Our work this election cycle saw inspiring victories across Northern California. SEIU 1021 endorsed 201candidates and ballot measures, and our volunteers spent over 11,000 hours contacting voters. 

We continue to build power at the state and local levels. The state assembly now has a pro-worker majority, while we maintained our strength in the state senate. Rhodesia Ransom has been a labor supporter for many years and won the District 13 state assembly seat. Our endorsed candidates Josh Harder in District 9 and Jerry McNerney in District 5 were re-elected to the state senate.

In the North Central region, we helped the City of Napa pass Measure G, bringing with it $22 million per year in revenue from tourism that will go toward city services. In Suisun City, we are saving members’ jobs with the passing of Measure S, which will bring much-needed revenue to a city that was in the red by helping to raise $6.8 million per year. And in Sacramento City Unified School District, we have a 100% pro-labor school board! We also pulled together and helped our very own member get elected into local office! Melissa Lamattina is a social worker who will now become a councilmember in American Canyon. 

Further north, Sonoma County’s Measure W, backed by our union, passed. It will raise an estimated $16 million per year through a 1/8 cent sales tax. SEIU 1021 led the voter contact campaign, making over 6,000 calls to residents and dropping off over 10,000 pieces of literature to voters’ doors. Measure U, which we advocated for, will generate $15 million annually with a half-cent sales tax to prevent devastating staff cuts, critical service cuts, and to stave off bankruptcy in Sebastopol. While Measure I passed a half-cent county sales tax to support early childhood development, daycare, and healthcare programs in Sonoma. Our field and member support for Caroline Banuelos for Santa Rosa City Council allowed her to canvass her district three times post-Labor Day and defeat the Chamber of Commerce candidate that raised more money. 

In Marin County, Measure M will reap $10 million every year for public services.

In Mendocino County, Measures T and U passed to raise $1.2 million in funding per year with a half-cent sales tax and TOT tax to support city services and prevent layoffs in Fort Bragg. Also, our Mendocino County member Heather Criss placed first out of five candidates for a seat on the Ukiah City Council. 

We endorsed 17 candidates and 17 ballot measures in this region for this November election. We won 11 candidate races and 12 ballot measure campaigns, and went 8 for 8 in our priority races.

In the East Bay, we won BIG time, with our picks for county supervisors clearing the hurdle. Shanelle Scales-Preston will join the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, and Nikki Fortunato-Bas was elected to become Alameda County supervisor. The City of Oakland won four out of four priority races; we are holding a majority on the city council. In Berkeley, all but one of our endorsed candidates for city council won.  

In Union City, SEIU 1021 helped elect the new mayor and District 1 council member. Winning both seats means solidifying support to move forward on our contract. Measure QQ passed too, securing critical funding to sustain the city financially for the next six to eight years.

In Hayward, we pushed for and won Measure K-1, a remarkable win with over 83% voter support. This will provide funding for facilities, libraries, and worker protections, preventing layoffs or cuts over the next seven to 10 years.

In San Francisco, Propositions A and B will generate $11.8 billion for schools and healthcare facilities. These two bonds will improve working conditions for Department of Public Health and San Francisco Unified School District members at their worksites. Propositions I and N also both passed. These were critical wins: Prop I will encourage temporary nurses to become permanent by allowing them to buy pension credits for their time served in temporary roles. It will also provide the same pension benefits to our 911 dispatchers that uniformed police and firefighters receive.

Plus, we have more major wins for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, with our endorsed candidates Connie Chan, Myrna Melgar, Jackie Felder, and Chyanne Chen winning in District 1, 7, 9, and 11 respectively. 

There were still more victories for our endorsed candidates in the Central Valley. Union supporter Sonny Dhaliwal was elected to San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors. Gary Tofanelli, Autumn Andhal, and incumbent Jeff Davidson won their districts for Calaveras County Board of Supervisors. We also helped elect Stockton’s new mayor and two city council members. Over in Lathrop, Paul Akinjo won the mayoral race. 

It was a tough fight in the South Bay, but we successfully fought off fast-food industry interests and their attacks on pro-labor candidate Betty Duong. With our aid, she was elected to the Santa Clara Board of Supervisors, along with Pamela Campos to San Jose City Council. 

These results are overall very positive, considering how well-funded and organized the opposition has been over the last four years. This is the product of the hard work of our members and staff, who knocked on doors, made calls, directly supported our endorsed candidates, helped turn members out, and wrote postcards to voters. 

Our member-to-member program was effective in contacting all members, many of them multiple times, thanks to the hundreds of volunteers who worked tirelessly.

But we have more work to do these next four years, as the fight has just begun with a hostile White House, U.S. House, and U.S. Senate. Fortunately, here in California, we are supported by many new and returning allies in office, along with measures that will help secure our members’ jobs.