16-2 Contract Vote at FSA

Gabriela, Rosario and Ruth

Norm Ten, Dimitri Garcia, Crystal Jefferson, and Mila Thomas, Organizing Coordinator, started this in June 2010. When asked what was the hard part, Norm replied, "Getting access to the workers. Different programs are on different floors. One third were our people, one third SFUSD, and one third unrepped. Some of our people would work with SFUSD. The turning point was bringing together the leaders from Teenage Parenting and Pregnancy Program, Hilltop Development Center, Family Development Center and the teachers and leaders of UESF. It got easier once people realized that what management was doing wasn't right."

Norm is especially proud of three women who went from being clients to being staff: Gabriela, Rosario and Ruth. He states, "This felt like the time when I was a worker & was organizing the Exploratorium. The issues are similar: rather than money, it's respect and dignity."

It was a team effort getting this one done by some very experienced people.