Newswire
Hundreds of Uber and Lyft drivers rally at state capitol to unveil legislation opening the door for drivers to choose a union
Tuesday, April 8, California rideshare drivers’ decade-long fight to improve their working conditions and shape their industry reached a huge milestone. Hundreds of Uber and Lyft drivers rallied at the state capitol to announce the introduction of legislation that opens the door for gig drivers to join a union.
Cal Academy’s 172nd birthday crashed by its workers, making art with a message
Nearly 2 years after they formed a union, Academy workers are frustrated by management’s stalling tactics — and made sure management as well as visitors coming to Academy Day “heard them roar.”
The California Academy of Sciences celebrated its 172nd birthday on April 4 (“Academy Day”) with a wide array of special programming and activities. Yet in front of the museum, members of the Cal Academy Workers United (CAWU) chapter of SEIU 1021 expressed their frustration and disappointment with their senior leadership team’s refusal to settle a fair first contract. And they shared those feelings not just through bullhorns, but also with guerilla street art.
SEIU 1021 members join thousands at “Hands Off” rallies across Northern California
SEIU 1021 members joined thousands of protesters at “Hands Off” rallies this past Saturday, voicing their opposition to policies that threaten workers’ rights, healthcare, and education.
They were part of a nationwide day of action that brought together hundreds of thousands at some 1300 rallies from coast to coast, including in San Francisco, Oakland and other East Bay cities, Sacramento, Stockton, Santa Rosa, and numerous other localities across Northern California.
Clinic worker joins lobby day in D.C. to help save Medicaid
Across the state, Americans are doing what they can to advocate for saving Medicaid. March 25 and 26, clinic workers like Flavia Tearney-Berthon flew to Washington, D.C., to lobby members of Congress for the cause for two days.
SEIU 1021 members join spirited protest at Airbnb HQ
On Thursday, March 27, SEIU 1021 members joined a broad coalition of organizations representing working and poor Californians in a lively protest outside Airbnb headquarters in San Francisco. Waving giant puppets and smashing an enormous cardboard Tesla Cybertruck, public sector union members, federal workers, nurses, immigrant families, and disability rights activists condemned Trump and Musk’s moves to slash essential services, gut Medicaid, and lay off hundreds of thousands of federal workers.
Hundreds join the César Chávez March in Sacramento
Hundreds of people gathered at the Southside Park in Sacramento for the 23rd annual César Chávez March on Saturday, March 29. Clouds of palo santo and the sound of horns made of conches filled the air as a group of Native American dancers opened the day’s events with a blessing in the form of a song and dance. Their backdrop was a colorful Chicano art mural painted in 1977 by artist Juan Cervantes.
Help elect Barbara Lee as Oakland’s next mayor!
It is no exaggeration to say that Oakland’s special election on April 15 will shape the city’s politics for the next ten years. That’s why SEIU 1021 members have been hitting the streets and knocking on doors to support Barbara Lee for mayor: Her proven leadership and ability to unite Oaklanders behind a positive vision for the Town stand in stark contrast to one-term City Councilmember Loren Taylor’s stated plan to “secure meaningful concessions” from Oakland workers.
Community coalition mobilizes to tell Sonoma County Board of Supervisors: No wasteful, inaccessible proposed building purchases
Tuesday, March 25, a community coalition — including SEIU 1021, Sonoma County Conservation Action, North Bay Organizing Project, and Rohnert Park City Councilmember Jackie Elward — united at the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors meeting to oppose the proposed purchase of buildings at 3850 and 3880 Brickway Blvd., Santa Rosa.
New SEIU 1021 Executive Board sworn in
SEIU 1021 members gathered at the San Francisco union hall last Saturday, March 22, to swear in our new executive board. Excitement filled the air as the weight of the challenge set in. The incoming board will be leading the fight to protect workers’ rights and public services at a critical moment.
Let our elected leaders know why Medicaid is important to you
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are considering severing a lifeline to millions of Americans: Medicaid, the federal program that provides more than half of California’s Medi-Cal funding. Many of us know someone who benefits from the precious resource that connects underserved or vulnerable communities to quality patient care. And the public health services that many SEIU members provide are funded in large part by Medicaid.
