Front Page. SF Human Services workers demand to be treated like humans

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1 From: 1021 NewsWire Subject: Nevermore, quoth the 1021 NewsWire - August 5, 2011 Vol. IV, Issue August 5, 2011 In This Issue: Be human on the FRONT PAGE. Read about unions on the Daily Kos in THE LIVE WIRE. Read about unions at Powell's in GOOD & WELFARE. Dog days and cat nights in CALENDAR. Aren't you in the 1021 Network yet? 1021 NewsWire The Live Wire Facebook Twitter YouTube Front Page SF Human Services workers demand to be treated like humans The San Francisco Human Services Commission meeting droned on as usual July 28, with the standard reports and requests for authorizations until just before the end of the regular agenda, when public comment was to begin. Then the purple shirts filed in, filling up every empty seat in the auditorium and the standing-room-only space. SEIU 1021 members came to demand the reinstatement of their Alternative Work Schedule (AWS), a program that had been working successfully in the Human Services Agency for 12 years. The AWS gives employees the option of working either 4/10 (four days a week, 10 hours a day) or 9/80 (nine days over two weeks, nine hours a day), taking off either Monday or Friday. The flexibility to take time for personal and family obligations not only proved popular among HSA workers, but during its 12 years in force, random absenteeism went down by half and morale improved.

2 It worked, so naturally it had to go The issue arose just a few months after SEIU 1021 and other city employee unions made concessions in 2010 to help ease the City's budget deficit. They made their give-back by taking unpaid days off -- floating holidays -- mostly of their choosing. But management at HSA's IT department unilaterally decided to require its workers on Alternative Work Schedules to take an extra hour of floating holiday time for each day they took off and threatened to eliminate AWS for members who dared exercise their right to challenge the change of policy. The union grieved that and won, but no settlement was reached and the grievance is moving to arbitration. In the meantime, the Workforce Development and Food Stamps departments eliminated AWS, and Child Support Services is moving to do the same, meaning about two-thirds of SEIU 1021 members at HSA are losing their AWS. We struck back Members circulated a petition throughout HSA demanding the reinstatement of AWS. They presented that petition with the signatures of 500 co-workers to the Human Services Commission at its July 28 meeting and asked the commissioners to direct management to meet with the union and "develop ways to maintain both AWS and flexible hours." "Like the families we serve, we are human too," said member Theresa George Weeks, citing the lack of respect management shows its workers. When she turned to the audience and asked how many had been threatened with violence on the job, hands rose all over the auditorium. "We struggle to serve our clients, but our leaders seem only to seek ways to punish us. Now they want to take away what relieves our stress," she said, meaning the AWS. As she finished, her co-workers gave her a standing ovation. Wed., Aug. 10: "Jobs Not Cuts" Rally in Santa Rosa Grab a friend, a relative, or neighbor and come join the Santa Rosa community in a "Jobs Not Cuts" rally that's part of a national drive to focus our elected officials' attention on creating jobs. We will walk through the Wednesday Night Market to the free speech area at 5:30 and will stay until 6:30. If you can't make the march, come to the free speech area at the corner of Fourth and D Streets when you can. Look for the table with the MoveOn banner. We ask that participants wear a tee-shirt (white preferred), and we will provide stickers with our "jobs" message. You are also free to create your own slogan; markers and blank stickers will be happily provided! We will be mingling with the crowd and handing out fact sheets focusing on Americans' number one concern job creation and what we demand that our local officials do about it. "Jobs Not Cuts" Rally We 8/10-5:15p - Old Courthouse Square, Santa Rosa Fourth & D Streets Click for Event Info/RSVP

3 The Live Wire Daily Kos: Two articles on Labor Mark Andersen: "Why I put a human face on labor" Tom Joad and his Traveling Road Show: "Public Sector Jobs are Better Than Private Sector Jobs" "It seems to be conventional wisdom in American politics these days that the public sector should be cut in bad economic times. And that more private sector employment is good, but more public sector employment is bad. This is wrong. Public sector employment is better for the economy than private sector employment in bad times. Why? In a nutshell it is because public sector jobs provide services to people who need them in a bad economy while also providing people with... jobs. "How exactly does laying-off public sector workers help the economy? Republicans seem to equate public sector layoffs with private sector hires that is, they are of equal economic value. (And, frankly, most Democrats do not challenge this assumption in any meaningful way.) The focus is kept on the cost of public sector workers, as if they are on the dole.... "There is no budget problem in this country. There is a revenue shortfall that is DIRECTLY related to reducing the share of responsibility the very richest people in this country have for anyone else.... "Think job loss in the public sector is not hurting the economy? Let's take a look at the numbers. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 13,000 local and state government workers have been laid off each month for the past three months and that excludes public education!... [U]nemployment WILL NOT DROP with thousands of public sector workers being laid off each month. You cannot have it both ways. You cannot increase employment by laying off people. And you cannot provide more public services to people in need when you decimate the staffs that are providing those services. This is not rocket science." Read Daily Kos: Labor Links we liked this week Mercury News: "California [state] fairs face tough times as state funds evaporate" Sacramento Bee: "Swedish man caught trying to split atoms at home" The Atlantic: "Where in the World? A Google Earth Puzzle"

