We had a great victory when we won Joint Labor Management Committee language in our County of Ventura contract. JLM’s are a vital tool to allow members to voice concerns.
Much to our dismay, the County took a minimalist approach to the JLM language and tried to stifle member voices by putting up obstacles so they couldn’t participate.
We fought back.
We went to the Board of Supervisors where member leaders and SEIU 721 Chief of Staff Gilda Valdez spoke and let them know that our voice would not be silenced.
After making our case to the Board, we heard back from the County and they changed their position. We won!
Member unity was a major factor in this victory. We had hundreds of signatures on our JLM petition (which we presented to the BOS) and members across the county purpled up to support the fight.
Our JLM language now allows members to be a part of the meetings and the terms for that participation are much friendlier. Plus, meeting times may be up to 2 hours in length.
With members leading the way, we are looking forward to resolving outstanding issues and working collaboratively to improve county services for the communities we serve.
When we fight, we win!
