December 2020 Board of Directors Report

The Local 1000 Board of Directors (BOD)—all member leaders—held their third meeting of 2020 on December 12. To ensure the safety of all involved, COVID-19 protocols were observed and the meeting was held virtually.

Our Board of Directors is comprised of the Local 1000 President, three Vice Presidents, 51 District Labor Council Presidents, and ten Bargaining Unit Chairs. Their role is to provide leadership and oversight in our mission to represent the interests and to protect the rights of the 96,000 state workers we represent.

Four new DLC presidents were sworn in: Latasha Brown, DLC 704; Juvoni Sterling, DLC 793; Michael Lopez, DLC 751; and Richard Wake, DLC 767.

After hearing a presentation of our Union’s current financial status, which is on track and on budget, the Board voted to approve Local 1000’s 2021 budget.

Our Research Department provided insight on a national as well as statewide perspective to a wildly fluctuating economy and the effects of the pandemic on the state’s current and future budget.

Our COPE (Committee on Political Education) member chair, Nikki Linnerman, reported on the results of the 2020 election and the significant contributions made by members towards a number of key election victories.

President Yvonne R. Walker’s presentation, titled “Our World Did Not Stop,” examined how Local 1000 quickly and effectively adapted to the work of representing its members despite some dramatic changes in our lives and our jobs.

She touched on the many ways we’ve increased our communications with members using digital platforms and how we enhanced our member-to-member efforts to communicate, build strength, and develop new leaders.

President Walker recapped our efforts to plan and evolve as the world changes around us. We’ve launched a wide range of initiatives to improve our lives and our communities, including Racial Justice, Health and Wellness, and Community Power.

We were able to minimize the impact of the state’s demand for a 9.23% pay cut; worked statewide to ensure the health and safety of our represented employees; and, took a seat at the table in efforts to transition to a more permanent form of telework.

“We faced an immediate and intense storm in March,” said Walker. “Together, we moved the organization to respond to the crisis that the coronavirus created for all of us. And while the storm continues, we will continue that work to protect our members and to help California thrive in anticipation of the days ahead.”