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Statement from Theresa Rutherford, SEIU 1021 VP of San Francisco, on recent developments at Laguna Honda Hospital
The following statement can be attributed to Theresa Rutherford, a Certified Nursing Assistant at Laguna Honda Hospital who is the elected Vice President of San Francisco for SEIU 1021:
As Tax Day Approaches, SEIU 1021 Members Call on Corporations to Pay Their Fair Share
Tax Day is April 18. The day is an opportunity for us to call on corporations to pay the taxes they owe. We live in the richest country on earth. We know we have the resources to provide good schools, affordable housing, and safe communities for everyone. Yet, we are two years into a global pandemic that has devastated communities of color, killed more than 900,000 people across our country, and deeply divided our communities, while corporations are reaping massive profits. Working people are fed up. We are coming together to say: Enough is enough!
CCA Staff, Adjuncts Ratify Contract with Big Improvements
Last week, staff and adjunct faculty at California College of the Arts voted overwhelmingly—by 98% and 96% respectively–to ratify the tentative agreements reached in the wake of a four-day unfair labor practice (ULP) strike February 8-11. The contract is the first for CCA staff, who voted by a supermajority to form a union with SEIU 1021 in 2019, and the second for CCA adjuncts, who formed their union with SEIU 1021 in 2014.
Rising gas prices underscores the need for gig workers to unionize
With rising gas prices comes heating tensions. Already struggling with the effects of California’s Proposition 22 and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, gig workers for Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Instacart, and beyond face a new obstacle: the gas pump.
San Francisco City workers lead a powerful march down Market St from City Hall
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Oakland Unified School District staff unanimously approve tentative agreement
The new contract will provide much-needed ongoing raises, thousands in one-time payments, and other improvements
Last week, SEIU 1021 members at Oakland Unified School District voted on a tentative agreement that will provide meaningful ongoing raises; thousands in one-time payments for all members, including part-timers; COVID safety protections on the job; and more contract improvements. Members voted by 100% to approve the TA.
San Joaquin County Human Services Agency Workers fight back and win a realistic caseload
San Joaquin County Human Services Agency Eligibility Workers understand the demanding conditions they face. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the turnaround time for caseload management was quickly becoming unrealistic. Now, the pandemic has revealed truths about how our workplaces run. That is why having a member-led union that fights for all workers at the workplace is vital. Without worker power, our caseload management would be overrun, high-quality patient care would not be delivered, and the health of our community would be at risk.
RNs & healthcare workers blow the whistle on the staffing crisis crippling SF General Hospital
On Thursday, March 10, Registered Nurses and healthcare workers at San Francisco General Hospital held a lunchtime rally to call attention to the staffing crisis that is plaguing city services and impacting patients and residents.
Over 100 hospital workers took part in the lunchtime rally, with many grabbing the bullhorn to share personal stories that highlight all of the ways they’ve seen patient care and hospital services suffer as a result of the chronic short-staffing and abuse of temporary workers.
Sacramento City Unified Schools Members Vote by 97% to Authorize Strike
No strike date has been set yet, but if SCUSD management continues to violate labor law, classified staff and educators will go on strike
Last week, Sacramento City Unified School District classified staff and educators voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike. 97% of classified staff, who are represented by SEIU 1021, and 95% of certificated educators, who are represented by the California Teachers Association, voted yes. As a result, the SCUSD bargaining team now has the green light to call a strike if SCUSD management continues to negotiate in bad faith on key issues related to staffing, the quality of instruction, and health and safety protocols.
Fast-food workers strike at McDonald’s in Saratoga for better wages and working conditions
On Tuesday, March 8, 2022—also known as International Women’s Day—striking workers from McDonald’s on Prospect Road in Saratoga led a rally protesting the discrimination and retaliation against Seberiana Reymundo, a worker with cancer at the store. They also protested the company’s failure to abide by paid sick leave laws and demanded that state legislators pass AB 257 - the FAST Recovery Act.
Gig workers are fighting for bathroom access and humane working conditions in San Francisco
Gig workers with We Drive Progress are continuing the fight for bathroom access. The campaign over entry to permanent, sanitary, and reliable facilities with adequate toilets for gig workers is looking to take its fight to Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Instacart, and other gig companies.
