County of Riverside members are deeply aware of what it takes to win a strong contract. Their current MOU, which expires in January, took more than three years, dozens of ULP charges, a three-day strike and unprecedented member mobilization to secure.
This time around, County of Riverside members ready to do whatever it takes to win a fair deal on a fair timeline.
On Dec. 2, nearly 1,000 County of Riverside members gathered at the Riverside Convention Center for a mass membership meeting and action. It was the largest Riverside County gathering of the year, but certainly not the first.
Members have been mobilizing since January, signing up new members at a breakneck pace, delivering thousands of petition signatures to the Board of Supervisors, making their presence known at Board of Supervisors meetings, holding regular CAT meetings and mobilizing up and down the county to win a strong deal.
At the Dec. 2 meeting, members heard directly from their elected bargaining team about what’s been happening at the table and the key issues at stake – chief among them the nearly $1 billion that Riverside County has spent on outside contracting over the past few years.
Our political might was also on display, as County Supervisor Yxstian Gutierrez and State Senator and SEIU 721 endorsed candidate for Riverside County Supervisor Richard Roth both spoke about the essential role that SEIU 721 members provide for the county and the need to ensure that they’re treated with respect and fairness.
In addition to hearing from our bargaining team and elected leaders, SEIU 721 President and Executive Director David Green, Vice-President Simboa Wright and Chief of Staff Gilda Valdez each reiterated that this contract is a top priority for SEIU Local 721 members across our entire local. We’re all in this together!
After the meeting, hundreds of County of Riverside members took to the streets, marching through downtown Riverside demanding real investment in county services and an end to contracting out and sweetheart deals.
As members chanted and marched, they were greeted by cheers and honks from passersby in the warm Riverside afternoon, before gathering on the steps of the County Administration Center for a final show of force.
Starting in 2017, Riverside County members have been leading the way on unprecedented changes in the political and economic climate in Riverside County. As crisis after crisis has hit the county, our members have been the ones taking them head on, while simultaneously fighting for and winning the changes necessary to ensure a stable, safe and prosperous Riverside.
In 2024, they’re ready to take a huge step toward that goal with a fair contract that prioritizes the real needs of Riverside County.
So proud of you!