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The California Correctional Center (CCC), which Governor Gavin Newsom plans to close as of June 30, 2022, employs 235 union represented employees. All 235 have been shut out from discussions since the State failed to meet and confer with SEIU Local 1000 regarding the planned closure. To make matters worse, the State also refused to provide Local 1000 with 30 days’ notice prior to signing off on state worker vaccination mandates.

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. 

SEIU Local 1000 has begun a concerted effort to press the State for a comprehensive and permanent telework plan that will bring consistency to the ill-defined and unevenly applied policies now in place.

In the absence of clear direction from the State and agency leadership, implementation of telework policy is often left to mid-level supervisors, who frequently apply the rules unfairly and micromanage employees unreasonably.

SEIU Local 1000 continues to maintain our affiliations with other labor organizations such as the California Federation of Labor, SEIU California, and many smaller Central Labor Councils (CLCs) throughout California. Our new leadership team, led by President Richard Louis Brown, recognizes the value of these associations as these connections help create a stronger labor movement in California. President Brown is actively working to strengthen these connections in ways that benefit all of our represented employees.  

The benefits of working together include:

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. 

SEIU Local 1000 President Richard Louis Brown is fulfilling his campaign promise by eliminating salary stipends for himself and the three statewide vice presidents. The voluntary action of our statewide leaders will save our union more than $144,000 annually.

This move towards fiscal responsibility and transparent accountability is part of President Brown’s 10-point platform and demonstrates a commitment to creating a new way of financial spending that doesn’t include politics or non-germane activities.