December 9, 2020
COVID-19 Health and Safety Grievance Update
With COVID-19 statewide infection rates rising dramatically and CDCR struggling to prevent prison-to-prison transfer, SEIU Local 1000 members continue to face the daily challenge of staying safe on the job. While CDCR has learned from earlier outbreaks, more needs to be done to increase physical distancing and to protect employees from potential COVID-19 exposure.
Impending DVI Closure Still Being Discussed
In accordance with the 2020-21 State Budget, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and the California Correctional Health Care Services (CCHCS) are currently developing a plan to close two state prisons within the next three years. This initiative comes as a result of various reforms and other changes that have significantly reduced the state’s overall prison population.
Volunteer to Get Out the Vote for the Georgia Senate Races Today!
This year, tens of millions of Americans came together in one of the most important elections in a generation. After months of campaigning, hundreds of thousands of volunteer calls, texts, and emails, we watched votes come in from various states, slowly solidifying into a victory for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. And in the midst of a global pandemic, we learned the valuable lesson that electing the right leadership can hinge on several thousand votes.
Cost Savings Task Force Seeking Innovative Budget Reductions
Our Cost Savings Task Force met with the state in mid-November to continue their hard work to jointly identify $200 million in savings that will be redirected to employee compensation for July 2021. The focus of these efforts is to ensure that our members receive their 2% general salary increase on time as negotiated.
“We are exploring new and innovative ways to achieve the goal,” said Task Force member Tonya Bealey (DMV). “We’re covering new ground. It takes a lot of discussion and feedback to explore new ideas, and the State seems responsive.”
Member leader Thomas Hwang says
“Together we can accomplish changes we can’t do alone”
When COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic in March and a statewide stay-at-home order threw hundreds of thousands of state workers into chaos, member leader Thomas Hwang knew just what to do: organize for the proper working conditions.
Thomas learned the power of collective action when—in pre-COVID times—he banded together with his colleagues to increase the telework days available at his Department of Insurance office in Sacramento, where he works as an Associate Insurance Rate Analyst.