Whew. Tonight was incredible. Thank you to everybody who made it happen. To our unions and organizations who not only help the labor movement survive in this political climate but thrive on the Central Coast. Thank you to our sponsors, as well as UFCW 770 for accommodating us in the place we all call home. Thank you to the union staff from UNITE HERE! Local 11, and of course our honorees: AFSCME 3299, Mayor of San Luis Obispo Heidi Harmon and David Baldwin. Thank you for your incredible commitment to fighting for the working families in our communities.
Dear Oxnard: We needed you to fight harder for the people who's voices aren't as loud
In conversations with Oxnard's elected officials over the past couple days, the prevailing maneuver is to hide behind the notion that somehow this $5.6m doesn't exist. The working families of Oxnard aren't going to let our elected officials hide behind that argument. This budget isn't about that at all.
We are very disturbed by what you voted for. Your budget is a roadmap of your collective and individual priorities and we walked away with the clear message that the city's employees are not a priority.
The services that were saved were done so because of public outrage. We didn't need you to fight harder for the things that everyone else was fighting for. We needed you to fight harder for the people who's voices aren't as loud.
The time comes in tenure of every elected official when a highly paid administrator will show them a spreadsheet that seems insurmountable. You had months (if not a year) to figure out how to avoid these cuts. Cities aren't made of numbers and everyone could've done more to protect these people, their jobs and their families.
We hope you're doing everything in your power to make sure that next year's budget is one that expands services, creates jobs and grows the city and it's economy.
Vote Week: Child Care, Employee Rights, Charter School reform get through the Assembly
It has been an eventful few weeks for the California State Legislature, the California Democratic Party, and the organized labor movement. All 14 CA Labor Federation and State Building Trades endorsed bills that were up for a floor vote successfully made it out of their respective houses. Now the bills can go for one more vote before being sent to be signed by governor Newsom. Among the major legislation passed was AB 378 (which will allow California’s 40,000 child care providers to negotiate with the state for improvements to the early childhood education system), sponsored by Monique Limon, AB 1505 (Charter School Accountability ) sponsored by Christy Smith, and AB 5 (Codify Dynamex Decision to Expand Workers’ Rights). Thank you to our local legislators for introducing and sponsoring some of these crucial bills and to our affiliates for mobilizing and holding legislators’ feet to the fire across the state to ensure they continue to vote for working families.
We Joined AFSCME 3299 & UPTE At UCSB As They Continue to Fight The UC System's Never-ending Quest to Outsource their Jobs
Yesenia DeCasaus Honored with Woman of the Year Award
Congratulations to United Domestic Workers/AFSCME 3930 Regional Coordinator and Central Coast Labor Council Vice President Yesenia DeCasaus on being honored by Assemblywoman Monique Limon as the 37th District's Woman of the Year. For years, Yesenia has been a strong voice for workers and has helped the most vulnerable people in our community through her work with UDW as well as in her personal life, establishing a scholarship for community members and creating a support group for people who have lost children. It is a privilege for us to have such a strong leader like Yesenia on our council, as our extensive growth as an organization over the years could not have been possible without her tireless advocacy for working families.
Felicidades, Yesenia!
