Press Contacts: Luke Thibault, lthibault@ifpte21.org, 760-534-9958 
Jennie Smith-Camejo, jennie.smith-camejo@seiu1021.org, 510-710-0201

(San Francisco, CA) As the city’s budget process gears up, city unions—including IFPTE Local 21, SEIU Local 1021, and the SF Building Trades—are calling for an emergency rally on Wednesday, May 14, at 12pm. City workers are deeply concerned that Mayor Daniel Lurie’s soon-to-be-released budget might make drastic cuts to public services while big tech companies continue to avoid paying their fair share in taxes. 

What: Emergency rally to protect public service
When: Wednesday, May 14, at 12 p.m.
Where: SF City Hall, front steps
Who: Over 1,000 SF city workers joined by community organizations and elected officials
Visuals: Workers in union gear chanting, with various signs and large banners

Sarah Perez, San Francisco city employee and SF vice president for IFPTE Local 21, said: “If the Mayor lays off city workers, then who’s going to provide services to San Franciscans? Greedy contractors from out of state who cut corners at the expense of our residents. This is the DOGE playbook.”

“San Francisco isn’t broke, we’re being fleeced by big tech,” said Rudy Gonzalez, secretary-treasurer of the San Francisco Building & Construction Trades Council. “It’s time to take every means necessary to keep our public services intact.” 

“City workers are what make San Francisco the place we love, from clean parks to functioning transit,” said SEIU 1021 President Theresa Rutherford, who has worked at Laguna Honda Hospital for over 20 years. “How can the Mayor tout our recovery then turn on the workers who helped make it happen?”

BACKGROUND:

According to the City and County of San Francisco, lawsuits from businesses seeking tax relief could cost the City $415 million, more than half of the total projected deficit of $817.5 million. The report titled The Bill is Due: How Big Tech Tax Avoidance is Starving San Francisco’s Budget, reveals that a handful of major tech firms are responsible for the majority of the business tax lawsuits targeting the City. These then hold up significant funding for public services.

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SEIU Local 1021 represents nearly 60,000 employees in local governments, nonprofit agencies, health care programs, courts, and schools throughout Northern California, including seven private colleges and numerous community colleges. SEIU Local 1021 is a diverse, member-driven organization with members who work to make our cities, schools, colleges, counties, and special districts safe and healthy places to live and raise our families.