Home Spotlight
Uber & Lift Drivers Take Their Fight for a Livable Wage to Investors
On November 6, hundreds of Uber & Lyft drivers from the We Drive Progress coalition staged protests across California to draw attention to the awful treatment, pay, and benefits hurting these workers across California.
“I have two herniated discs in my back, which makes being in the car very painful. But I have to drive to make ends meet. I also have to drive because I am responsible for taking care of my father,” said Raul Flores, who has been driving for around 3 years.“If we had fair pay, benefits, and a union, I’d be able to get physical therapy.”
SEIU 1021 Members on the right side of history as federal judge declares the HHS “conscience” rule unlawful
On October 30, SEIU 1021 nurses, healthcare workers, and our community allies spoke out to oppose a final rule change by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This rule change would have destroyed healthcare workers’ “duty to care” by allowing religious objections to care that will impact LGBTQI patients, women’s healthcare, and more.
Statewide Signature Gathering Begins for ‘Schools and Communities First’ Initiative
Over the last 40 years, large corporations have not been paying
their fair share for services that help our communities thrive,
resulting in impacts like program cuts, understaffing, and
high-turnover at many workplaces.
Oct 30: Preserve Equal Access to Care
At 8 am on October 30, a federal judge will hold a hearing on a final rule change by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This rule would permit employees to refuse to assist in care based on their individual religious beliefs, without consideration for the impact on patient care.
SEIU 1021 members and our allies will hold a press conference and ceremony outside the Courthouse at 7:45 am to oppose this rule and affirm our commitment to accessible care.
Members Stand Up for Public Health at Alameda Health System
Alameda Health System members of 1021 are standing strong in the face of pervasive mismanagement and constant attacks on public healthcare. In recent months, AHS (mis-)management has attacked our members repeatedly, threatening layoffs, trying to kick members’ families off of their healthcare plans, and even attempting to deny SEIU 1021 representatives access to AHS facilities where those representatives work.
Santa Clara University Students Protest New President’s Inauguration: “This School Does Not Uphold Jesuit Values”
As Santa Clara University’s new president Father O’Brien was inaugurated, students engaged in a silent protest action against the University abandoning its mission and not upholding its Jesuit values. Their banner and signs reference the University’s refusal to let faculty have a vote on unionization, its continued investment in fossil fuels in the midst of a climate crisis, and acceptance of $4 million from the notorious Charles Koch foundation.
San Joaquin County Flush with Cash While Community Suffers from Underfunded & Understaffed Services
On Tuesday, October 8, over 100 workers representing over half a dozen of San Joaquin County’s unions confronted the Board of Supervisors and condemned the mismanagement of services which is harming County residents.
Members of SEIU 1021 & 2015, California Nurses Association, Union of American Physicians and Doctors, the District Attorney Investigators Association, and others stood together. Collectively, the work of these San Joaquin County employees touches every corner of our community.
San Joaquin Members Vote to Authorize Strike Action
Both Strike Authorization and 'No Confidence' in CAO Monica Nino Passed Overwhelmingly
San Joaquin County members overwhelmingly voted to authorize a
strike and emphatically declared ‘no confidence’ in County
Administrator Monica Nino.
For months, SEIU 1021 members have been negotiating with San
Joaquin County management for a contract that addresses the
understaffing crisis created by County Administrator Monica Nino
and the Board of Supervisors.
All across our community, residents are suffering to access the critical public services they depend on—services that are provided by hardworking people like us.
East Bay Chapter Leaders Build Unity
On September 14, nearly 100 East Bay 1021 Chapter leaders
spent the day strategizing, socializing, and building unity.
Laura Ocon, a member from La Clinica de la Raza, said “It’s
so important to meet other people and get other perspectives on
how we can become better together. The challenges we face are the
same. Realizing that we aren’t alone is important. We have more
in common than what people think.”
