MEDIA ADVISORY for Tuesday, February 27, 2024, 12PM

Press Contacts: 

Luke Thibault, lthibault@ifpte21.org, (760) 534-9958
Jennie Smith-Camejo, jennie.smith-camejo@seiu1021.org, (510) 710-0201

(San Francisco, CA) — On Tuesday, February 27, San Francisco city workers represented by IFPTE Local 21, SEIU Local 1021, and other City unions will rally outside of 49 South Van Ness Avenue, to shed light on how private contractors inappropriately manage city services. The City spends on average $5.2 billion each year on contracts and the vast majority of these dollars are awarded to contractors based outside of San Francisco, whose employees take their earnings elsewhere. One in ten contract requests are due to lack of staff.

City worker unions have proposed in bargaining that the City establish staffing plans before they contract out. City workers have also proposed ways to speed up the hiring process and retain experienced staff. Since the CA Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) ruled last year that the City Charter cannot prohibit strikes, city workers are strongly considering a strike as a last resort to protect public services.

WHAT/WHERE: Rally and march at 49 South Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94103
WHEN: Tuesday, February 27, 2024, 12PM
WHO: City and County of San Francisco employees: www.FixSFNow.org/whoweare
VISUALS: City workers in union shirts marching, chanting, with picket signs.

Spokespeople, including Mandarin and Cantonese speakers, will be available to the press.

“Private contractors don’t have the same investment as city employees and public agencies do. Their main motivation is profit,” said Jonelle Gausman (he/him), junior engineer in the Bureau of Engineering and IFPTE Local 21 bargaining team member. “I’m a lifelong San Franciscan. I’d like to see a city that’s living up to its potential, and I think we do that through strengthening city workers as much as possible because this city is just not going to clean itself up.” 

BACKGROUND: www.FixSFNow.org/background