Contract Enforcement: Protecting our Members Hard-Earned Rights

Our contract is a hard-won document that protects our wages, benefits, and working conditions and also includes hundreds of articles that govern how we do our work, schedule our leaves, and interact with our supervisors. 

When we stand up and stand together against violations of those rules, we receive the full benefit of the contract we all worked so hard to win. 

EDD supervisors attempt to quash wearing Local 1000 t-shirts 

At two different times earlier this year, two of our Unit 1 members, working at EDD/Sacramento, were prevented from wearing Union colors on the job.

In one instance, an Employment Program Representative was told by their supervisor that they could not wear a Union t-shirt while at work.

Several days later, another EPR, working under a different supervisor, was told that “wearing a union t-shirt was unprofessional and constituted an impermissible advertisement,” and further, required our member to retrieve a sweater from home to cover the Union t-shirt.

This bad behavior by the EDD supervisor was in direct conflict with the rights that are afforded us as state workers. The Dills Act, part of the Government Code, grants us the right towear buttons, stickers, and union clothing. In their ruling, the Public Employee Relations Board reinforced our rights.

You have a right to take action in support of SEIU Local 1000! Here’s an outline of what you can do. If you are ever prevented from exercising your right to participate in any way, contact your Local 1000 job steward or the Member Resource Center (MRC) at 866.471.SEIU (7348).

Express your union beliefs 

Your right to support the union and to express pro-union opinions to other employees and to management. (Government Code section 3512 et seq. – “Dills Act”) 

Wear your union colors 

Your right to wear buttons and stickers and to wear union clothing. (Dills Act) 

Display union materials 

Your right to post and display union materials inside your workspace. (Dills Act) 

Distribute union materials 

Your right to distribute union materials during non-work time. (Contract Article 2.4) 

Post union materials 

Your right to display union materials on appropriate bulletin boards. (Contract Article 2.4) 

Attend union meetings 

Your right to attend union meetings on non-work time. (Contract Article 2.5 and Dills Act) 

Picket and demonstrate 

Your right to picket or demonstrate in support of the union during non-work time. (Dills Act)

Know Your Rights: Use the Contract Search Tool

Our contract contains hundreds of articles that govern our wages, benefits, and working conditions. You can learn more about those rights in an easy-to-use, mobile-friendly search tool, available at contract.seiu1000.org