Home Hero
Honoring the legacy of the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein
Statement from SEIU 1021 President Theresa Rutherford
September 29, 2023, marked the end of an era with the passing of Senator Dianne Feinstein. A trailblazer for women, she was the first woman president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and the first woman mayor of San Francisco before becoming the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from California. As a U.S. Senator, she was the first woman member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, the first woman to chair the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, and the first woman to chair the Senate Intelligence Committee.
We are on the verge of a federal government shutdown
Urge your Congressional Representative to stop the shutdown by calling: (202) 224-3121
In these pivotal moments, unity amongst working people is our strongest shield against a federal government shutdown. The shutdown will cause harm to union members and the broader American public.
An Invaluable San Francisco Institution Is Saved, Thanks to Hard Work and Partnership
Statement from SEIU 1021 President Theresa Rutherford on Laguna Honda Hospital’s Approval for Medi-Cal Recertification
Today is an exciting day for SEIU 1021 members at Laguna Honda Hospital: After over a year of hard work, Laguna Honda has been approved for recertification by the Medi-Cal program, which over 95% of our patients rely on. This victory cannot be overstated. It not only means that Laguna Honda’s doors will remain open, that our medically fragile patients will not be shipped elsewhere to their detriment, and that our members will keep their jobs.
Cal Academy of Sciences Workers Vote to Unionize with SEIU 1021 in Landslide Election
After many months of organizing, workers voted by 77% to form their union, Cal Academy Workers United
Roughly 350 employees of the California Academy of Sciences will now be members of SEIU 1021 following a high turnout National Labor Relations Board election that saw 77% of eligible workers voting, of whom 77% voted yes. Votes were counted Friday, July 21.
With another disastrous ruling, the Supreme Court undermines equity and opportunity for people of color
Statement on Supreme Court decision on Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. University of North Carolina (UNC) and Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College by SEIU 1021 President Theresa Rutherford
One year after attacking women’s right to self-determination, today the activist conservative majority of the Supreme Court has once again proven its contempt for Black and brown people in its decision on the Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. University of North Carolina (UNC) and Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College case.
Hundreds of SEIU 1021 members gather to celebrate Juneteenth
Hundreds of SEIU 1021 members from around the region came together last Friday, June 16, to celebrate Juneteenth. Juneteenth has long been seen as an important milestone in the struggle for Black liberation in the United States.
Juneteenth 2023: A Celebration of Black Excellence
DUE TO ALL REGISTRATION SPOTS BEING FILLED—REGISTRATION FOR THIS SEIU 1021 EVENT IS CLOSED.
All SEIU 1021 members are invited to our 2023 Juneteenth Celebration of Black Excellence!
Join us for an evening of food, music, and community on Friday, June 16, 2023, from 5:30-9:30 p.m. at the Southeast Community Center, 1550 Evans Ave., San Francisco.
Members who attend will get limited-edition Juneteenth T-shirts — first come, first served while they last!
SEIU 1021’s AAPI celebration continues to grow!
Counting down to Here All Year: Celebrating AAPI Heritage With Family on June 3rd
AAPI month is going strong, and we’re busy gearing up for our own AAPI celebration on June 3!
SEIU 1021 celebrates AAPI Heritage Month
Join us as we raise up AAPI union leaders and celebrate with a special event
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! We’re celebrating this month and beyond, recognizing the critical contributions of our AAPI brothers and sisters to the union and our communities.
Felton Institute faces harsh criticism for union busting, anti-worker activity
San Francisco Board of Supervisors sides with union and workers
The Board of Supervisors hearing at San Francisco City Hall last Tuesday, April 25, was a testament to union power. In an unorthodox move, the entire board listened to reports of San Francisco nonprofit Felton Institute’s union busting and anti-worker activity. It was clear from the outset that the board was unhappy with Felton. The worker testimonials, supported by indisputable evidence that SEIU provided, were reinforced by every board member on the dais chiming in with their support for the workers and their dismay at Felton’s brazen, unethical actions.
Statement from SEIU 1021 President Theresa Rutherford on the killing of Tyre Nichols by the Memphis Police
The members of SEIU 1021 are outraged by yet another killing of an unarmed person of color at the hands of police.
Our most heartfelt condolences go out to the family of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man who succumbed to his injuries three days after a brutal beating by five Memphis police officers at a traffic stop.
SEIU 1021 President Theresa Rutherford reflects on a significant year for our union
2022 was a big year for our union. I am so proud of the work we did to advance the interests of our members and of working people more broadly while still living and working under the cloud of COVID-19.
