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Courts Workers Storm Sacramento
On Tuesday, May 14, court workers from throughout the state met
with fellow SEIU members to talk to elected officials about the
need to continue to devote funds to courts most in
need. Court workers encouraged elected officials to make sure
those who interact with the courts obtain fair,
equitable, and timely access to services. To do this, elected
officials must invest in court hours, staff adequately, and
provide reasonable pay to retain dedicated, experienced
workers.
Sandy Walden, a court reporter at Contra
Costa Courts explained why she and her coworkers
decided to come to Sacramento to speak directly to legislators,
“Elected officials need to hear directly from us and the issues
that confront us everyday. They need to see and hear the people
whose lives they impact with the policies they pass or deny.”
Workers also spoke to elected officials and their staff about
closing the pay gap in the trial court industry. Court reporters
provide a necessary service to our judicial system, maintaining
not only the record, but the sanctity of court proceedings. Court
Reporters, which consists of a predominantly female workforce,
have not received an increase in their statutorily set transcript
rate in 30 years. It is time to close the gender pay gap.
Across Northern California, SEIU 1021 members stand in solidarity with the #StrikeForBlackLives
On Monday, July 20, our members in San Francisco, the East Bay, and Sacramento joined tens of thousands of workers nationwide in more than 25 cities in solidarity with the #StrikeForBlackLives.
Our union has a vision for a just society where all workers are valued and all people respected, no matter where they are from or the color of their skin. All families deserve to thrive in a more just and equitable but until Black communities and other communities of color can thrive, none of our communities truly can.
Pride Roundtable Discussion 2020: Queer Uprisings Against Police Brutality of the Past, Mirror the Uprisings of Today
To commemorate PRIDE month, SEIU 1021 members hosted a live
virtual roundtable discussion with LGBTQ superstars on June 30.
The event was broadcasted on the SEIU 1021 Facebook page
and kicked-off by Jennifer Esteen, SF DPH RN and SEIU
1021Organizing VP, who set the tone by reflecting how queer
rebellions of the past, mirror the uprisings of the Black Lives
Matter Movement.
Oakland’s Mayor Takes Cuts and Concessions off the Table
On Friday, June 19, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaff announced she would not implement cuts to jobs and services. After a long-fought campaign, our members beat back the Mayor’s attack.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of Oakland administration claimed that their budget was broken, and the only way they could fix it was by slashing services to public, cutting the hours of the city’s so-called ‘temporary, part-time’ workforce, and possible mass layoffs of permanent workers.
SEIU 1021 Members Lead Powerful Racial Justice Roundtable
In the wake of the recent murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbrey, SEIU 1021 members hosted a powerful Racial Justice Roundtable discussion on June 9. This deeply personal conversation was intended to create space for us to process, provide support, and discuss what’s happening in our communities and what we can do in this moment.
You can watch a full recording of the event on the SEIU 1021 Facebook Page or on Vimeo.
SEIU 1021 Racial Justice Action: Taking a Knee for Change – Say Their Names ACTION & MARCH
Saturday, June 6, 2020 at 10:00 am in SF
An action for the unjust murders by Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor & George Floyd and all at the hands of Police. Taking place Saturday June 6th at Candlestick park, SF . March starts at corner of Harney Way & Hunters point expressway at 10am. Facebook event link is here
Words by SEIU 1021 President Joseph Bryant
A statement from SEIU 1021 President Joseph Bryant
A statement from SEIU 1021 President Joseph Bryant:
Brothers, Sisters and SEIU Family,
I sit down to write this with a heavy heart, a grieved soul and sheer anger running through my veins as I watch the video of George Floyd being murdered by the police. It is yet another of many disturbing illustrations of how unbridled structural racism in this country means that a Black person cannot jog, drive, stand in front of a store, play with toys or even bird watch without facing death or the threat of death.
Uber and Lyft Drivers Organize Caravan Outside Uber HQ
App-based drivers across California and the nation are struggling to work safely and make ends meet in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s why on Monday, immediately following Uber’s virtual shareholders meeting, SEIU 1021 members joined SF Supervisor Rafael Mandelman and our union siblings from the SF Labor Council in supporting rideshare drivers with the We Drive Progress driver advocacy group during their caravan.
