In early 2012, SEIU 721 members decided to take action and help get a revenue option on the November ballot that would help stop the cuts and that effort became Proposition 30.
From 2008-2011, SEIU 721 members lived up to the challenge of providing communities with quality services while having fewer resources, less staffing and enduring layoffs, furloughs and reduced pay.
At the beginning of 2012, there were several ballot initiatives collecting signatures to help with state revenue. All initiatives included funding for schools and colleges but the one SEIU was supporting also had funding for the state’s general revenue fund which would give relief to many of the cut social service programs and support for better realignment funding. By early March, the three initiatives merged into one and SEIU members collected more than 100,000 signatures to qualify it for the November ballot. SEIU 721 members collected 8,336 signatures!
Once the initiative qualified, members did not sit back and wait for Election Day. Instead, they took out commitment cards to vote yes on Prop. 30 to their family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers and talked to them about the importance of voting yes.
Even days before the election, the pollsters said it would be a long-shot for the Prop. 30 to pass but with SEIU members making calls and knocking on the door it did! And now two years later, California announced of a multi-billion state budget surplus and now our communities, schools, and safety-net are getting stronger.
If you’re interested in seeing how Prop. 30 has helped your community click on this link and find out. http://trackprop30.ca.gov/