Republicans delay our contract
Members press GOP legislators on MOU bill
Updated 10:00 a.m., May 7
Local 1000 members are calling, e-mailing and writing
Republican state Assembly members, demanding they reverse their
position on the bill containing our ratified agreement and vote
"yes" on AB 964.
"It took our elected bargaining team nearly nine months to
negotiate our new contract with the DPA and the governor," said
Local 1000 President Yvonne Walker. "Now we need your help with
the final step - getting it through the
Legislature."
On Tuesday, Walker sent a letter urging thousands of Local
1000 members in Republican Assembly districts to call their
legislators and demand a "yes" vote on AB 964. "Now we need all
Local 1000 members to call, write or e-mail Republican Assembly
members in support of our contract," Walker said.
To
call the targeted legislators, click
here
for
phone numbers and talking
points.
This new push is necessary because, on Monday, every
Republican in the Assembly refused to vote "yes" on AB964.
Because it was a straight party-line vote of 51-16, with 13
Republicans abstaining, our contract failed to obtain the
necessary two-thirds majority.
"More than 90 percent of our members voted to ratify this
agreement, but Republicans failed to do their jobs," Walker
said. "Assembly Speaker Karen Bass and Majority Leader Alberto
Torrico have promised to bring our contract bill up for another
vote, but first we need to move at least three Republicans into
the 'yes' column."
One of the Republican legislators we are targeting is
Assemblyman Roger Niello, whose Sacramento-area district is home
to about 7,500 Local 1000-represented workers as well as their
families. On the floor of the Assembly, Niello urged fellow
legislators to vote "no" or abstain from voting on AB 964,
saying it was "awfully inappropriate" to vote on the bill before
the May 19 election and that our contract "can wait until June
or later."
"Roger Niello needs to hear from workers represented by Local
1000 that he should honor this agreement we negotiated in good
faith to governor," Walker said. "This bill will save the state
$340 million and could lead to nearly $1 billion in savings if
applied to all state workers. How can he refuse to support AB
964?"
For more information about the Republican refusal to support
our agreement, click here.