Today is a new day for SEIU Local 1000
Monday, March 7, 2022

Your Union’s leadership team is unified and back to what you elected them to do: work for you.

To be sure, the last several months have been a challenging time for our union. All of us have disagreed from time to time. Yet today we are unified by our common strong belief in SEIU Local 1000 to improve the lives of the nearly 100,000 state workers we represent. 

Every day, in worksites up and down California, members like you are struggling with staffing shortages, high workloads, COVID-related health and safety issues, and disrespectful management.

That’s why we are going to enforce our contract and lead campaigns that make the day-to-day easier.

We will make decisions that enable the leaders and staff  of this Union to organize more state workers to join SEIU Local 1000.

We will build the power we need to be able to win respect and dignity on the job and a strong contract.

It’s also no secret that our Union has been through a lot these past several months.

The weekend’s incident at SEIU Local 1000 headquarters marked the culmination of repeated attempts to thwart the democratic process of our Union. We are thankful that our officers and staff are safe after yesterday’s events, and we have asked them to work remotely for the time being.

Sadly, the unauthorized occupation of the building on Saturday was consistent with previous attempts to deny your Board of Directors the ability to carry out its fiduciary duties and represent your interests.

Notwithstanding yesterday’s attempt to interrupt us, your Board of Directors officially met on Saturday in accordance with California law and our Union’s Policy File and took the following actions:

• Took legal action to deal with the occupation of SEIU Local 1000 headquarters in Sacramento;
• Ratified the February 28 action of our three vice presidents suspending RL Brown as local union president pending the processing of charges against him for serious misconduct; and
• Amended the Policy File to allow for the appointment of a professional neutral hearing officer to hear disciplinary charges, including the charges against President Brown. 

In addition, the Board voted to ratify actions taken at an October meeting of the Board of Directors  that implement a package of new checks and balances within our local union. This package created the new position of Board Chair that assumes many duties formerly assigned to the President and redefines the duties of the President. At the October meeting, the Board also elected Bill Hall, Board Member and President of DLC 744, as the new Board Chair. On Saturday, all three Vice Presidents pledged to honor the Board’s decisions and Bill Hall’s new role as Board Chair. The four of us want to ask you to join us in working together for the common good.

We will be guided by what is best for the members of SEIU Local 1000, and we will take actions that bring members together and make SEIU Local 1000 stronger.

No doubt we will have some heated moments; passions are running high. It has been a difficult time for all of us. But in the end, we are here to serve you and other members of SEIU Local 1000.

We know you are counting on us to build an effective, strong, unified membership that will have the power to make our lives better. The four of us are committed to working together and addressing disagreements when they do occur respectfully and professionally.

We invite you to join us in that commitment. We are Stronger Together.

Bill Hall, Board Chair
David Jimenez, Vice President/Secretary-Treasurer
Anica Walls, Vice President for Organizing / Representation
Irene Green, Vice President for Bargaining