Chicago Action — AFSCME
RA’s note: Soory about the late post, but my home computer passed away, and I have to blog elsewhere…
Wednesday, we were back in line and ready to go. The media had leaked misinformation saying that were were going to visit HUD, so we kept up the charade. Chanting, “affordable, accessible, integrated housing”, we marched single file, in a line over six blocks long!
Just when the cops thought hat we were, indeed, going to HUD, we made a quick turn, and did a mad dash for the building that houses the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). I was one of the first in, and just as we made it to the elevators, the security guard at the front desk ran and shut them down, screaming into her walkie talkie, “the wheelchair people are here!” A couple of us who did manage to make it into the elevators were stuck for a while until it was decided to let them go up to the AFSCME offices.
Since ADAPT and AFSCME have never seen eye to eye, it goes without saying that the negotiations went sour rather quickly. AFSCME is one of the unions that feels that institutionalization is necesary for people with disabilities. ADAPT, of course, wants AFSCME to support the Community Choice Act, but the top brass had not even bothered to read the legislation.
We chanted loud and strong for several hours. I couldn’t figure out who was louder — those of us inside, or those of us outside. We managed to find a phone number for AFSCME, and began calling them, demanding that they support CCA. After a while, they simply shut down their phone lines to keep from taking our calls.
Finally, AFSCME officials came down with a letter that they wanted ADAPT to sign on to. They wanted us to say that nursing homes and institutions were necesary for the most severely disabled. You’d better believe that ADAPT WAS NOT going to sign off on that, and we were mighty mad, to boot! The arrests began, and when the dust cleared, over 120 of us were arrested. I am proud to say that I was one of the folks who were arrested! The Chicago Police, as on Monday, made quick work of the arrests, and we were done in less than 30 minutes. All in all, our week was very successful. We stood up to the AMA and AFSCME, and got the Governor to commit to never reopen the Lincoln Developmental Center, to meet wit ADAPT befor October 17th, and to have ADAPT at the table, and participating in implementing the Illinois Money Follows the Person Project. We Rock!!