executives pay their fair share of taxes.
Here are the other rallies:
- Home Health Care Rally, 9 a.m. Wednesday, March 14,at Heartland Apartments, 607 N. Hightower, to stop cuts to homecare and senior centers.
- Child Care Rally, 10 a.m. Thursday, March 15, at Myah's Just 4 Kids Academy, 415 SW Adams, to protest cuts to child programs.
- Department of Human Services, 4 p.m. Thursday, March 15, 2301 NE Adams, to protest cuts in services and the loss of the middle class.
- Peterson Corporate Action, 9:30 a.m. Candle Suite Hotel, 5300 Landens Way, behind Pier One near Shoppes at Grand Prairie mall, to protest lack of taxes paid by a wealthy Peterson executive.
- ADM Corporate Action, meet at 11 a.m at the Labor Temple and take a bus to Decatur, to protest ADM's CEO not paying his fair share of taxes.
- Rally for Schools, 10 a.m. Saturday, March 17, at Trewyn Middle School, 1419 S. Folkers, for a march to Blaine Sumner School 919 Matthew, to protest school closings and cutbacks on bus service because millionaires aren't paying their fair share of taxes.
This union makes the rarely heard argument that tax cuts for the rich hurt ordinary people and the programs they need to survive.
Other news from the NOW meeting: state Rep. Jehan Gordon, D-Peoria, spoke about significant women in history, then in conversation said she is strongly pro-choice, and likely will never vote for the anti-choice bills introduced recently in the General Assembly. She also expressed doubt that any Democratic women would vote for them, another reason to elect pro-choice women to the statehouse.
Other pro-choice candidates mentioned at the meeting: Democrat Cheri Bustos, running for the nomination for Congress in the 17th Congressional District, and endorsed by NOW's political action arm; and Democrat Steve Waterworth, running for the nomination in the 18th Congressional District.The winners of these contests will face anti-choice Republicans in November.
Other winners of NOW awards: Channey Lyons, who curated the recent exhibit of Illinois women artists at Lakeview Museum.
The Girl Scouts, who celebrate their 100th birthday on March 12.
The Peoria Heights store Global Village and its promotion of the Fair Trade Movement which gives employment and independence to women in developing nations.
NOW activist Ellen Schneider, termed "a fabulous feminist."
-- Elaine Hopkins
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