Aug. 10 was a day of action for members of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 721 as workers picketed on their breaks in just under 100-degree weather at the Riverside County Social Services offices at the corner of San Jacinto Street and Oakland Avenue in Hemet.
“Sickening” and “bombing us back to the Stone Age” are terms used by Riverside County employee unions to describe proposals from county negotiators following months of contract talks.
One of the most enduring myths of California water politics is that the Delta Tunnels promoted by the Jerry Brown and Donald Trump administrations are designed to divert Northern California water to “fill swimming pools” and “water lawns” in Southern California.
Months of talks between Riverside County and several public employee unions have not yielded new contracts, and one union has filed an unfair labor practice charge against the county.
Although SEIU is not part of the AFL-CIO, organizers hope it will spark a wider discussion about the role police and their unions play.