Newswire
Hundreds of Asian Health Services members picket in Oakland’s Chinatown
They demand a fully staffed clinic and new contract
In an urgent rally on Monday, July 17, Asian Health Services healthcare workers joined together to confront a dangerous staffing crisis that is compromising critical health services and putting vulnerable patients at risk. Short staffing has led to excessively long wait times and declining levels of care for patients, impacting vital programs such as dental, membership, and referrals. Patients are facing waitlists of up to six months, with some waitlists containing up to 500 people, and they have reported waiting up to a week just for a referral.
Seventh largest school district in California fails to pay its lowest-paid workers
SFUSD shortchanges staff. Again.
July 12 was supposed to be payday for San Francisco Unified School District staff. Yet, nearly 1,000 of its lowest-paid, hardworking employees, including lunch servers, nutrition workers, janitors, and clerks who help keep San Francisco schools running every day, did not receive their much-needed checks, instead receiving a last-minute email from the district stating that it was “unable to implement that timeline successfully.” Workers were informed their checks wouldn’t be available until two weeks later, on July 26.
Marin Water Staff flood Board of Directors meeting to protest district’s resistance to negotiate fair contract
While salaries for the highest paid Marin Water positions of District General Manager and District Council have been allowed to keep up with the consumer price index, the Marin Water Board of Directors has left the frontline workers behind.
SEIU 1021 San Francisco nonprofit workers win big increase to minimum compensation ordinance
They also secured a 3.75-4.75% cost of doing business increase that will be passed on to workers
After many months of advocacy and rallies at San Francisco City Hall, SEIU 1021, supported by SEIU 2015 and community partners, accomplished our goal of securing a 4.75% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA)/cost of doing business (CDB) for our members working for nonprofits funded by the San Francisco Departments of Public Health, Homelessness, and Adult Probation, as well as 3.75% for all other City-funded nonprofits.
Mendocino County workers picket to save county services
The Board of Supervisors continue to fail to address staffing crisis, harming services for Mendocino families, children, and elderly.
Despite total revenue for Mendocino County having increased 44.8% since fiscal year 2019-2020, the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors have suggested County employees pay more for their healthcare and retirement – an overall pay cut that will further harm the County’s ability to apply a tourniquet to its staffing crisis. As County workers continue to escalate towards what could be the largest strike Mendocino County has seen in recent history, County workers picketed Tuesday, July 11, outside the courthouse to save county services.
The fate of the anti-worker Proposition 22 goes to California Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of California granted a request by the California Gig Workers Union on June 28, 2023, to decide the constitutionality of 2020’s California Proposition 22, a voter-approved measure to classify drivers for gig corporations such as Lyft, Uber, DoorDash, Instacart, and Postmates as contractors rather than employees. The court’s action set aside a lower-court ruling that had primarily upheld the 2020 ballot measure.
San Francisco Starbucks workers file for their union election
On Wednesday, July 5, Starbucks workers at the 8th and Irving store in San Francisco filed a petition for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board.
“We as workers are making all the money for these billion-dollar companies, and we’re not seeing any of it. We need an end to the disrespect we get from management, and we need consistent, adequate hours and a living wage,” said Atakan Deviren, a barista at the store for the past year.
Cal Academy of Sciences workers need your support
They are organizing their union with SEIU 1021 -- and Academy management is engaging in classic union-busting tactics
On May 25, 2023, workers at the California Academy of Sciences filed for an NLRB union election to join SEIU 1021 as CalAcademy Workers United. Their election petition demonstrated overwhelming support across the Academy for the formal recognition of our union.
Since then, management has been attempting to defeat their organizing campaign by using typical union-busting tactics including:
Mendocino County workers host strike school
After months of bargaining with a county administration that refuses to address its staffing crisis — leaving its families, children, and seniors in danger — SEIU 1021 members at Mendocino County held a strike school on Wednesday, June 28, to educate themselves about their rights and responsibilities should a strike be necessary.
