We SEIU 521 members are committed to sticking together in our union, despite the decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in the Janus v. AFSCME case that makes it easier for wealthy special interests to rig the economy further by dividing working people.
We won’t let any court case stand in the way of our fight for the good, union jobs that our communities need. We know that when working people are united in a union, we have the power in numbers to raise wages, secure basic needs like healthcare coverage, improve our jobs and make life better for our families and build stronger communities.
Together We Rise – Special Edition – June 29, 2018
In this issue:
JOIN UP: SEIU Members Vow to Stick Together
RISE UP: Show Your Support for Our Union on Social Media!
WIN: SEIU 521 Members Are Committed to Growing Our Power
SEIU 521 members are joined by working people whether white, Black or brown, from across the nation who are showing their unity in the face of this decision by holding up signs with a simple message: UNION. Photos and videos of people holding UNION signs are being posted on social media using the hashtag #Union. To participate in our Union Pride social media campaign, click here for a flyer with instructions. Take a picture of you and your co-workers holding up a #UNION sign, then post the picture on social media (on our Facebook page @SEIU521, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) using the hashtags #Union and #WeRise. You may also post this poster on your bulletin board and at your worksite. Check our Facebook page at facebook.com/SEIU521 to see all the photos and continue to post your photos.
Media Coverage:
ABC7 News – South Bay union members not fazed by Supreme Court ruling on union fees
ABC 30 News – Interview with First Vice President Alysia Bonner in Fresno (Video Clip)
KGET 17 News (NBC) – Rally in Bakersfield (Video Clip)
KION 5/46 News (CBS) – Rally in Salinas (Video Clip)
Monterey County Weekly
Register-Parajonian
San Mateo Daily Journal
Univision
“Nothing is going to stop my co-workers and me from fighting for good, union jobs and quality in the services we provide. As Public Health Nurses, we are the first responders in the case of an outbreak of an illness. We’ve won improved working conditions which translates to better preventative work in our communities, saving lives and taxpayer money. We’re proud to stand strong with our brothers and sisters across California and the nation. Together we rise!”
– Marilyn Mara, Santa Clara County Public Health Nurse and Union Member of SEIU Local 521
The ruling only makes us even more determined to:
1. Stick together with our co-workers in our union.
Have you submitted your membership application or renewed it recently?
If you haven’t yet recommitted to our union, now is the time!
(If you can’t find your employer on the list, contact us.)
If you have already recommitted to our union, join our “Together We Rise” Mobilization Team!
2. Support more workers to join together in unions to turn poverty-wage jobs into good, union jobs. We are committed to helping our Family Child Care Providers and other workers get the right to form unions.
3. Hold politicians accountable for doing everything in their power to help more workers join together in union, and create the most inclusive middle class in our nation’s history.
Unions remain the most effective vehicle for the power in numbers working people need to secure their rights at work and provide a pathway to the middle class. We will remain a strong and vibrant force for working people and will continue fighting to sustain our families, improve our workplaces and to make our communities stronger regardless of the court’s ruling.
Check out the “The Union Effect in California,” a three-part series by the UC Berkeley Labor Center exploring the ways in which unions affect the lives of all working people—both union members and nonunion members—in California.
The Union Effect in California #1: Wages, Benefits, and Use of Public Safety Net Programs
By bargaining together through unions, California workers increase their earnings by approximately $5,800 per worker annually, for a combined total of $18.5 billion. Union workers also have more access to health and retirement benefits, thereby reducing reliance on the state’s public safety net programs.
The Union Effect in California #2: Gains for Women, Workers of Color, and Immigrants
While all workers in California have higher wages and greater access to benefits when covered by a union contract, those workers who earn the least in nonunion workplaces—women, people of color, and immigrants—gain the most.
The Union Effect in California #3: A Voice for Workers in Public Policy
This study analyzes unions as a countervailing force to corporate power in the state. It explores union-backed policies promoting the rights of workers—union and nonunion alike—and addressing broader issues facing working families in the state.
“The US Supreme Court decision in Janus v. AFSCME further rigs the rules of the economy in favor of the wealthy special interests who want to divide us against each other. Despite this decision, SEIU 521 members are committed to standing together in our union to negotiate a fair return on our work while protecting and expanding the good, middle-class union jobs that all of America needs. Working people whether white, black, or brown will join together across racial differences to fight for our future, just like we won better wages, safer workplaces, and civil rights in our past. For California to be a place of freedom for all, we cannot let the greedy few and the politicians they pay for divide us against each other.”
– Riko Mendez, SEIU Local 521 Chief Elected Officer
