Newswire
Mendocino County workers fill Board of Supervisors meeting to protest continued inaction
As the Board of Supervisors and county administrators point fingers over budget chaos, county workers continue to provide vital services against impossible odds every day. But how much longer can they wait for solutions to the staffing crisis?
Public disputes among members of the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors and the county administration over the reliability and accuracy of the budget have reached a fever pitch. County workers are still waiting for the Board to take action to protect services amidst a worsening staffing problem. With an overall vacancy rate of 27%, it is clear that the county is very short-staffed – but certain crucial classifications are short by as much as 40 to nearly 70%.
Laguna Honda workers secure an extended pause on patient transfers in their effort to keep the hospital open
This week, workers at San Francisco’s Laguna Honda hospital received good news. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has agreed to extend the pause on patient transfers from Laguna Honda Hospital. This is another huge victory for the safety of our patients and the future of our institution.
Felton Management locks workers outside of building during lunch rally
On August 9, workers marched and rallied at a lunchtime break action outside the Felton Institute’s Family Developmental Center building. Workers were voicing their frustration with management’s unwillingness to negotiate a fair contract with existing members at Felton while also protesting management’s attempts at intimidating the not-yet-union workers attempting to join SEIU 1021.
It’s the final push for a FAST Recovery
Fast-food workers, SEIU Local 1021 members rally at state capital to demand California State Senate passes AB 257 - the FAST Recovery Act
On Tuesday, August 16, 2022, hundreds of fast-food workers rallied at the state capital building in Sacramento and across the city at various fast-food restaurant locations, demanding that California state senators pass the FAST Recovery Act and for California Governor Gavin Newsom to sign it into law.
SFUSD classified staff speak out about broken payroll system
Retirement payments, insurance, overtime, and more continue to be impacted by a faulty system and short-staffing
Pension funds not being deposited into employees’ accounts, forcing some to delay retirement. 401(k) contributions being deducted from paychecks but not deposited into 401(k) accounts. Insurance premiums being deducted from paychecks but not paid to the insurance companies, so that policies are being canceled or are refusing to accept claims without payment. Approved leave not being paid. Overtime not being paid. New hires not receiving their benefits when they reach the date they should. Teachers not getting paid for months.
SEIU 1021 Shows Up to Support Sheng Thao for Oakland Mayor
Oakland is at a political crossroads, with long-time mayor Libby Schaaf not eligible to run again after serving two terms, and three City Council seats up for election in Districts 2, 4 and 6. District 4’s current representative Sheng Thao is running for Mayor, and she kicked off her campaign on Saturday with plenty of support from SEIU 1021.
Historic Inflation Reduction Act passed by US Senate will help working people
This weekend, the US Senate passed the Inflation Reduction Act. This bill makes a historic down payment on deficit reduction to fight inflation. It will invest in domestic energy production and manufacturing, as well as reduce carbon emissions by roughly 40 percent by 2030.
SEIU 1021 members join SF Labor in condemning Amazon acquisition of One Medical
Wherever voices are being raised to rein in corporate power and stick up for working people, you’ll find SEIU 1021 members. Last week was no different, as hundreds of union members and community activists marched through San Francisco’s financial district to rally outside One Medical’s headquarters to protest their impending acquisition by Amazon, with SEIU 1021’s own Nicole Christian leading the way.
Fast-food workers fight against sexual harassment and for a voice on the job
During the summer of action in the fight for a “fast recovery” for the fast-food industry, workers took action at a Saratoga McDonald’s. A former employee at the Saratoga McDonald’s filed a discrimination complaint against McDonald’s Friday, alleging sexual harassment and wrongful termination. Around thirty members of the Fight for 15 and Union movement held a rally on Thursday, August 4, 2022. The group marched through the store with signs that read “Stop Sexual Harassment.”
SEIU 1021 stands with community members fighting to save Oakland schools
KTVU: Parents still occupying Oakland elementary school after confrontation with guards
For more than two months, a coalition of parents, students, and community members have been engaged in a nonviolent sit-in occupation to save Oakland’s Parker Elementary. On Thursday, the Oakland Unified School District deployed a private security team to forcefully and violently remove the protestors.
Felton workers march to speak out on issues, fight for union
Last Wednesday, July 27, workers at the Felton Institute marched and rallied at a lunchtime break action outside the Felton Institute’s Family Developmental Center building in San Francisco to speak out on the understaffing and burnout issues they are facing.
300 Tenderloin Housing Clinic workers stage a powerful 24-hour strike
Read about our strike in the San Francisco Chronicle and KQED.
Last Wednesday, nearly 300 workers at the Tenderloin Housing Clinic (THC) went out on a 24-hour strike as efforts to secure a new contract with management continue to drag on.
Fast-food workers turn up the heat, fighting for a FAST Recovery
As the heat turns up in fast-food restaurant kitchens across California, so does the fight to pass Assembly Bill 257 in the California State Senate. AB 257 would enact the Fast Food Accountability and Standards Recovery Act, or FAST Recovery Act.
The bill is a monumental piece of legislation for fast-food workers. It would create a first-of-its-kind industry standards board and give workers a seat at the table with global corporations like McDonald’s, Burger King, and Jack in the Box to set industry-wide standards like wages, benefits, and working conditions.
We fought and we won a temporary suspension of patient transfers at Laguna Honda
The situation regarding Laguna Honda Hospital’s certification status with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has been stressful for us all—patients, staff, and community members alike. After notice had been given that CMS was going to be terminating their Medicare and Medicaid funding, the hospital was required to begin transferring patients. If the hospital failed to begin those transfers right away, they were told their funding would be cut off immediately.
SEIU 1021 Executive Board Votes by Supermajority to Appoint Theresa Rutherford as President
August 22, 2022, SEIU 1021 will welcome our new president, Theresa Rutherford. At the executive board meeting last Saturday, July 23, the board voted by a landslide to appoint the current San Francisco regional vice president to replace the local’s current president, Joseph Bryant, who was elected executive vice president of the SEIU international union last month.
Support Tenderloin Housing Clinic workers heading out on strike
Tenderloin Housing Clinic workers are crucial to keeping San Francisco’s homelessness and supportive housing system functioning. Around 300 people there work as desk clerks, janitors, case workers, maintenance staff, and more at 24 of the city’s single-room occupancy hotels (SROs).
Exploratorium workers showcase their collective power in their fight for a new contract
Congratulations to Exploratorium members who recently ratified a new contract! Management opened negotiations by giving a presentation projecting a five to seven million dollar deficit, but members made it clear that they won’t let the boss balance the budget on their backs.
They instead got organized and brought the fight from the bargaining table to the shop floor to showcase their unity — and it paid off.
City of Oakland members ratify strong tentative agreement with 14% COLA over 3 years
Congratulations to SEIU 1021 members at City of Oakland, who voted by almost 97 percent last week to ratify their tentative agreement, which will provide substantial improvements at a time when city workers need them most.
Hear ye, hear ye! The labor movement goes medieval.
Imagine, if you will, strolling through an eleventh-century Spanish town. A towering person donning knightly armor, including a helmet, cuirass, gauntlet, and shield, stands before you. In a deep voice, the knight, a loyal servant and defender of the Kingdom of Castile, demands,“Are you part of the American Guild of Variety Artists?”
Why “Staff Up” is the theme of 2022 — and what it means for worker power
If you’ve been following the SEIU 1021 Newswire and/or social media accounts this year, you have undoubtedly noticed a common theme: From San Francisco to Mendocino County to Sacramento City schools, 1021 members are demanding their employers do more to alleviate severe staffing crises that are burning out workers and harming the public services they provide.