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Thousands of union members march on SF City Hall in honor of International Workers’ Day
The 2022 May Day march recreated the 1934 march down Market Street
On Sunday May 1, thousands of workers from around the Bay Area marched down Market Street from Embarcadero to San Francisco’s Civic Center to commemorate International Workers’ Day in a recreation of the famous 1934 May Day March. The march, which was sponsored by several Bay Area labor councils, concluded with a rally at City Hall.
Contra Costa County workers march on Board of Supervisors to fight understaffing
On Tuesday, April 26, 2202, Contra Costa County workers urged the Board of Supervisors to address Contra Costa’s staffing crisis, as hundreds of workers marched to the Board of Supervisors Administration Building during the regularly scheduled Board meeting. The march included workers who staff the public hospital, clinics, and COVID test sites and workers who maintain the County’s streets, safeguard the environment, and keep the libraries and courts open.
SF nonprofit workers fight for increased funding for services and pay parity for their work
As many of San Francisco’s nonprofit union workers get set to bargain new contracts this year, a unifying problem is emerging across employers and worksites—we need a greater investment in services provided, and we need pay parity between nonprofit and public workers providing similar services.
Sac City Schools Staff Vote by 99.8% to Ratify New Contract
Sacramento City Unified School District classified staff – including school bus drivers, nutrition service workers, instructional aides, custodians, and clerical staff – have voted by over 99% to ratify the tentative agreement they reached April 4 following a strike that shut down schools for eight days.
The agreement, which must be approved by the SCUSD Board of Education, contains significant victories, including:
Adjunct Faculty and Lecturers at Beloved Silicon Valley Institution Santa Clara University File for a Union Election with the National Labor Relations Board
Media Contact: Chris Flink, chris.flink at seiu1021.org, 510.701.9637
The rising tide of unionization comes to higher education in Silicon Valley, hoping to help fix the “gig-ification” of being a college professor.
Santa Clara, California — On Friday, April 22, 2022, adjunct faculty members and lecturers at Santa Clara University (SCU) filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), requesting a formal election process to found a union at SCU. The adjuncts and lecturers have been organizing the union since 2017.
Gig workers speak out about new Uber, Lyft policy making face masks optional
With zero worker input, Uber and Lyft have now made wearing face masks optional for riders and drivers. The ride-hailing companies announced the new policy unilaterally last week, shortly after several significant airlines announced a similar change in policy. The changes come after a federal judge struck down the Biden administration’s mask mandate for airplanes and other public transport methods.
Statement from Theresa Rutherford, SEIU 1021 VP of San Francisco, on recent developments at Laguna Honda Hospital
The following statement can be attributed to Theresa Rutherford, a Certified Nursing Assistant at Laguna Honda Hospital who is the elected Vice President of San Francisco for SEIU 1021:
As Tax Day Approaches, SEIU 1021 Members Call on Corporations to Pay Their Fair Share
Tax Day is April 18. The day is an opportunity for us to call on corporations to pay the taxes they owe. We live in the richest country on earth. We know we have the resources to provide good schools, affordable housing, and safe communities for everyone. Yet, we are two years into a global pandemic that has devastated communities of color, killed more than 900,000 people across our country, and deeply divided our communities, while corporations are reaping massive profits. Working people are fed up. We are coming together to say: Enough is enough!
CCA Staff, Adjuncts Ratify Contract with Big Improvements
Last week, staff and adjunct faculty at California College of the Arts voted overwhelmingly—by 98% and 96% respectively–to ratify the tentative agreements reached in the wake of a four-day unfair labor practice (ULP) strike February 8-11. The contract is the first for CCA staff, who voted by a supermajority to form a union with SEIU 1021 in 2019, and the second for CCA adjuncts, who formed their union with SEIU 1021 in 2014.
Rising gas prices underscores the need for gig workers to unionize
With rising gas prices comes heating tensions. Already struggling with the effects of California’s Proposition 22 and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, gig workers for Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Instacart, and beyond face a new obstacle: the gas pump.
