Tues., Nov 5–SEIU 721 members went to Superior Court to file a court order demanding that DCFS comply with our contract’s social worker-to-child standards.
Background
On August 8, 2012, LA County social workers won a binding legal arbitration. Retired Judge Samuel Reyes, the court-appointed arbitrator, issued a verdict directing DCFS to obey the social worker-to-child ratios called for in the social workers’ contracts. The ruling can be viewed here. Unfortunately, DCFS continues to ignore this legal ruling, so we are intensifying our legal actions.
“When we have manageable caseloads, we can establish personal relationships with the children and their parents. That means higher self-esteem for the child, tailored services and family relationship facilitation. In short, we have more positive outcomes, and we keep more children safe.”
– An-Ho Tran, Social Worker, Compton DCFS
According to their contract, social workers who provide continuing services are supposed to work with a maximum of 30 children at any one time. In practice, social worker often handle two to three times the number of caseloads prescribed by the contract.
Last week, dozens of social workers and 60 religious and child welfare organizations testified before LA County’s Blue Ribbon Commission for Child Protection and urged the panel to reduce caseloads. You can read the group’s “Children First” plan here.
SEIU 721 members intentionally crafted a set of bargaining proposals that will immediately benefit communities across Los Angeles. The policies we developed aim to make the county a better place to live and work. Reducing social worker caseloads in order to promote child safety is a key bargaining proposal of the County workers. The unreasonable social worker-to-child ratio hurts children.
Check out pictures from today’s press conference, at which we announced our lawsuit:
I just want to say that I was at the union hall today lending my support making picket signs and some ballot counting. I was happy to be there and it reminds me why I became a union steward when I first started at LAC/USC back in 2001.And that was because we need the togetherness and unity! And of course the BBQ was awesome with good food to keep us going.