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Members Rally at the State Capitol for Essential Worker Pay … NOW!

Making a demand for reasonable and respectful Essential Worker Pay, hundreds of SEIU Local 1000 members—joined by Union sisters and brothers from AFSCME Local 2620—gathered on the west steps of the Capitol on March 17 and called for CalHR to return to the bargaining table and negotiate.

Members shared their stories of working through the pandemic and continued to ask the question why California labeled us ‘essential’ when the State wanted our services through the pandemic and thanked us for the critical services we provided…with no fiscal recognition.

After six months of no movement and no response from the State about Local 1000’s Essential Worker Pay proposal, the time has come for action. That’s why we’re demanding the State to Respect Us, Protect Us, and Pay Us for our efforts to provide vital services in dangerous, public-facing working conditions that continue to this day.

Our proposal—submitted to the State back on September 1, 2022—calls for a one-time payment of $6,000 for all eligible employees represented by Local 1000 regardless of whether you were working remotely or on site.

By ignoring us, the State has broken their promise to negotiate. Even worse, this response signals a fundamental lack of respect for the essential workers at EDD, DMV, and scores of other agencies that kept California running in the face of COVID-19.

So, if you’re tired of being ignored, take action by clicking here to send a bargaining demand to CalHR Director Eraina Ortega.

The State’s initial $1,500 proposal would have paid a much smaller group of employees, mostly healthcare workers, who delivered in-person care to the most acute patients. As such, this is not the acknowledgement of the commitment and contribution of Local 1000’s represented workers that we seek.

The sacrifice and dedication of those who showed up every day to keep California running during the pandemic is about more than money. It’s about making sure that all employees are respected for the work they do and the contributions they made—and continue to make—to our great state. And that begins with compensating SEIU Local 1000 employees that dealt with Covid-19 head on according to the value you provided.

Now the State divides us when they’re considering who to compensate. That needs to end—NOW!

Join the campaign today! Click here to tell CalHR Director Eraina Ortega we are essential and to recognize the value we provided with a realistic and respectful Essential Worker Pay package.