Over 1000 members take to the streets in Solano County

More than 1,000 SEIU 1021 members take to the streets to protest management intransigence

Not even Tuesday’s cooling cloud cover in Fairfield could dampen the spirits of more than a thousand Solano County workers who walked off the job and through downtown to demand movement from management on contract talks that have ground to a halt.

The walk-out was the largest ever in the county, and the largest for SEIU 1021 to date. It made front-page news on three newspapers and got covered on three TV news shows. It happened days after 1021 members rejected management’s “last, best, and final” offer 86–14 percent and both sides declared an impasse. Shortly before the mass action, they agreed to return to the table on May 2.

View photos of the April 22 action.

Losing half a day’s pay by doing so, members gathered mid-day at 1021’s homey Fairfield office with the huge back yard, then marched along two routes through downtown along Kentucky, Jefferson, and other streets cordoned off by 60 police officers in riot gear from three jurisdictions. (They reported no disturbances). While they gathered, an airplane towing a 1021 banner circled overhead. Chanting and ringing the local’s currently fashionable noisemaker — a purple cow bell — they marched to the Government Center and filled the main plaza with cheers, speeches, and cow bell sounds.

County officials said about 400–500 workers showed up. Our sign-in sheets said about 1,100.

A Primary Opportunity

With the June 3 statewide primary elections right around the corner, three candidates for the Solano County board of supervisors spoke from the sound truck to encourage our county workers. “You have my support now and you will have it when I am elected to the board of supervisors,” said District 2 candidate Linda Seifert, whom 1021 has endorsed (see Politics below).

After returning to the office, no one went back to work. Many members headed out into Fairfield as well as Vacaville and Vallejo (from where dozens more members joined by bus) to distribute leaflets to the public at shopping malls, theaters, and other community spaces.

Three seats — a majority of the board of supervisors — are up for election this year. In Sonoma and Mendocino too. But it’s hard to imagine a more clear-cut example than Solano of how public service workers can win the contracts they want by simply getting out to vote. Make 2008 the year we hire our bosses — for a change.