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New County Child Welfare Services executive order
The Governor of California signed a new executive order regarding Child Welfare Services. It will allow county child welfare agencies and probation departments to perform necessary functions using alternative processes other than face-to-face interactions. This includes allowance for a 60-day waiver to allow for flexibility in the emergency placement of foster youth and ensures that foster youth have access to critical programs and technology by verifying foster care status for foster youth and wards of the juvenile court whose cases are pending.
Suspension of Professional Certification Requirements for Home Health Aides (HHAs)
The California Department of Public Health has issued a waiver for certification renewals of Home Health Aides. Home health Aides do not need to renew their certification until the end of the declared emergency.
This also applies to HHAs who have an expired certification, so that they can work if their certification expired within the last 2 years.
SEIU 1021 members call for PPE, safe working conditions, and an economy and democracy that work for all during powerful healthcare roundtable
On Thursday, April 30, SEIU 1021 healthcare workers hosted a roundtable discussion via Facebook Live to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic, and ways members in healthcare settings have been working tirelessly to keep patients and our communities safe. You can watch the full discussion here (fast forward to the 7:00 minute mark).
Panelists encouraged everyone to take action by demanding Congress include funds for local and state governments in future stimulus bills to protect the crucial work we do. You can add your voice at seiu1021.org/actnow or by calling 877-851-2521 to be connected to the office of your elected representatives.
SEIU 1021 President Joseph Bryant and SEIU 1021 VP of Organizing Jennifer Esteen, RN hosted the event, along with a panel featuring:
- Theresa Rutherford, SEIU 1021 Vice President of San Francisco and Nurse Assistant at Laguna Honda Hospital
- John Pearson, Registered Nurse and SEIU 1021 Chapter President at Alameda Health System
- Dena Galindo, SEIU 1021 Steward and Office Systems Specialist at San Joaquin General Hospital.
- Dr. Amelia Breyre, Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR-SEIU) Regional Vice President for Northern California
“This is the fourth installation of our “reach every member” broadcasts, which we kicked off about six weeks ago at the start of “shelter in place.” We created this platform to provide important information and updates for our membership, to continue to organize, unite, and collectively fight to protect all workers who are impacted by the crisis, and we also wanted a space where we can lift up our coworkers who continue to heroically provide the essential services that allow our communities to function day in and day out throughout this pandemic,” said Joseph Bryant, SEIU 1021 President.
SF Members Take To Streets To Demand PPE
Since this pandemic began, SEIU 1021 members have been demanding universal testing and PPE to keep us safe while we do the critical work of caring for the public.
On Friday, April 24, over one hundred San Francisco city workers and allies wearing protective face masks caravanned from the REI parking lot on Brannan St. to the SF Emergency Operations Center at the Moscone Center (check out photos here). An hour after our caravan action, Mayor Breed announced the acquisition of 15 million pieces of PPE.
City workers’ demand: universal testing and protective equipment (PPE) for all employees at work of serving residents during this pandemic.
“We are caring for the sick, supporting San Francisco’s seniors, children and vulnerable populations, and helping people get where they need to go,” said Theresa Rutherford, VP of San Francisco. “Adequate PPE keeps us safer. Universal testing is needed to figure out where the virus is, who is positive, and where it is going, who has fought it off, and whether the San Francisco residents are gaining immunity.”
“Essential front line workers are risking their lives, so we can live ours. Without these workers, who are bravely doing their civil duties every single day are heroes. Their mission– to stop this virus from spreading,” said SEIU 1021 President Joseph Bryant.” We need to make sure they have the essential protections to beat this virus.”
After months of activism on the job, at City Hall, and an hour after this caravan action in the streets— SF city workers received one out of two demands to #ProtectAllWorkers. Mayor London Breed announced the acquisition of fifteen million pieces of PPE for frontline workers.
Pressure from SEIU 1021 members leads SF to begin filling RN vacancies
Earlier this month, hundreds of public healthcare workers rallied at a press conference and testified at a hearing at SF City Hall. Registered nurses, doctors, social workers urged the Board of Supervisors to boost staffing and provide safer working conditions at San Francisco Department of Public Health (DPH) facilities, especially in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
VICTORY: Livermore USD workers stay safe while continuing to serve their community
Thanks to an SEIU Local 1021 negotiated side letter agreement over PPE in response to the 2018 wildfires, the Livermore Unified School District was already equipped with the PPE to supply our frontline workers serving daily school breakfasts and lunches during their daily meal distribution period.
Student nutrition workers and custodians are working 2 hours, every other day while receiving full wages.
ICYMI: SEIU 1021 President Joseph Bryant gives COVID-19 update via Facebook Live
On Friday, April 10 SEIU 1021 President Joseph Bryant gave an update on Facebook Live detailing our union’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Click here to watch the full video in case you missed it!
Tell Congress: #ProtectAllWorkers: put workers first with no blank checks for corporations
Congress has passed multiple bills in response to the COVID-19 crisis, but so far they have fallen short of providing the support we need. Frontline workers still lack protective equipment, sufficient sick leave and essential worker pay. Many of us are being laid-off and are unsure of how we’ll cover bills. There’s no real plan to protect our right to vote without risking our health. And on top of that, immigrant families have been left out entirely.
Meanwhile, companies are making out like bandits while our public services—like processing the millions of new unemployment claims—are on the cusp of running out of funding.
Join us in calling on Congress to put workers first with no blank checks for corporations.
Join our healthcare roundtable discussion on April 30
RSVP at seiu1021.org/roundtable.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, staff in healthcare settings have been working tirelessly to keep patients and our communities safe. This includes all workers that keep our hospitals and clinics running in this critical time. But that work comes with a lot of challenges.
That’s why, on April 30, SEIU 1021 healthcare members will host a roundtable discussion on Facebook Live.
This panel discussion will provide an excellent opportunity for healthcare workers to learn from fellow union members about how we’re fighting to protect our lives and the lives of our patients during this pandemic.
You can submit questions for our panel ahead of time by visiting seiu1021.org/askaquestion. You’ll also be able to interact with other SEIU 1021 members and our panel by utilizing the Facebook comments feature.
You don’t need to work in a healthcare setting to participate, and you don’t need to have a Facebook account to watch. If you do have Facebook, click here to RSVP.
Otherwise, just head to facebook.com/seiu1021 at 6:30 pm on April 23 to watch.
Hundreds of SEIU 1021 members participate in our first COVID-19 telephone town hall
On April 16, SEIU 1021 President Joseph Bryant led our first telephone town hall since the COVID-19 pandemic began. You can listen to a recording of the full town hall here.
President Bryant hosted a panel featuring member leaders Ashley Payne, Karla Faucett, and Brandon Dawkins, who discussed their challenges and victories during this crisis.
“We’re keeping up the pressure—keeping membership looped in and being really creative about our organizing since we can’t show up at the Board of Supervisors chambers as usual or picket in person anymore,” said Ashley Payne, SEIU 1021 Chapter Vice President in Contra Costa County.