From: Subject: Fight for a fair economy with the 1021 NewsWire - August 12, 2011 Date: To: Reply-To: Vol. IV, Issue 8.2 - August 12, 2011 In This Issue: Fight for a Fair Economy on the FRONT PAGE. Action-packed August in ACT! HERE! NOW! Even more August action in CALENDAR. Aren't you in the 1021 Network yet? 1021 NewsWire The Live Wire Facebook Twitter YouTube Front Page SEIU 1021 launches local-wide 'Fight for a Fair Economy' campaign Pictured: Cynthia Landry (Alameda Co.) reports back on "following the money" at the Myrtle Street "Fight for a Fair Economy" workshop For years, the city of Stockton has had one of the highest foreclosure and unemployment rates in the nation. In June 2011 alone, one in 210 housing units received a foreclosure filing. With unemployment expected to stay flat in most of the nation this year, in Stockton it's expected to rise from 17.2 to 18.1 percent. Six months ago, California took eight of the top 20 spots on Forbes' annual America's Most Miserable Cities list, "with Stockton ranking first for the second time in three years." If anything, last week's debt ceiling deal has only made matters worse for Stockton and all of California. In an odd way, the bad deal has actually united the nation: Both Wall Street and Main Street agree it sucks. Congress and the White House let everyone down for (fill in your petty, partisan, ideological and/or pathological reason of choice). "When banks don't pay their fees, homes become blighted, which lowers property values, which increases crime
"When banks don't pay their fees, homes become blighted, which lowers property values, which increases crime and lowers the amount of money coming into the cities and counties, and on and on," said Donna Shane, SEIU 1021 member and a San Joaquin County worker in Stockton. "We need to hold the bad actors accountable." Introducing the SEIU 1021 "Fight for a Fair Economy" campaign Holding the bad actors accountable is one goal of the local's "Fight for a Fair Economy" campaign. Last month, Shane joined about 200 of our members and community friends at the local's offices in Stockton, Santa Rosa, Oakland and San Francisco for workshops organized to launch the campaign, start setting goals, and begin localwide, member-engaged planning. At all four workshops, members learned about the underpinnings of our broken economy: the growing gap in wealth, corporations that avoid paying their fair share of taxes, the attempts to pit desperate workers against each other by shifting the blame to public employees and immigrants, and much more. Acting locally Members also shared what individual bargaining units are doing already. In San Joaquin County, members got the State Treasurer's attention when they turned the media spotlight on county management's wasteful spending and pension abuses. In Sonoma County, SEIU 1021 is leading a community effort to research undervalued commercial properties that have changed hands through mergers or acquisitions but are not paying their share of property taxes. Whatever the local conditions, common themes and ideas emerged at all the workshops, such as: What next? The desire to take action in the communities where we live and work, where we can make our impact felt; The need to work with allied organizations and get out and talk to our communities; Exposing waste and mismanagement like in Sonoma and San Joaquin; Fighting against foreclosures; Working with both youth and retirees; Making use of social media and networking as part of a comprehensive communications plan; Providing education and training; Taking actions like "Tax the Super Rich" picnics in their front yards; Creating fair tax laws and holding Wall Street accountable; Educating the general public about the importance of the public services we provide. See Act! Here! Now! below for a long list of ways you can join the Fight for a Fair Economy campaign in the next two weeks. The August 20 strategy session is a direct follow-up to the four regional workshops. The August 24 research training can help you get started on a tax research project in your area right away. This is just the beginning of our local's own "Fight for a Fair Economy" campaign. Stay in the loop and get news, alerts and more on The Live Wire our website's "political action central" at www.1021livewire.org.
