Members Are Speaking Out!

Members Are Speaking Out!

As an eligibility worker, I help families who are destitute get whatthey need to survive: CalWORKS, food stamps, and MediCal. We alsoprovide homeless assistance and supportive services. I live in thecommunity; I’m part of it, so I don’t just enforce the rules. Iunderstand and feel the families’ needs.
Tracey Boykins - Eligibility Worker II, Los Angeles County DPSS - Local 721
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As a children’s social worker, our primary responsibility is to protectchildren and make sure they have safe, permanent homes. Our systemfunctions as the children’s parents while we help their parentsrecover, or find a family member or foster parents. We’re fighting for the children and families we serve. The children aren’t voters. They have no voice. They’re the most vulnerable membersof our society. That’s why I became a social worker, and that’s why I’m fighting the budget cuts.
SEIU Local 721 David Green - Adoption Social Worker, County of Los Angeles
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Temporary Workers Speak Out to Legislators - Support AB 1496!

I came to Sacramento today in support of AB 1496, the Temporary Workers Bill. I'm a Certified Nursing Assistant and haved been employed as a temporary worker at the Riverside Community Regional Medical Center for the last 4 years. I don't have benefits...no vacation or sickleave. I have high blood pressure and take medicine every day. Not only is the medicine expensive, when I'm sick, I don't get paid. It's frustrating, I need my job but I also want a future.

SEIU Local 721 LaSunya Percy, CNA - RC Regional Medical Center

As a temporary worker I am constantly anxious about job security. Without the benefit of vacation or sick leave during holidays the office doors are locked, I can't work, and don't get paid. I have seen other workers loose their jobs when they mention a permanent position. I need my temporary job... but, I want a future too.

SEIU Local 721 Member, David Walbourne, Accounting Assistant II - RC Community Health Agency

Members Lobby for Education - Tell Legislators "Stop the Cuts!"

I drove up from Fresno to tell legislators if they cut the budget for special education programs, the number of students will increase and the number of teachers will decrease, and the special needs kids won’t get the attention they need. They’ll be sitting in the classroom and won’t feel safe. I think it’s lousy for everyone. When they cut education, they’re cutting our future.

SEIU Local 521 Member, Rachel Tudor Substitute special education teacher 7-12

If we make these cuts, we’re losing the big picture of what’s important in society and what we’re here to do. People want education and we’re willing to pay for it. Our district is already struggling to stay up with No Child Left Behind. The programs to catch up are going to go by the wayside. Now we have 20-1 and 36-1 ratios, but we won’t be able to continue the same level of individual attention and teaching.

SEIU Local 1021 Member, John Ryan Maintenance Worker, San Lorenzo Unified

I’m responsible for all the processing and maintenance of the library and the library program. Students enjoy the library and it’s vital. You can’t exist in this world without learning to read, and the way to do that is to learn how to enjoy it. Cutting libraries or any other part of our kids’ education is cutting our infrastructure, cutting our future. They’re the adults of tomorrow.

SEIU Local 1021 Member, Karen Bishop, Library Technical Assistant - SFUSD

As playground supervisors, we helped create a safe and active place for kids to be after school. Kids played sports, and we organized tournaments. Like all the other parents in our neighborhood, especially working parents, I’d rather have them in the playground than on the streets. We kept them out of danger. Now, with the budget cuts, the program doesn’t have enough supervisors, and the program is falling apart. After 8 years of service, my position was recently cut so our family is really feeling the impact.

SEIU Local 99 Member, Osvaldo Toscano, Ex-Playground Supervisor - Corona Elementary

As a Special Education Assistant, you help with everything. I help the kids with their vocational skills -- and I mediate if there's a conflict -- and there have been gang conflicts. Our kids need to have extracurricular activities; otherwise they get bored and that starts problems. We also have to make sure they get the basics, especially vocational skills. Cuts will mean less help in the classroom, and this will affect students, because they won't get the help they need. As a parent of an 8-year-old son, I think we need to find another solution to the budget problem.

SEIU Local 99 Member, Demond Cohran, Special Education Assistant - Venice High

Cutting custodians would be a disaster. The school will be smelly because the trash won’t be taken out on time. The bathrooms, I can’t even imagine. It will spread disease.

I have 5 grandchildren, and I worry about their future. Education is very important. I didn’t have the chance, and I don’t want that for my kids. Without education, what can you do?
SEIU Local 521 Member, Guadalupe Montes, Custodian