So next week SEIU is organizing a national Save Medicaid Lobby Day between March 25-26 to let Congress know: We can’t afford to lose Medicaid!
SEIU 1021 files whistleblower complaint regarding proposed $19 million of wasteful spending in Sonoma County
Tuesday, March 11, SEIU 1021 filed a whistleblower complaint regarding the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors’ proposed purchase of the American AgCredit building at 400 Aviation Blvd., Santa Rosa. The whistleblower complaint was filed through the county’s Fraud, Waste, and Abuse Whistleblower Hotline Program.
A union on the move: City of Oakland chapter fights layoffs and WINS!
It’s been a very busy time for the City of Oakland chapter. MONTHS ago, the City announced more than 100 layoffs. SEIU 1021 fought hard every day, demanding answers and accountability from the City, rallying and holding press conferences, working in coalition with other unions, exerting political pressure, and finding creative solutions to save jobs.
RSVP for KNOW YOUR RIGHTS Training
Saturday, April 5, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. at Contra Costa Labor Council, 1333 Pine St., Martinez
Come to this free training hosted by SEIU 1021 and El Concilio to learn your legal rights if faced with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
Sonoma County library staff deliver 180 petitions to Library Commission demanding adequate staffing
The branch managers, librarians, and library support staff who
keep Somona County libraries running united at the Sonoma County
Library Commission, delivering 180 petitions demanding adequate
staffing.
SEIU 1021 Member Resource Center hosts open house
Tuesday, March 4, the Member Resource Center (MRC) held an open house at the SEIU 1021 Sacramento union hall. This open house was part of a series of open houses across the union’s five regions, showcasing the exciting new digital tools members can use to engage with and strengthen their union.
Specifically, the MRC Portal has been given a modern refresh. Along with a redesign on desktop, the new MRC Portal is also much more compatible with mobile devices.
Bay Area Uber & Lyft drivers unite at SEIU 1021 union hall to strategize next steps for movement
Thursday, January 27, Uber and Lyft drivers with the California Gig Workers Union came together at the SEIU 1021 San Francisco union hall. They joined a call of gig workers all across the nation — including in Illinois, Massachusetts, and Wisconsin — to strategize what’s next for their movement.
Help make a political difference in Oakland!
Support Barbara Lee, Kara Murray-Badal, and the half-cent sales tax
Ballots will drop for Oakland’s April 15 special election in just weeks, and SEIU 1021 members are hitting the streets to make a difference. This election is vital, with Oakland trying to dig out of a long-standing budget issue. It’s all hands on deck to elect Barbara Lee as the Town’s next mayor, alongside Kara Murray-Badal as District 2 councilmember, while passing the vital half-cent sales tax to stabilize revenues and beat back layoff threats.
Clinic workers continue to fight to save Medicaid, union jobs
Community clinic workers from across California are back in Sacramento today with a warning for state senators and assemblymembers: We can’t afford to lose Medicaid!
Every SEIU member will be affected by Medicaid cuts. It will take all of us – every local in red states and blue, every member leader, and every staff person — to win this fight to protect Medicaid. Fully 40% of California residents rely on it for their healthcare, and it pays for the services so many SEIU members provide.
SEIU 1021 hosts immigration rights event in Stockton
Following news of the new presidential administration’s plans for mass deportations, members with SEIU 1021 gathered at the Stockton headquarters on Saturday to learn more about immigrants’ rights.
The session was hosted alongside a group called El Concilio. Together, they went over legal rights and protections for people who are worried they may have to face Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
Cal Academy of Sciences members march on management, deliver petition demanding fair contract
Executive Director Scott Sampson refused to come out of the board meeting to accept the petition signed by over 70% of the bargaining unit.
Wednesday, February 19, about 60 members of SEIU 1021 at the Cal Academy of Sciences convened outside the museum at their lunch break. They marched together to the boardroom where the board of directors was meeting with upper management to deliver a petition for a fair first contract signed by over 70% of their bargaining unit to Executive Director Scott Sampson.