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From the Desk of Bill Hall
In an effort to promote transparency throughout our organization, SEIU Local 1000 provides the following information for your review.
Changing Minds
It’s been less than one month since I took office, and I’m already delivering on my platform by growing union membership and job site representation. But you would never know it by slanderous opinion pieces being passed off as investigative journalism. A 3,300 word diatribe has been held as the holy grail of insider information by many media outlets instead of the dumpster fire of journalistic misfeasance it represents.
Governor Newsom Cease and Desist
On July 28, I instructed the Local 1000 Chief Counsel to deliver a cease-and-desist letter to CalHR concerning a mandate the Governor delivered through a press conference on July 27. The method of delivery for this directive and the absence of any details gives us great cause for concern.
The Bee in Democracy
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.
Essential workers premium pay letter
Eraina Ortega, Director CalHR
1515 S Street
North Building, Suite 500
Sacramento, CA 95811-7258
Re: Rewarding essential workers with premium pay
Dear Ms. Ortega:
The 10 bargaining units and nearly 100,000 employees represented by SEIU Local 1000 remained on the front lines throughout the pandemic, providing the vital services Californians expect. At a time when a trip to the grocery store was deemed unsafe, those employees accepted the risk to themselves and their families and served the public heroically.
Their extraordinary efforts deserve recognition, and compensation that reflects the hazards they faced while doing essential work.
Our represented health professionals—more than 10,000 registered nurses, LVNs, and CNAs—worked to maintain the health of our prison population and our veterans. Our custodians kept state offices sanitary and safe, and our prison cooks risked daily exposure to feed inmates.
Our EDD workforce helped strengthen California’s economy by processing millions of unemployment checks. Drivers were licensed, vehicles registered, and other critical public-facing services remained available.
The recently-signed state budget for FY ’21-22—which includes more than $27 billion in federal relief—has no direct provision to provide premium pay for essential workers, despite the intentions of the American Rescue Plan Act package that provided our state with these funds.
The U.S. Treasury’s public comment period on rules for spending these funds ends soon. As the federal government prepares its final guidance, it is necessary that Governor Newsom and CalHR do their work to establish the essential worker premium pay program.
It’s time to acknowledge those who performed essential work under constant threat of the potentially devastating impact of contracting COVID-19. Local 1000-represented employees help keep California healthy, safe, and strong. Reward these essential workers for their dedication with premium pay.
Thank you for your consideration.
Richard Louis Brown
President
SEIU Local 1000
Setting the Record Straight
Welcome! This will be a new and, most likely, long-running section of the Local 1000 Union Update newsletter.
For too long Local 1000 has been shrouded in opaqueness. This ends now. One of the main reasons for this policy change is to help inform the employees represented by this Union, because informed represented employees become engaged dues-paying members!
One of the last acts by outgoing President Walker, on June 30, was to not renew the full-time union leave for the Bargaining Unit Chairs. By ending their union leave, it automatically triggered a disabling of their email and by default impeded the ability of the statewide chairs to fulfill their duties.
The next day, July 1, this issue was brought to my attention during the first steward call. Upon receiving this information BU Chairs were given immediate and full access to their email.
Despite many stories, it wasn’t me who canceled union leave or denied BU Chairs access to their email.
Much of this confusion could have been avoided had the outgoing President made an honorable effort at a smooth transition instead of waiting until the eleventh hour to hand over the reins.
This sets the record straight.
Richard Louis Brown
President
SEIU Local 1000
Local 1000 Rallies to Enforce our Contract and Protect our Union and our Represented Employees in Lassen County
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.
BUNC Results
December 11 & 12, 2021
On December 11 & 12, 2021, Local 1000 bargaining representatives from across the state met at a virtual gathering of the Statewide Bargaining Advisory Committee in order to elect the bargaining teams. In all, we elected more than 60 Local 1000 members to comprise the 10 different Bargaining Unit Negotiating Committees (BUNCs) that will represent SEIU Local 1000 when we bargain our next contract in 2023.
“Congratulations to the new BUNC chairs and the election organizing team for coordinating this event,” said SEIU Local 1000 President Richard Louis Brown. “I look forward to working with the new BUNC and the rest of the board, and it’s my sincere hope that we’re able to accomplish great things for our membership and build a union that works for all its members — current and future.”
On Sunday, December 12, BUNC members for Units 1, 4, 17, 20, and the State Bar conducted their elections, while the elections for units 3, 11, 14, 15, & 21 took place on Saturday, December 11.
Click here to see the results.
SEIU Local 1000 Pressing State for Permanent Telework Policy
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.