4 Good & Welfare Summer Reading: Buy a book, help a union book lover ILWU Local 5, the union that represents workers at the renowned Powell's Books in Portland, Oregon, is asking union book lovers for support. Amazon is not unionized. Neither is Barnes & Noble. Nor Borders. Only Powell's, where the union has an agreement with the bookstore that sends 7.5 percent of each purchase (except gift cards) to the ILWU Local 5 strike fund when you shop via the Local 5 website. Earlier this year, Powell's had to lay off seven percent of its workers due to declining sales, but according to union leaders, the bookstore was proactive in notifying workers of their bumping and separation rights. So shop at Powell's and catch up on your reading this summer. Purchase your book at Powell's via the ILWU Local 5 website to get the discount. Follow this link: Books about unions at Powells.com "There Is Power in a Union: The Epic Story of Labor in America" by Philip Dray Energy = Money: Saving green by going green Did you know you can support good union jobs *and* save on your electricity usage? The "Green in a Minute Video" series from Union Plus shows you how. To make going green and saving green even easier, Union Plus is offering rebates of $100 up to $500 if you use your Union Plus credit card to pay for energy efficient home improvements. Union Plus: "Green in a Minute Video Tips" Calendar 1021 Calendar Find an SEIU 1021 Office Moon Phases - 1st Q, August 6 - Full, August 13-3rd Q, August 21 - New, August 29 Special Event: Unions in the Middle East Just back from visiting Israel and Palestine, SEIU 1021 member leader

5 Just back from visiting Israel and Palestine, SEIU 1021 member leader Ed Kinchley shares his experience of meeting with labor organization representatives in the West Bank. Also, SEIU 1021 member Arla S. Ertz, co-founder of Friends of Deir Ibzi'a, will describe her organization's West Bank scholarship & embroidery program (photo). Presented by the SEIU 1021 Peace & Solidarity Committee. Fr 8/19-5:30pm - SEIU 1021, 350 Rhode Island Street, #100 South Bldg., Room B (If arriving after 6pm, please enter from Kansas St.) Bring your checkbook or cash for some very special fair trade purchasing opportunities! SEIU 1021 Leadership Committees Mo 8/22 - Budget & Finance Committee - 10a-4p - SEIU 1021, 2300 Boynton Ave., Fairfield Sa 8/ Executive Board - 10a-5p - Sacramento (Location TBA) Committee on Political Education (COPE) The Live Wire: SEIU 1021 Political Action Central Tu 8/ COPE - 6p Rhode Island, #100 South Building, San Francisco - Live via videoconference at SEIU 1021 offices in Fairfield and Oakland; phone conferencing available - RSVP for a location at We 8/10 - Solano County - 6p - SEIU 1021, 2300 Boynton Ave., Fairfield San Francisco SEIU 1021 will soon be deciding its endorsements for the November elections in San Francisco. If you work in San Francisco, these endorsements -- including the Mayor's race and two competing pension measures -- will affect you and your job whether you live in the City or not. Make your voice heard at these meetings this month: Click the image or this link to download complete information. We 8/10 - Consensus Pension Initiative Discussion - 6p - SEIU 1021, 350 Rhode Island, #100 South Building, San Francisco We 8/10 - San Francisco Industry Council - 5:30-8p - SEIU 1021, 350 Rhode Island, #100 South Building, San Francisco Sa 8/13 - Mayoral Candidate Interviews - 10a - SEIU 1021, 350 Rhode Island, #100 South Building, San Francisco Sa 8/13 - "Speak with One Voice" SEIU COPE Convention - Time/location TBA Mo 8/15 - SF Labor Council COPE Convention - 5:30p - Plumbers Local 38 Hall, 1621 Market Street, San Francisco Social & Economic Justice Mo 8/15 - AFRAM Solidarity Committee - 6p - SEIU 1021, 350 Rhode Island, #100 South Building, San Francisco

6 Mo 8/15 - AFRAM Solidarity Committee - 6p - SEIU 1021, 350 Rhode Island, #100 South Building, San Francisco Mo 8/15 - Disability Caucus - SEIU 1021, 350 Rhode Island, #100 South Building, San Francisco Tu 8/16 - Peace & Solidarity Committee - 5:30p - SEIU 1021, 350 Rhode Island, #100 South Building, San Francisco Th 8/18 - Social & Economic Justice Committee - 6-8p - SEIU 1021, 100 Oak St., Oakland Tu 8/23 - Lavender Solidarity Committee - 6p - SEIU 1021, 100 Oak St., Oakland Education & Training View the complete catalog and register at Th 8/11, 8/18 (Sessions 2 & 3) - Basic Shop Steward Training - 5:30-8p - SEIU 1021, 37 Hunter Square Plaza, Stockton Tu 8/16 - Family Leave Laws: Know Your Rights - 5:30-8p - SEIU 1021, 2300 Boynton Ave., Fairfield Tu 8/23 - Union? What's That? - 5:30-8p - SEIU 1021, 350 Rhode Island, #100 South Building, San Francisco Th 8/25 - Getting Results from Meetings - 5:30-8p - SEIU 1021, 37 Hunter Square Plaza, Stockton Regions & Industries Sa 8/13 - Counties Industry Council - 10a-2p - SEIU 1021, 2300 Boynton Ave., Fairfield Sa 8/13 - Cities Industry Council - 10a-2p - SEIU 1021, 2300 Boynton Ave., Fairfield Sa 8/13 - Schools Industry Council - 10a-2p - SEIU 1021, 2300 Boynton Ave., Fairfield Retiree Councils Mo 8/15 - West Bay Retirees p - SEIU 1021, 350 Rhode Island, #100 South Building, San Francisco * * * * Send all Calendar announcements, corrections and changes to calendar@seiu1021.org. * * * * DO NOT REPLY to this . Send all comments and questions to 1021CAN@seiu1021.org.