From the Desk of Local 1000 Board Chair Bill Hall
The past week found the Vice Presidents and I on the road once again working to build union power at worksites across the state. Our hope is that these in person, face-to-face conversations will not only lead to greater understanding of worker issues but also engender greater trust and understanding throughout all levels of Local 1000.
- This week was travel-packed. I began Tuesday by loading two
pallets of about 1000 contracts in my truck. I then drove south
to deliver approximately 800 contracts to the Fresno office that
morning, followed by a lunch time worksite meeting at the
Veterans Home in Yountville.
- Wednesday began bright and early at 5:30 a.m. at the Valley
State Prison in Chowchilla meeting, talking, and signing up
nonmembers. After looping back to the Fresno office to
unload additional materials, I headed out to Blythe with the
Communications video crew and arrived in time to prep for our
Thursday meetings.
- Thursday saw us up again before dawn for a 5:30 a.m. – 2:30
p.m. meet-and-greets at Chuckawalla Valley and Ironwood State
Prisons, the latter of which included a New Employee Orientation.
Vice President for Bargaining Irene Green and I then ended the
day with a DLC 710 dinner meeting in Blythe at which we engaged
in a meaningful conversation with members about worksite issues
and our Union. (We will be posting a video of this soon.)
- We ended the week on Friday with a very productive Zoom
meeting with DLC 799, our out-of-California represented
workers. DLC President 799 Delonne Johnson’s leadership
skills were on full display as he created a positive meeting
experience for the officers and members alike. Afterward, on our
trip back to Sacramento, we engaged in a DLC Tour debrief with
staff.
- I remain focused on building our union membership. That means
working continuously with Vice President for Bargaining Green,
leadership, and our Contract Department staff members as we
prepare for the 2023 Contract Negotiations. This has recently
included working with Local 1000 staff to build the Wednesday
Member-off Program allowing members and staff to organize every
Wednesday while retaining the remainder of the week for
representation.
- It’s always gratifying to see your hard work pay off. In our
case, the combined efforts of the Leadership Team on the DLC
Tour, the support of SEIU International with both expertise and
resources, Local 1000 staff members, and Local 1000 member
leaders is beginning to move us forward. As a result, last week
we achieved net membership gain by signing up 319 nonmembers,
earning Local 1000 the highest nonmember signup this week of any
Public Sector Local under the SEIU umbrella. Great job and thank
you to everyone who made this happen. Working together, we can
succeed.
- On Saturday I worked on the Board Packet for the September
Board Meeting with my assistant Michelle Gardener. I greatly
appreciate her dedication to Local 1000.
- I’ve also been working on the 2023 Board Meetings. March (17-19), September, and December meetings will be in person with a hybrid option, while our June meeting will be via Zoom. We are currently signing the contract with the Holiday Inn Sacramento and will reserve hotel space for September and December once the meeting dates are established.
Thank you for supporting our efforts.
William (Bill) Hall
Board Chair, SEIU Local 1000
bhall@seiu1000.org