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Individuals driving out to North County Landfill early Saturday morning were shocked to see 100 SEIU 1021 members assembled at the entrance, holding picket signs and blocking access to the dumpsite. While Saturday’s protest focused on the landfill, the problem of understaffing and inadequate resources touches every corner of San Joaquin County.

On October 30, SEIU 1021 nurses, healthcare workers, and our community allies spoke out to oppose a final rule change by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This rule change would have destroyed healthcare workers’ “duty to care” by allowing religious objections to care that will impact LGBTQI patients, women’s healthcare, and more.

On November 6, hundreds of Uber & Lyft drivers from the We Drive Progress coalition staged protests across California to draw attention to the awful treatment, pay, and benefits hurting these workers across California.

“I have two herniated discs in my back, which makes being in the car very painful. But I have to drive to make ends meet. I also have to drive because I am responsible for taking care of my father,” said Raul Flores, who has been driving for around 3 years.“If we had fair pay, benefits, and a union, I’d be able to get physical therapy.”

SEIU 1021 members walked precincts and made phone calls for a handful of candidates in the City of Novato and San Francisco during this year’s November election. Members made a final Get-Out-The-Vote push for Chesa Boudin for District Attorney in San Francisco, and Susan Wernick and Amy Peel for the Novato City Council. All three candidates won.

After nearly nine months of a hard-fought campaign, SEIU 1021 members of the City of Oakland chapter have voted overwhelmingly in favor of a new two-year contract. Because of the unity showed by 1021 members, the City was forced to back down from their attempts to pull healthcare from City workers and to make it easier to hire their cronies instead of drawing from Oakland’s existing part-time workforce.  Workers will receive a 6% raise over the two years of the contract, and won improved contract language around health and safety.
 

Over the last 40 years, large corporations have not been paying their fair share for services that help our communities thrive, resulting in impacts like program cuts, understaffing, and high-turnover at many workplaces.