Through a Northern California survey back in December 2021, gig workers told We Drive Progress the inability to access bathrooms while working was one of their most significant issues.
San Francisco City & County workers take their fight against short-staffing to a whole new level
The City and County of San Francisco has a staffing crisis. Decades of cutbacks have contributed to this crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic has made things worse than ever. Research indicates that the city has over 3,800 unfilled jobs, which forces members to do more with less and has potential impacts on service delivery for residents. Now, as SEIU 1021 members head to the bargaining table this year and the city continues to drag its heels on adequately staffing services, members are looking to turn up the heat on management.
Mills College Staff March on the President’s House Demanding a Fair Contract & Just Transition
The college is scheduled to be acquired by Northeastern University this summer, and there have been no guarantees in writing that employees will keep their jobs.
Last Tuesday, March 1, dozens of Mills College staff, faculty, students, and alumnae converged on Holmgren Meadow to make administration hear their demands for a just transition. They started with a festive Mardi Gras-themed gathering, followed by a march to the on-campus mansion of the college president, Elizabeth Hillman, where they led a spirited rally and a candlelight vigil.
Contra Costa County Eligibility Workers Hold Management Accountable and Fight Off Working Out of Classification
Jamie Jacobs is an Eligibility Worker in Contra Costa County, helping aged and disabled clients who need in-home supportive services. Her unit had always been single-program workers, but in December of 2019, management started assigning new cases that required the workers to add new programs to their caseloads, including CalFresh for the first time.
Coalition of SF City College Unions Urge Mayor Breed to Support Revenue Measure to Restore, Improve CCSF
Friday afternoon, members of the San Francisco City College Revenue Unity Coalition, representing the unions that employees of SF City College (CCSF) belong to, met with SF Mayor London Breed. We introduced a plan to generate the annual $43.7 million they have identified as a gap between current revenue and what is needed to meet the minimum demand for CCSF programs and services.
Oakland Unified School District Classified Staff Win Strong Tentative Agreement
After months of tough negotiations, SEIU 1021 members came out on top
After months of negotiating, the SEIU 1021 Oakland Unified School District bargaining team has pushed through unprecedented adversity and reached a tentative agreement for a strong two-year contract with OUSD management. The TA is particularly notable given the challenges of the last year, including the extra workload and stressors that COVID has brought, talk of school closures, impending layoffs, the threat of a state takeover, and economic inflation.
The tentative agreement, which will go to a ratification vote of the membership later in March, includes:
City of Chico Worker Raises, Hazard Pay Approved by City Council
After 12 years without salary adjustments, SEIU 1021 members working for the city of Chico will finally be seeing a pay raise.
In December, dozens of SEIU 1021 members of city of Chico public works employees showed up united at the city council meeting, sharing their concerns about low wages and short-staffing to the council.
As SF Grapples with a Staffing & Vacancy Crisis, City Workers Rally and Call on the Mayor to “Staff Up San Francisco”
On Wednesday, February 16, hundreds of San Francisco City and County workers from across the city’s public unions rallied outside of City Hall and called on the mayor to “staff up San Francisco.”
The Fight Continues: Fast-Food Workers Protest at San Francisco McDonald’s
Hot off the victory of AB 257 – the Fast Food Accountability and Standards Recovery Act or FAST Recovery Act – passing the California State Assembly, fast-food workers took to the streets for another protest against harsh workplace conditions, including worksite violence and wage theft.
California College of the Arts Staff, Adjuncts, and Students Lead Powerful ULP Strike
Classes were shut down and community support ran high.
Last week, staff at California College of the Arts (CCA) executed a powerful four-day unfair labor practice (ULP) strike after nearly 2.5 years of trying to negotiate a first contract since they formed their union with SEIU 1021 in 2019. CCA administration’s bargaining team, led by notorious union-busting lawyer Mike Vartain, has stalled, dragged its feet, and done everything possible to avoid addressing workers’ primary concerns: a living wage and basic job security.