Member Leader Francina Stevenson
Building stronger workplaces and more inclusive communities

In 2016, you might not have noticed Francina Stevenson. “Back then, I was always one of the people standing in the corner, never raising my hand,” she says. Five years later, things have taken a significant change, as Francina has become an active member leader in Local 1000 as well as her community.

The transformation began when she signed up to be a job steward and take part in Local 1000s Leadership Apprentice Program for Stewards (LAPS). It was there that she learned to “advance without fear” and to make a difference for her fellow members.

Francina was one of 12 children raised largely by a single father in the Salinas valley. Like her siblings, she worked in the fields from a young age and was aware of, and later walked with, Cesar Chavez in his efforts to organize farmworkers. Early on, she learned the value of standing together and how unity could affect working conditions and wages.

A state employee for 15 years at DOJ, Francina completed her LAPS training in 2016. Two years later, she became president of DLC 794 in downtown Sacramento. Since then, she has provided member oversight to two Local 1000 elections and is working now on the Cost Savings Task Force, a joint effort with the State to identify $200 million in budget solutions to be redirected to employee compensation.

Francina is a Native American, and her activism extends deeply into her own tribe as well as in support of Native Americans in state service. To wit: she’s part of the Native American advisory committee for DOJ, and she sits on the CalHR-sponsored Native American State Employees Association.

Taking her passion one step further, Francina is the chair of the newly-formed Local 1000 Native American Committee, one of ten Human Rights Committees sponsored by our union. “Our mission is to increase Native American membership and engagement in Local 1000,” she says. “We will also review state programs and policies that affect the rights and working conditions of Native American state employees.”

If you would like to learn more about the Native American Committee or are interested in joining, please visit www.seiu1000.org/human-rights-committees