Newswire
Low-wage and part-time workers win big with Berkeley’s Fair Work Week Ordinance
On Monday, November 21, 2022, the Berkeley City Council passed an ordinance from Vice Mayor Kate Harrison and the Labor Commission to protect and compensate low-wage and part-time workers at some of Berkeley’s largest employers. The Fair Work Week Ordinance reduces the mental and physical strain of last-minute schedule changes and extreme back-to-back shifts. It requires covered employers to offer part-time workers additional hours before hiring new part-time staff.
SEIU 1021 members help elect Sheng Thao as the next Mayor of Oakland
The dust has settled, and Sheng Thao will be the next Mayor of Oakland. From the moment she announced her candidacy, SEIU 1021 members have been on the front lines doing the work to talk to voters and support her candidacy.
If you’ve been to an SEIU 1021 rally, protest, or picket line in Oakland in recent years, there’s a good chance you saw Sheng Thao there too, standing with us.
SEIU 1021 Lavender Solidarity Committee Stands in Solidarity with LGBTQ Community of Colorado Springs
Club Q, one of only two LGBTQ nightclubs in Colorado Springs, was known as a safe space where members of the local LGBTQ community could let loose and be themselves while dancing the night away. Saturday, in a devastating echo of the Pulse Nightclub tragedy of 2016, that safety was shattered by yet another heavily armed young man with a history of making bomb threats. Five beautiful, promising lives were violently stolen, at least 17 others injured, and irreparable trauma was inflicted upon everyone who was at Club Q that night and all of their loved ones.
Fast food workers go on strike to say “Stop the referendum: come to the table NOW!”
Last Tuesday, November 15, fast food workers across California went on strike and rallied in five cities to demand that major corporations including McDonald’s, Chipotle, Jack in the Box, and Starbucks come to the bargaining table to solve major problems these workers face on the job.
Relationships matter: SF VP Kristin Hardy on why our union gets active in politics
The midterm elections are right around the corner and SEIU 1021 members are fired up to talk to their friends, neighbors, and coworkers about the political candidates we are endorsing in this election. It is crucially important for our union to endorse and support candidates who are committed to the cause of working folks—it’s our opportunity to elect the people who approve our contracts, make decisions about funding our services, and set policies that dictate the future of our communities.
Solano County workers win strong new agreement to staff up county services and invest in workers
On Wednesday, October 19, hundreds of Solano County workers rallied outside the Solano County Government Center to denounce the county administration’s mismanagement of services, highlighting the need for improvements. It was the latest in a series of escalating actions by County workers, who gave speeches on how understaffing of vital worksites on the last day of their contract. Solano County workers have demanded all along that county management show that they value workers’ contributions to this community’s well-being, safety, and future.
When an SEIU 1021 member becomes an elected official: Interview with Sol Jobrack, Stockton City Council Member, District 1
It is often said that we, as public-sector workers, elect our bosses. Having pro-labor candidates run for and win public office is vital, particularly when it comes time for contract negotiations. Who sits across from us at the bargaining table can dramatically change the dynamics of our contract. That is why when someone sitting across from the bargaining team not only has a pro-labor platform but is a union member; it makes all the difference.
SEIU 1021 members say “NO!” to big business trying to buy elections
In Oakland’s mayoral election, voters face a stark set of choices. Unfortunately, big businesses, especially coal businesses, are trying to make those choices less clear by putting huge amounts of money into the election.
SEIU 1021 members get inspired and energized at the Education Industry Summit
Attendees heard from SEIU 1021 President Theresa Rutherford, State Superintendent Tony Thurmond, CA Labor Federation Chief Officer Lorena Gonzalez, and others
Inspiring speeches from State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond and California Labor Federation Executive Secretary-Treasurer Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher were just a couple of the highlights of this year’s SEIU 1021 Education Industry Summit held this past Saturday, October 29, in Vacaville.
Mendocino County workers take CEO and Board of Supervisors to task over continued inaction
The County's inaction on its staffing crisis paints a picture of incompetence or indifference to the needs of its most vulnerable.
Mendocino County workers once again rallied and flooded the Board of Supervisors meeting last Tuesday, October 18, as county administration continues to claim ignorance about its budget — despite abundant evidence that its finances are healthy – and pays lip service to its workers while refusing to address the staffing crisis that is driving more and more of them away.
