Search: 11/2021

I’d like to profoundly thank the Sacramento Bee Editorial Board for finding the time to comment on my attempts to rein in political partisan/social justice spending in what was a mostly inflammatory and hyperbole-filled November 8, 2021, editorial.

Now it’s my turn to clearly and comprehensively set the record straight. As the Bee stated, I am the duly-elected president of SEIU Local 1000, and I am creating a new culture of excellence for the largest public sector union in California. Per the SEIU Local 1000 Policy File and Bylaws, the meeting of some of our Board members that occurred in October to strip me of my powers and sanctimoniously elect a “chair” was unsanctioned, out of order, and therefore clearly meaningless.

Change is inevitable; it happens whether we want to change or not and it can bring out strong emotions. Some people are very resistant to change, which is understandable as there is comfort in the familiar. But change can take many forms.

Change of Direction

Local 1000 and the State are currently meeting to bargain over the implementation of a Statewide Telework Policy that would apply to all Local 1000 represented employees. The bargaining timeline below outlines our meeting dates. The State has made little movement from its initial position, so we remain substantially apart on several key bargaining demands, including the telework stipend. 

On November 8, 2021, SEIU Local 1000 served a Cease and Desist letter on CDCR/CCHCS for ignoring Cal-OSHA requirements for proper and safe use of N95 respirator masks. This action was the result of complaints from a number of CDCR/CCHCS employees who notified Local 1000 President Richard Louis Brown that employees in CDCR/CCHCS institutions across the state were being required to don N95 masks without being fit-tested first.

President Richard Louis Brown continues to fight for the represented members of Local 1000 by enforcing the contract and bringing Governor Newsom’s representatives to the bargaining table to negotiate issues like COVID protocols and a statewide telework agreement.

This past weekend we were reminded of how hard it is to break away from a union culture that is firmly entrenched in shutting out the majority of people they claim to represent.