2014 was a year like no other. We are in the middle of an exciting and groundbreaking era for labor–and SEIU 721 has been at the forefront of this transformation. We are leading the fight on multiple fronts–working to protect middle-class jobs, push for a $15 minimum wage, and hold banks and big corporations accountable for paying their fair share.
See a photo slideshow of 2014 highlights below
Instead of letting corporate interests and elected officials pit labor against taxpayers, we stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the community to fight for the common good–better wages and benefits and better working conditions for ALL workers, and safe and clean communities as well. SEIU 721 is setting an example for the nation, demonstrating that when we and the community are united–we WIN!
Here are some of the great things we made happen in the past year.
Fix LA Coalition
We launched a groundbreaking coalition of labor, community groups, and faith-based organizations to bargain to Fix LA–restore vital city services that were cut in the recession and recover taxpayer revenue from big banks and corporations. In March, Fix LA released the “No Small Fees” report, which gained national attention as it exposed how Wall Street banks are gouging the City out of $300 million a year in excessive fees alone. Fix LA has fought at the bargaining table and in the streets–and the city and the nation are taking notice. Below are some examples of the amazing press coverage we’ve received.
LA Times: Hundreds of city workers protest bank deals at L.A. City Hall
ABC: Fix LA Rally in Downtown Los Angeles
Fast Food Workers Fight for $15 and a Union
At the local and international level, SEIU has stood with fast food workers as they fight for $15/hour and a union. As recently as a year ago, corporate apologists in the media scoffed at the idea of a $15 minimum wage. But brave fast food workers nationwide are walking off the job and changing how we campaign and what we ask for. A huge victory came at the end of July, when the National Labor Relations Board ruled that the McDonald’s corporation could be treated as a joint employer with its franchisees in labor complaints–making it easier for workers to hold the parent corporation responsible for fixing poor working conditions and paying lost wages, and opening the door for a national or international union. Another victory: Seattle voted in June to raise the minimum wage to $15–the highest in the nation. Closer to home, in February SEIU 721 members at St. John’s Well Child and Family Center ratified a contract that raised all wages to at least $15 an hour.
Why is this important for public employees? For years, big business has fought to undermine labor in all areas because they know that good wages and benefits for public workers make it harder for them to exploit their own employees. We can’t afford to divide ourselves into public vs. private any longer–we are ALL in the same fight and it’s only together that we can win.
Buzzfeed: Single Mom Takes On McDonald’s in Wage Fight
Justice for Port Drivers
In November, SEIU 721 members, Fix LA partners, Teamsters Local 63, and the Fight for $15 campaign joined LA and Long Beach port truckers on their strike to demand a living wage, safe working conditions, dignity, and respect. Thanks to the support they received, the port drivers were able to pressure port management into resuming talks. This is only the most recent example of our alliance with the Teamsters. In October, the Teamsters joined the Fix LA coalition’s march to name and shame the grim reapers of Wall Street. This is yet another example of how partnerships with our brothers and sisters in labor and the community lead to big wins.
Los Angeles County Contract Ratification
LA County’s 55,000 workers voted in February to ratify their hard-fought contract. We reached out to members in every possible way: by mail, email, text, phone, flyers and, of course, at worksite meetings. We mailed out ballots, set up hundreds of fully-staffed voting locations across the county and–for the first time ever–made it possible to vote online. It was a massive undertaking, but the rewards are clear. Tens of thousands of ballots were cast–the highest number of any ratification vote in our union’s history.
Riverside Victory
SEIU 721 member leaders, attorneys, and staff in Riverside County won a five-year fight in May to restore thousands of dollars in back pay for hundreds of county workers improperly denied step increases. They also negotiated a new settlement with county management that will increase all county workers’ pay by an additional 5 to 8 percent over the next two years. The victory in Riverside County was the culmination of five years of PERB filings, tedious behind-the-scenes legal work and protracted negotiations with county management. It was a union-wide effort that drew on every type of expertise our members and staff have to offer.
Ventura County Defeats Koch-backed Measure
In August, we helped lead the fight against a ballot measure backed by the infamous billionaire Koch brothers that would have dismantled pension benefits for county workers. 721 worked with other unions to mount a public education campaign and a legal challenge against the measure. The result: a superior court judge ruled that the measure conflicted with state law and threw it off the November ballot.
Looking Back–and Seeing the Road Ahead
It’s clear when we look at our actions and victories in the past year that we can’t move forward alone. Whether on the streets or at the bargaining table, it is only by working side-by-side with our brothers and sisters in labor, the private sector, and the community that we are able to prevail–winning better wages and benefits as well as cleaner and safer communities, and throwing a spotlight on the corporate interests that seek to undermine us and bleed our cities, state and country dry.
We look forward to 2015 and continuing to make history–moving 721 and the labor movement as a whole to a new era of activism.
Photos of key SEIU 721 2014 actions below