Tuesday, August 20, the hundreds of SEIU 1021 members who keep Marin running – including childcare directors, ecologists, library assistants, recreation supervisors, landscape workers, housing specialists, water treatment operators, and more – hosted an open house of their brand new Marin regional office. 

SEIU 1021 members from the City of San Rafael, Marin Municipal Water District, Superior Court of Marin County, Marin Osher Jewish Community Center, College of Marin, Dominican University, Marin Housing Authority, Central Marin Sanitation Agency, Community Action Marin, and more, will use their new command center for workers’ rights not only to build their union, but to strategize how to fight for a more equitable Marin overall. 

Based on an analysis of data from the United States Census Bureau, in Marin County the average per capita income is $92,580 for white people, $37,388 for black people, $35,759 for Latinx people, and $24,540 for Native American people. This staggering inequality is just one example that speaks to the necessity of unions in Marin. 

Mariette Shin, an information systems analyst III for Marin Municipal Water District, remarked, “Marin is one of the wealthiest counties in California. Yet 80% of the workers at Marin Municipal Water District can’t afford to live where they work. Part of the vision of my union activism is educating the community about this inequality and the important role that unions play to combat inequality.” 

Shin continued: “A strong unionized workforce benefits the Marin community. For example, the power of unions helps retain valvemen, water treatment operators, ecologists – all the essential workers who keep Marin’s water safe and pristine. When Marin’s unions are strong, community services are strong.” 

SEIU 1021 members celebrated the opening of their new Marin regional office with food, festive conversation, tours of the various rooms, art, and speeches.