SEIU 1021 Annual Toy Drive Distributes Thousands of Toys to East Bay Families in Fourth Year of Annual Holiday Giveaway
On Saturday, December 17, SEIU 1021 once again hosted our annual holiday toy giveaway for East Bay families. After a successful kickoff and donation drive, we collected more toys than in any of the previous years, filling a school bus with donations that will bring joy and holiday spirit to hundreds of children and their families.
SEIU 1021 joins Oakland Mayor-Elect Sheng Thao, IFPTE 21, Hayward USD and YMCA Head Start To Pack School Bus with Toys for Children In Need
***If you know anyone who may be in need of toys this holiday season: the children must be registered to receive a toy. Contact Sandra.Lewis@seiu1021.org or call 510-388-2505. You can also learn more at www.fillabus.org***
On Thursday, December 8, Oakland Mayor-Elect Sheng Thao joined members and leaders of SEIU Local 1021, IFPTE Local 21, and community allies for our annual holiday toy drive kickoff celebration.
Come meet Mayor-elect Sheng Thao at 100 Oak St. Thursday, December 8 from 9 a.m. – 10 a.m.
Help make our 2022 SEIU 1021 toy drive a success for Bay Area families
Join SEIU 1021, IFPTE Local 21, and nonprofit community partners
around Northern California in filling up a school bus (gracefully
loaned from Hayward Unified School District) with thousands of
toys for children in underserved communities. In the past five
years alone, the SEIU 1021 Toy Drive has successfully collected
and distributed more than 10,000 toys. Due to the effects of the
pandemic and inflation, we anticipate this year’s requests for
toys will be higher than ever, so please contribute if you’re
able.
When We Mobilize Around Our Values, We Win
A reflection from SEIU 1021 President Theresa Rutherford on the November 2022 Midterm Elections
SEIU Local 1021 scored numerous victories large and small in the 2022 midterm elections. I could not be more proud of the hard work our members and staff put in over the past three months to make sure that our members and our communities understood what was on the ballot and turned those ballots in.
November 8, 2022, Endorsements
Let’s elect pro-labor candidates and pass measures that help our communities!
To protect our rights, improve our working conditions and quality of life, and better our communities, the candidates we elect and the ballot measures we pass–or reject–matter. That’s especially true when it comes to local and state races. The 2022 statewide and midterm elections are our opportunity to showcase worker power at the ballot box. We have made significant progress over the last two years. Now, we must build upon our advancements.
We know that the fight for economic, racial, environmental, and immigrant justice is one that we cannot sit out. That is why we, as a union, actively participate in the political process. Across Northern California, we will vote for our endorsed candidates and ballot measures and mobilize our communities to vote to achieve the kind of justice we deserve.
We organize good trouble on the streets, in our workplaces, and now at the ballot box.
We urge members to participate in phone banking, canvassing, and other outreach initiatives to help us elect candidates who will fight for us and pass measures that will benefit workers across Northern California.
Click the links below to see what candidates and measures SEIU 1021 members have endorsed for the November 8, 2022 election, and see our upcoming volunteer opportunities here.
Elections have consequences. Help make sure this one benefits working people!
Educate and mobilize your community to vote for candidates and initiatives that advance justice and equity!
We all know how important it is to vote up and down the ballot by now, right? Since national media coverage almost always focuses on federal elections like the House, the Senate, and the White House, it can be easy to lose track of what is happening down the ballot. Yet the local candidates we elect and the local and state ballot initiatives we pass—or vote down—all arguably have a bigger effect on our communities, day-to-day lives, and, as public sector and nonprofit workers, our jobs.
That’s where SEIU 1021 and YOU come in!
Theresa Rutherford officially assumes her duties as president of SEIU 1021
This weekend, Theresa Rutherford formally assumed her duties as the new president of SEIU Local 1021. Theresa was appointed to this role by a supermajority vote by the SEIU 1021 Executive Board at their July meeting upon news that previous President Joseph Bryant would be moving on to become executive vice president of SEIU at the international union level.
SEIU 1021 Executive Board Votes by Supermajority to Appoint Theresa Rutherford as President
August 22, 2022, SEIU 1021 will welcome our new president, Theresa Rutherford. At the executive board meeting last Saturday, July 23, the board voted by a landslide to appoint the current San Francisco regional vice president to replace the local’s current president, Joseph Bryant, who was elected executive vice president of the SEIU international union last month.