Social Workers Fought & Won A Wage Adjustment, But County Workers Still Face Chronic Understaffing In Contra Costa County
On Tuesday, September 10, the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors unanimously voted for a 3.44% wage increase for Social Workers. While the 3.44% salary adjustment is a welcome win to the Contra Costa County social work classification, other classifications are still below the salary mean.
“We’re one of the lowest-paying counties in California,” said Chief Steward Ashley Payne, an Eligibility worker for Medi-cal. “Other counties have fewer cases and get paid more.”
San Joaquin County Declares Illegal Impasse Amid Growing Protests
On Thursday, September 5, SEIU 1021 San Joaquin County workers rallied as part of their fight for a contract that invests in county services and workers.
During morning unity breaks at worksites throughout the County, SEIU 1021 members demonstrated for contract improvements that would improve services while boosting recruitment and retention.
Hundreds Rally To Stop The Displacement Of People With Severe Mental Illness
Sign the petition today!
On Aug. 22, hundreds of public health advocates, elected officials, and healthcare workers rallied to support patients with mental illness from getting evicted from the Adult Residential Facility (ARF) at San Francisco General Hospital. The SF Department of Public Health (DPH) is displacing severely mentally ill residents that are permanently housed at the ARF to make way for a Homeless Navigation Center with temporary shelter beds.
Solano County Workers Secure Gains in Latest Contract
Today the Solano County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a contract with county workers united in SEIU 1021. The latest contract resulted from two weeks of expedited bargaining, wherein the county workers were able to gain improvements in compensation, healthcare, and additional training for workers so that they may be able to provide better quality public services to Solano residents.
SF Housing Authority Workers Mobilize to Reach A Deal
In March of this year the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) directed the City of San Francisco take over the long-embattled SF Housing Authority. HUD instructed the agency to develop a plan to relinquish all of the agency’s operations and programs. The Housing Choice Voucher Program and the Long-Term Lease Program were the last 2 remaining programs administered by 90 members of SEIU 1021.
Members at the agency received layoff notices, and days later they went into action to fight for a fair separation agreement.
Labor Advocates Fight and Win To Keep Emeryville’s Minimum Wage the Highest in the Nation
On July 23, the Emeryville City Council voted 5-0 to abandon an
amendment to the minimum wage ordinance that would have
lowered wages for hundreds of workers. In 2015 at the urging
of Local 1021 and a coalition of labor and community groups,
Emeryville’s City Council passed an annual minimum wage
increase through July 2020.
Workers’ Rights in the Gig Economy
Online platform workers are organizing together to demand living wages, benefits, transparency, and a voice on the job. They’re exposing the ugly truth behind the business practices of billion-dollar gig corporations that profit off of their hard work without following labor standards.
Mendocino County Workers Take To The Streets to Meet with Small Business Owners and Residents
As part of their Raise Up Mendocino County contract campaign, Mendocino County workers are talking to local small business owners and residents about the need for the county to invest in public services and the dedicated workforce that provides these services.
Standing with Gig Workers in the Fight Against Uber and Lyft
Uber and Lyft are trying to pressure drivers into opposing Assembly Bill 5 (AB 5), a piece of legislation that would expand rights and protections for drivers in California. Starting last Friday, the billion-dollar companies launched emails to try to trick drivers to sign a misleading petition so they don’t have to treat drivers fairly.
SFMTA Service Critical Workers Seek Safer Working Conditions
Following the ousting of the San Francisco Municipal Transit Agency’s (SFMTA) director, hundreds of SFMTA workers protested in front of the embattled agency’s headquarters to call on administrators and SF’s Mayor Breed to fix issues and to select a candidate that comprehends frontline worker and rider concerns.
We Are SEIU 1021 – Debra Richard
Instructional Assistant, Special Education - Oakland Unified School District
Each week we’ll feature every day heroes: SEIU 1021 members who care for our sick and elderly, educate our children, keep our cities moving, and ensure that courts work for everyone.
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