For nearly an hour, over a hundred cars circled Uber’s HQ on Market Street, with drivers honking and chanting through their windows.
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.
SF Chronicle Profiles Eight SEIU 1021 RNs in honor of Nurses Week
In honor of Nurses week, the San Francisco Chronicle profiled seven SEIU 1021 members battling coronavirus on both sides of the Bay Area on May 6.
The work done by every SEIU 1021 member has kept our communities safer and healthier, and the media has noticed. Many of our stories are countless, and often undisclosed in the media, but now thanks to you–our stories are going around the world.
Please share their stories published in San Francisco Chronicle with your co-workers and join the fight for #ProtectAllWorkers.
San Joaquin County Members Win Extension in Fight to Stop Clinic Closures
San Joaquin County Supervisors held a hearing today to explore closing two health clinics that serve more than 6,000 patients in predominantly minority and low-income communities. The County’s push to close health facilities during the current COVID-19 pandemic alarmed residents across the county – including SEIU 1021 members who decided to fight back.
Coronavirus: how SEIU 1021 is protecting members and our families
A message from Joseph Bryant, President of SEIU 1021
Dear SEIU 1021 member,
Since coronavirus became a global pandemic, our union’s attention
has been focused on how to ensure the health, safety, and
economic well-being of our members, families, and
communities—including many of our members who, in the midst of
this crisis, continue to provide crucial services in our
communities.
As the Coronavirus Threat Looms, Registered Nurses, Healthcare Workers Fight To Protect San Francisco
On March 5, 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.
Workers made their case: San Francisco needs more registered
nurses and support staff, expedite hiring, more violence and
disaster training, and include workers in decisions
affecting their work.
Coronavirus: What SEIU 1021 members need to know
With every passing day, medical and public health professionals are learning more about COVID-19, an infectious disease caused by a new coronavirus that was introduced to humans for the first time in 2019.
This new virus seems to be very contagious and has quickly spread globally.
As confirmed cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus surface across California, there are a lot of questions about how to prepare.
A Brighter Future for Our Families By Supporting ‘Schools & Communities First’
Deadline for 'Schools & Communities First' Petitions is March 13
For months, SEIU 1021 members have been collecting signatures to put Schools & Communities First on the ballot in November. The March 13 deadline to turn in signatures is approaching fast, so make sure you turn yours in as soon as possible.
SF Political Leaders, Community and Labor Groups Endorse Schools and Communities First Initiative
On January 28, SEIU 1021 members joined San Francisco Mayor London Breed and Supervisors Gordon Mar, Shamann Walton, Sandra Fewer and Norman Yee, and other unions, community groups for a rally celebrating the City’s broad support of Schools & Communities First Ballot Initiative.
This exciting measure would reclaim $12 billion each year from wealthy corporations like Chevron and Shell Oil to fund schools and local services. The initiative specifically exempts all residential property, guaranteeing that homeowners and renters will be protected.
At Alameda Health System, 1021 Members Stand Up for a Safe Workplace and a Healthy Environment for Patients
For years, Alameda Health System hospitals have faced
underfunding from the County. Understaffed departments are
struggling to provide adequate care for the poor, the elderly,
the homeless, and people experiencing mental health crises. Now,
SEIU 1021 members are standing up and saying “Enough is
enough!”
Over 850 Behavioral Health and Clinic Workers to Join SEIU
More than 850 HealthRIGHT 360 clinic and behavioral healthcare workers have voted to unionize with the Service Employees International Union on December 16. Months of organizing culminated in the historic vote Monday night, with 73% of HR360 workers at over 100 clinics in Northern and Southern California choosing to unionize by signing authorization cards. The workers will join SEIU Local 1021 in the Bay Area and SEIU Locals 721 and 221 in Los Angeles and San Diego, respectively.
SEIU 1021 Members Kick-off ‘Schools & Communities First’ Signature Gathering Drive
On Saturday, December 7,close to 100 SEIU 1021 members braved the rain to talk to voters and our neighbors about getting the Schools & Communities First initiative on the November 2020 ballot.
“Corporations have been taking money out of our pockets—food out of the mouths of our children—for 40 years, and it’s time to change that. That’s why I’m here today,” said Andrea Mullarkey, SEIU 1021 member and Teen Librarian at the Berkeley Public Library.