SEIU 1021: It’s time to get out the vote
Over the last several years, we have seen attacks on workers’ rights across the country. The victories we secure on the streets and at the bargaining table are directly linked to the ballot box. The gains we make are under siege by management teams, often elected public officials, trying to use our country’s economic and public health crises as reasons to take away our hard-earned wages and benefits.
Workers rally to staff up Alameda County!
Across Alameda County on Friday, 10/21, SEIU 1021 workers took a unity break at 10:21 a.m. to show their solidarity. One of their issues is a staffing crisis that has more than 2,300 county positions unfilled according to the county’s own numbers. As the need for Medi-Cal, CalWORKS, CalFresh, and other services skyrockets and Alameda County’s headcount dwindles, SEIU 1021 workers are united in telling the County Board of Supervisors: “It’s time to staff up Alameda County!”
SEIU 1021 joins families of police shooting victims to call on Interim DA Brooke Jenkins to prosecute SFPD officers who killed their loved ones
On Thursday, October 20th at 10 am, SEIU 1021 members joined the families of police shooting victims Keita O’Neil, Sean Moore, and Luis Gongora Pat at a press conference and rally outside District Attorney Brooke Jenkin’s office. The families of the three victims urged Jenkins to commit to prosecuting the officers, citing civil lawsuits and settlements awarded to the families, as well as independent investigations and disciplinary actions.
East Bay members hit the streets to win for working families
With so many candidates and initiatives on every ballot, sitting down to vote can feel overwhelming. However, our votes are important tools for making our jobs and our communities better. To help make voting simpler, SEIU 1021’s endorsements are listed here and our volunteer opportunities are here.
“Heartbeat of City College” fundraiser for SF Prop O raises $12k, showcases City College’s special place in SF
The Oct. 13 event featured live performances of City College students, a film premiere, impassioned speakers, a raffle, and more.
Over 150 supporters of San Francisco’s beloved City College – including students, classified staff, faculty, graduates, and community supporters — gathered at Kapwa Gardens in SoMa on Thursday, October 13 for a fundraiser to support Proposition O. Attendees enjoyed delicious donated food and drinks, live performances from City College music and theater students, and the premiere of “Heartbeat of City College,” a film based on a poem written by CCSF instructor Tehmina Khan starring students, staff, and faculty.
Rideshare and delivery drivers form the California Gig Workers Union
App-based drivers and delivery workers from across the Golden State announced the formation of a union Wednesday — the California Gig Workers Union (CGWU) — at a rally in front of Uber headquarters in San Francisco.
Citing low wages and a lack of basic protections on the job, gig workers called on Uber and other tech giants to grant them employee protections and to recognize their right to join together in a union. Drivers marched to Lyft and DoorDash headquarters, too, holding similar rallies outside each.
North Central VP Akbar Bibb on what’s at stake for the region in the Nov. 8 election
Leading up to the November 8 general election, we’re sitting down with SEIU 1021 member leaders across Northern California to talk about what’s at stake for workers like us whose employers are (or are funded in large part by) elected leaders.
This week, we’re talking to North Central Regional Vice President Akbar Bibb about what is top of mind for him as the general election approaches and with many bargaining units in the midst of contentious contract negotiations.
Solano County members continue to build momentum with strike school
Four hundred union members, including SEIU 1021, IFTPE Local 21 and now IOUE Stationary Engineers Local 39, came together last Thursday evening at the Joseph Nelson Community Center in Suisun City for strike school.
SEIU Workers Help Secure an Extension of Essential COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave
Last week, Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 152 to extend COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave to essential workers until December 31, 2022. COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave was previously set to expire on September 30 2022, leaving workers with only the state-mandated three paid sick days as the state faces the possibility of fall and winter surges of the highly transmissible virus.
SEIU 1021 members urge Chico voters to say YES on Measure H
Right now, Chico’s retail tax generates less than half of what it costs to run the city. Chico’s population has grown by nearly 19% in the past 10 years, yet the City has 21 fewer city employees—meaning SEIU 1021 members are doing more with less to serve their community.
The City of Chico works hard to be fiscally responsible while maintaining essential city services. However in recent years, population growth, the Camp Fire, COVID-19, and state mandates have all stressed our City finances, and the City’s budget can’t keep pace.