Act! Here! Now! Fight for a Fair Economy: The action starts now! Here are some ways that SEIU 1021 members can get engaged now, this week. Who says August has to be a slow month? August 13: Tax the Super Rich Sa 8/13-2p - Campaign Meeting - SEIU 1021, 2300 Boynton Ave., Fairfield Members will discuss the goals of the campaign and how they can take an active role. The SEIU 1021 Executive Board endorsed the campaign at its July 30 meeting. An excerpt from the resolution: "Further be it resolved that 1021 will expand its work to educate and organize our membership and the public in preparation for a grassroots petition campaign for a tax the rich, or other progressive tax revenue, initiative which will start in November, 2011. Specifically we will commit necessary resources to planning and preparing for a petitioning campaign if a critical coalition is formed." August 15-26: San Francisco Superior Court Week of Action San Francisco court workers are facing a 41 percent reduction in staff -- and all the service cutbacks, heavier workloads and unhappy public that will result. So they're planning a series of actions. Info: SF Courts Chapter President Adrienne Williams, awilliams@sftc.org 1) Beginning Monday, Aug. 15, they'll be leafleting the courthouse, urging the public to call their legislators and tell them no more cuts to the already-unbearably-slow judicial system. 2) Member-to-Member Phone Bank We 8/17-11a-2p - Courts Civic Center, 400 McAllister, Room 509 Th 8/18-12-2p - Hall of Justice, 850 Bryant St., 2nd floor Law Library 3) Fr 8/26 - Noon - Rally at the Administration of the Courts Building, 455 Golden Gate Court workers will reprise their July 22 actions at the monthly meeting of the Judicial Council, demanding again that millions wasted on bloated bureaucracy, dysfunctional databases and new empty buildings go to providing court services instead. August 16: Speak Out for Good Jobs Tu 8/16-5:30-8p (doors open 5p) - Acts Full Gospel Church, 1034-66th Ave, Oakland Two pro-worker members of Congress -- Rep. Barbara Lee (CA) and Raul Grijalva (AZ) -- are coming to town to hear from us about the need for good jobs in our communities... and much more, no doubt. August 16: Lobby Day for Libraries Tu 8/16-9:30a-3p - State Capitol, Sacramento To participate, contact Marla Harvey at marla.harvey@seiu1021.org Members of SEIU 1021 will take part in a lobby day visit to Sacramento to educate legislators about the dangers of
library privatization and seek their support for AB 438, a bill that would make it difficult to privatize public libraries. With no state law against it, libraries have already been privatized in several southern California cities. We can prevent it from happening here. August 17: Protect Social Security from Privatization We 8/17-11a - One Post St., San Francisco Join us to present more than 2,000 personal stories about Social Security to U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein. Urge her to stand up against cuts to Social Security. We need her clear commitment and positions on: Privatizing Social Security Raising the retirement age, means-testing or taxing benefits Understanding that Social Security has not contributed one penny to the federal deficit Info: Call 877-223-6107 (toll-free) or visit www.californiaalliance.org. August 20: "Fight for a Fair Economy" Training, Workshop & Strategic Planning Sa 8/20-10a-2p - SEIU 1021, 155 Myrtle St., Oakland Join SEIU 1021 members and community activists as we develop our plan to hold banks and corporate tax dodgers accountable and restore fairness and opportunity for working families and communities. August 24: "Fight for a Fair Economy" Research Training "Research Training: How to Identify Corporate Tax Dodgers" We 8/24-6-9p - SEIU 1021, 447 29th St., Oakland Earlier this year in San Francisco, our member activists compiled a list of corporations who avoided paying local property taxes. They presented this list of tax dodgers to the City Assessor, who was able to collect millions of dollars in unpaid taxes as a result. This training will teach interested members a) how to access public records to compile such a database, and then b) use it to hold locally elected officials accountable. August 25: Call to Action for County Courts Th 8/25 - Noon-2p - Operation Justice: A Call to Action - Two Locations: 1) Renee C. Davidson Courthouse, 1225 Fallon St., Oakland 2) Hayward Hall of Justice, 24405 Amador St., Hayward As Superior Court systems throughout California face unprecedented cuts, and as SEIU 1021 members in Alameda County prepare for contract negotiations next year, we are holding a massive rally at two locations to show solidarity between County and Superior Court employees, to demand an end to layoffs and concessions, and to support quality public services. Lunch will be served.
Calendar 1021 Calendar Find an SEIU 1021 Office Moon Phases - Full, August 13-3rd Q, August 21 - New, August 29-1st Q, Sept. 4 Download your free August social justice calendar from RLM Arts Special Event: Unions in the Middle East 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 8/27-1021 Executive Board - 10a-5p - Sacramento (Location TBA) 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. 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
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 www.1021training.info. 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 - CANCELLED Schools Industry Council - 10a-2p - SEIU 1021, 2300 Boynton Ave., Fairfield Sa 8/13 - Health Care Industry Council - 8a-12p - SEIU 1021, 350 Rhode Island, #100 South Building, San Francisco Tu 8/16 - East Bay Region - 5:30-8p - SEIU 1021, 100 Oak St., Oakland Retiree Councils Mo 8/15 - West Bay Retirees - 12-2p - 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 email. Send all comments and questions to 1021CAN@seiu1021.org.