San Francisco City workers lead a powerful march down Market St from City Hall
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Oakland Unified School District staff unanimously approve tentative agreement
The new contract will provide much-needed ongoing raises, thousands in one-time payments, and other improvements
Last week, SEIU 1021 members at Oakland Unified School District voted on a tentative agreement that will provide meaningful ongoing raises; thousands in one-time payments for all members, including part-timers; COVID safety protections on the job; and more contract improvements. Members voted by 100% to approve the TA.
San Joaquin County Human Services Agency Workers fight back and win a realistic caseload
San Joaquin County Human Services Agency Eligibility Workers understand the demanding conditions they face. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the turnaround time for caseload management was quickly becoming unrealistic. Now, the pandemic has revealed truths about how our workplaces run. That is why having a member-led union that fights for all workers at the workplace is vital. Without worker power, our caseload management would be overrun, high-quality patient care would not be delivered, and the health of our community would be at risk.
RNs & healthcare workers blow the whistle on the staffing crisis crippling SF General Hospital
On Thursday, March 10, Registered Nurses and healthcare workers at San Francisco General Hospital held a lunchtime rally to call attention to the staffing crisis that is plaguing city services and impacting patients and residents.
Over 100 hospital workers took part in the lunchtime rally, with many grabbing the bullhorn to share personal stories that highlight all of the ways they’ve seen patient care and hospital services suffer as a result of the chronic short-staffing and abuse of temporary workers.
Sacramento City Unified Schools Members Vote by 97% to Authorize Strike
No strike date has been set yet, but if SCUSD management continues to violate labor law, classified staff and educators will go on strike
Last week, Sacramento City Unified School District classified staff and educators voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike. 97% of classified staff, who are represented by SEIU 1021, and 95% of certificated educators, who are represented by the California Teachers Association, voted yes. As a result, the SCUSD bargaining team now has the green light to call a strike if SCUSD management continues to negotiate in bad faith on key issues related to staffing, the quality of instruction, and health and safety protocols.
Fast-food workers strike at McDonald’s in Saratoga for better wages and working conditions
On Tuesday, March 8, 2022—also known as International Women’s Day—striking workers from McDonald’s on Prospect Road in Saratoga led a rally protesting the discrimination and retaliation against Seberiana Reymundo, a worker with cancer at the store. They also protested the company’s failure to abide by paid sick leave laws and demanded that state legislators pass AB 257 - the FAST Recovery Act.
Gig workers are fighting for bathroom access and humane working conditions in San Francisco
Gig workers with We Drive Progress are continuing the fight for bathroom access. The campaign over entry to permanent, sanitary, and reliable facilities with adequate toilets for gig workers is looking to take its fight to Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Instacart, and other gig companies.
Through a Northern California survey back in December 2021, gig workers told We Drive Progress the inability to access bathrooms while working was one of their most significant issues.
San Francisco City & County workers take their fight against short-staffing to a whole new level
The City and County of San Francisco has a staffing crisis. Decades of cutbacks have contributed to this crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic has made things worse than ever. Research indicates that the city has over 3,800 unfilled jobs, which forces members to do more with less and has potential impacts on service delivery for residents. Now, as SEIU 1021 members head to the bargaining table this year and the city continues to drag its heels on adequately staffing services, members are looking to turn up the heat on management.
Mills College Staff March on the President’s House Demanding a Fair Contract & Just Transition
The college is scheduled to be acquired by Northeastern University this summer, and there have been no guarantees in writing that employees will keep their jobs.
Last Tuesday, March 1, dozens of Mills College staff, faculty, students, and alumnae converged on Holmgren Meadow to make administration hear their demands for a just transition. They started with a festive Mardi Gras-themed gathering, followed by a march to the on-campus mansion of the college president, Elizabeth Hillman, where they led a spirited rally and a candlelight vigil.