Shop union for Independence Day!
If you’re enjoying a cookout or other get-together this Fourth of July, don’t forget to shop union! Making the choice to spend your money on union-made products helps support union members just like you.
Hot dogs
- Ball Park (UFCW, IBT)
- Butterball (UFCW, IBT)
- Farmer John (IBT)
- Hebrew National (UFCW, IBT)
- Hormel (IBT)
- Oscar Mayer (UFCW, IBT)
Buns
SEIU 1021 President Theresa Rutherford’s statement on the 6/30/23 Supreme Court decisions:
As you’ve probably heard by now, two devastating decisions were passed down by the United States Supreme Court today that further establish its regressive, harmful attitudes and policies toward the people of this country.
SEIU 1021 members win big from Butte County to Solano County
SEIU 1021 members at the Superior Court of Butte County achieved a significant victory by campaigning and securing a $16,700 retention bonus. Jennifer L. Hunt, an official court reporter from Butte County, emphasized the importance of this achievement: “I work tirelessly to provide our county with the quality record its citizens deserve. We need additional reporters to support our efforts. That can only be accomplished with a competitive wage.”
SEIU 1021 members turn out to support Oakland’s creative budget
Just after 11 p.m., Monday, June 26, Oakland City Council passed its two-year budget.
Starbucks workers at San Francisco Castro District strike to protest company’s alleged Pride restrictions
On Sunday, June 25, Starbucks workers at the San Francisco Castro District store joined at least 3000 other Starbucks workers at more than 150 locations in a nationwide strike to protest the company’s alleged restriction of Pride decorations.
San Francisco Civil Grand Jury confirms what we’ve said for years: It’s time to staff up San Francisco
On Thursday, June 22, 2023, the Civil Grand Jury for the 2022-to-2023 term published its “Time to Get to Work: San Francisco’s Hiring Crisis” report. The report describes how the City and County of San Francisco faces a crisis of excessive turnover and lack of recruitment in programs that address the city’s problems with drug addiction, untreated mental health disorders, and housing insecurity.
Mendocino County workers rally to demand board of supervisors prioritize services and people
The Board of Supervisors continue to fail to address staffing crisis, harming services for Mendocino residents
On the morning of Tuesday, June 20th Mendocino County workers flooded the Mendocino Board of Supervisors’ meeting. The workers were there to demand the Board prioritize people and services in their budget.
Hundreds of SEIU 1021 members gather to celebrate Juneteenth
Hundreds of SEIU 1021 members from around the region came together last Friday, June 16, to celebrate Juneteenth. Juneteenth has long been seen as an important milestone in the struggle for Black liberation in the United States.
Members learn skills to build workplace power at a three-day AFL-CIO Organizing Institute
From June 9 to 11, 2023, forty dedicated union member leaders and organizers from across the country, including seven from SEIU Local 1021, participated in the AFL–CIO Organizing Institute. Over those three days, they learned principles, shared their experiences, and reinforced best practices necessary to build a movement to meet this moment. Participants learned how to build workplace power in a variety of ways.
Bad time to be a bully: Starbucks accused of false allyship, anti-LGBTQIA+ actions
Why is a supposedly progressive company taking down Pride decorations?
While Pride month, a month dedicated to elevating and celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community and commemorating the 1969 Stonewall riots, is being nationally recognized, Starbucks, a self-proclaimed “ally,” is accused of stifling workers’ freedom of expression and is once again embroiled in a controversy of its own making.
Starbucks workers across the country are reporting pushback to Pride celebrations, from refusing to allow employees to fly Pride flags to even removing Pride decorations.
By celebrating Juneteenth, we honor the struggles of the past & highlight Black excellence
SEIU 1021 members are cordially invited to join us in celebrating Juneteenth this Friday, June 16, from 5:30-9:30 PM with a vibrant event featuring delicious food, captivating music, and a joyful atmosphere in the heart of San Francisco!