2021 Year in Review: Making our Voices Heard at the State Capitol to Demand Rights and Protect Jobs

Members from many parts of the state gathered together to take a stand for the basic union principles of protecting our rights and our jobs. On the grounds of the State Capitol, we stood up to tell the Governor and Legislature, “We’re fighting to enforce our contract. We’re fighting to protect our union. And we’re fighting for our represented employees in Lassen County.”

We demanded—and ultimately won—a meet and confer over the Governor’s unilateral declaration about vaccinations and masks in the workplace. CalHR agreed with us that a change in working conditions, in job requirements, and the threat of employee discipline shouldn’t happen without union representation.

We called out to demand a stop to the planned closure of the California Correctional Center (CCC) in Susanville. This closure was, and is, wrong. It will throw hundreds of families into economic crisis and devastate the Lassen County economy.

The planned closure is stalled but not a dead issue, and the well-being of 234 union families and more than 1,000 jobs remains at risk. Our represented employees deserve the safety and security our contract guarantees.

No one should face layoffs while under a union contract. And no one should be required to prove their vaccination status or be tested for COVID without union representation. For these reasons and more the vigilance and contract enforcement will continue until the State meets our demands.