October 2014

BIG SACRAMENTO WINS FOR SEIU 721 ELIGIBILITY AND SOCIAL WORKERS

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721 members who’ve participated in Sacramento lobby days know that it’s hot, stressful and often tedious work. But it’s all worth it if, after all the running between offices in the sweltering Sacramento sun, the marathon committee hearings, the rushed meetings with harried legislators and the line-by-line review of bills, you score victories like 721 members just achieved for county eligibility workers and children’s social workers.


September 2014

Joining the FIGHT FOR $15 in LA

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721 members would fight to increase L.A.’s minimum wage even if it didn’t benefit them directly — the gap between the richest Angelenos and average workers is the widest it’s ever been. But winning a minimum wage increase for all L.A. workers isn’t just the right thing to do — it’s good for every member of 721.


August 2014

Game Changer at the NLRB

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What a difference a month makes. In June, pundits were predicting the Supreme Court decision in Harris v. Quinn would effectively end the union movement. While the ruling was wrong-headed, it was far from the predicted deathblow.


July 2014

712 On The Move

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The recent Supreme Court decision about the union rights of Illinois homecare workers focused national attention on the well-funded legal attacks on public employees, but they’re nothing new.


May 2014

Winning for 721 Members Means Fighting THE Big Fights and Sweating the Small Details

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SEIU 721 members won two big victories this month that illustrates why we use all the tools in the union toolbox to protect working people.


April 2014

Working with Our Communities to Fix LA

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We’re bringing up some new ideas in the City of Los Angeles—ones that can make the city a whole lot better for our members and all residents. We want to fix LA and restore neighborhood services to every single community in the city.


March 2014

Our St. John’s Workers Make History in the Fight for $15

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I’ve got some big news. At the end of February, SEIU 721 members at St. John’s Well Child and Family Center voted overwhelmingly to ratify a new three year contract. It contains improved healthcare benefits, provides for better staff development and safeguards employee vacation time. These are all important wins for our members. But that’s not the whole story.


February 2014

Winning for Our Families and Communities

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It wasn’t easy, but we changed the conversation. When our LA County Children’s Social Workers went out on strike last December, no one could really predict how it would end. All of our LA County members had worked hard for nine months to win a good contract. We held rallies, mass pickets and a huge walk-out on Oct. 1.


January 2014

New Year, New Challenges

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The new year is here, and I’ve started thinking about what’s ahead for Local 721 members. One positive trend is that the economy is finally picking up and that means we’re seeing more money in our contracts. In the City of Riverside, Oxnard, Santa Barbara, Santa Ana, LA County and elsewhere, SEIU 721 members have negotiated strong contracts that include raises.


December 2013

We Are Not Done With Our LA County Contract Fight

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As of today, LA County members have been working without a contract for more than two months. That’s because the County is refusing to give our members raises and make them effective on October 1, the same day they made them effective for management.