Board of Directors Meeting Recap
Saturday, July 11, 2020

Our SEIU Local 1000 Board of Directors held its first virtual meeting—using videoconferencing technology—on Saturday, July 11, 2020. The switch to a virtual meeting ensured the safety of the participants while allowing the business of the union to continue.

The Local 1000 Board is comprised of four statewide officers, led by President Yvonne R. Walker; 51 member-elected District Labor Council Presidents, and the chairs of the 10 bargaining units (1, 3, 4, 11, 14, 15, 17, 20, 21, and state bar workers) we represent.

The Board received a presentation of 2019’s year-end financial statement, along with a six-month progress report and projections for the union’s 2020 financial performance. Through careful leadership and strategic planning, our finances are strong and our hard-earned member dollars well-managed.

Art Budich, a partner at Calibre CPA group, shared the results of his firm’s annual independent audit of our accounting procedures and records, issuing the highest available auditing opinion, known in industry parlance as “clean and unqualified.”

Board members also received an update from Local 1000’s Statewide Organizing Director on our member outreach program, which has been taking place throughout the year, along with our intense efforts during the pandemic to stay connected to our members, nearly three-quarters of whom are working at home. While conditions have changed, our field team continues a multi-pronged approach to building a stronger union in 2020.

This was followed by Local 1000’s Research Director, who reported on COVID-19’s disruptive effects on the economy, the impact of job losses, and some possible scenarios we could face on the road to recovery. In addition, we reviewed the recently approved 2020-21 California State budget and efforts to close the deficit gap.

2020 is an important election year, and Nikki Linnerman, chair of the Committee on Political Education (COPE), reported on our efforts to elect lawmakers on the local, state, and national level who share the values of our union and our members. This includes the newly-announced SEIU International endorsement of Vice-President Joe Biden in his candidacy to be our nation’s next president.

The roles and responsibilities of our leaders across the state and the business of our union is governed by our Policy File, a second set of bylaws that establish rules, processes, and procedures. At the July 2020 meeting, the Board heard a dozen motions that proposed to effect change in the Policy File.

The Board voted unanimously in favor of a motion to establish a Native American Committee, the newest of ten different Human Rights Committees helping to fulfill the Local 1000 Purpose Statement. The Native American Committee will be responsible for reviewing state policies, programs, working conditions, and other issues that affect or impact all Native American state employees.

The Board also approved the statewide organizational structure of our newest District Labor Council, DLC 850, which is comprised of the workers now represented at the California state bar, the new bargaining unit that joined the ranks of our members earlier this year.

Ten additional motions to make additions or modifications to the Local 1000 Policy File were presented for review and debate by the Board, and in each case, were voted down by an average three-to-one margin against their adoption.

Three of the failed motions sought to change procedures and policies for Local 1000 leadership elections; another three called for modifications to reporting on various issues and were defeated.