One to One

Written by SEIU 721 members, this blog features our stories, ideas and opinions on everything from national politics to our worksites. Join the discussion and build democracy through dialogue.

"We're Doing the Hard Work" says Art Mora

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SEIU 721 member Art Mora, Public Works Maintenance Worker for the County of Ventura, spoke at the May 7, 2013, Board of Supervisors meeting. Art shares what he does at work and how the County of Ventura works because we do. The SEIU 721 County of Ventura Bargaining Committee is currently in negotiations with the County.

My name is Art Mora and on a personal note, I thank those responsible for keeping the Cross on the County Logo. 

I work for Public Works Agency as a Public Works Maintenance Worker. I am also an active SEIU 721 member.
 
I support the SEIU 721 Bargaining Committee and the reasonable proposals submitted by the Committee.

Save LA County Courts

arnella_kenyonx350.jpgLA Superior Court judges are doing the wrong thing. They decided to deal with a $53 million budget deficit by arbitrarily closing eight courthouses around LA County, which will send justice into chaos, inconvenience people, and cause transportation and other problems.
 

We've Picked Up the Tab--And Then Some

Art-Sweatman-03x125_1.jpgLA City Tree Surgeon Art Sweatman responds to LA Times columnist Steve Lopez's April 24 article, "Time for public employee unions to pick up the tab":

Turn It Up!

My name is Marianne Garcia. For eleven years, I've been working in the Department of Children and Family Services. I am currently an Intermediate Typist Clerk at Sante Fe Springs and I say, we need to TURN IT UP and tell Los Angeles County that we are overworked and overdue for RAISES!

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The Answer: Tax the Rich

Ginny-Elmore_LA-County-RN_80x80.jpgYes we have been here before.

Capitalism is an economic system that values the accumulation of wealth. In free-market economics, governmental regulation should be as little as possible. The combination of capitalism and the laissez faire, free-market economy has brought the United States to a major imbalance of wealth distribution. Today, CEOs make more than 400 times the salaries of the average worker.

A New Civil Rights Movement

IMG_0394x300.jpgDownload a flyer of this One to One blog.

The civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s was a struggle to end the second-class status of a sector of the population that did not enjoy the rights decreed by the U.S. Constitution.

Today, undocumented immigrant workers and their families live in circumstances similar to what African-Americans had to endure before civil rights were won.

We Need Jobs, Not Cuts

Ginny-Elmore_LA-County-RN_80x80.jpgOn Nov. 6, 2012, the people sent a message: Americans cannot be bought. We do believe there is a place for government in providing services that the private sector is ill-equipped to provide.

Mayor of Wall Street or LA?

Jake-Miller_Animal-Care-Technician_CROPx80.jpgDid you hear what the mayor is doing?

First, he went after our jobs and slashed our pensions. Now, he's pushing his cutback agenda on tens of millions of people across the country.

No on 32: 'Keep the middle class strong'

Alan-Peshek-19x125.jpgVolunteer this weekend through Nov. 6 to get out the vote. Download a flyer with locations and volunteer information.

Don't be fooled by the lies being told by the proponents of Prop 32. It's called the "Paycheck Protection Initiative," but the only people protected by it are the super rich and the corporations that want to take over our state.

The backers of Prop 32 want to silence our voices by removing working people from the California political process. And they're stopping at no end to make it happen.

Why Riordan Is Attacking Our Pensions

Art-Sweatman-03x125_1.jpgFormer Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan is pushing a ballot initiative that would decimate city workers' pensions and replace them with risky 401(k) plans.

Riordan is aiming more at voters' emotions than he is at solving a budget issue. It won't solve the city's budget problems. If Riordan's initiative gets on the ballot, it will only make things worse.

Weakness, Strength and Propaganda

$Emmett.jpg200 to $300 per month has been taken from us.  The county wants to eliminate our retirement plan.  Our healthcare costs continue to rise. I could be talking about Ventura County, but I could also be describing what is going on throughout the country.

We all want something better in life and in seeking that we often seek fairness.   One might consider that a flaw in our character considering how well greed and corruption are rewarded in America and the rest of the world.  To seek improvement in our lives we must make choices.  I see too many choosing weakness for us.  When a person chooses weakness they must also choose the responsibility for having less in their lives.

SEIU Convention: 'As if I Had Found Distant Family Members'

Robert-Gonzales_146x164.jpgI arrived in Denver for the SEIU International Convention on a Sunday morning, alone and interested in learning what our union has to offer. At the airport I was amazed to see all the purple shirts welcoming us to Denver and helping to get us to our hotel. That Sunday afternoon I attended my first Latino Caucus meeting and delegate orientation. That night I ate dinner at a local restaurant alone, anticipating the long days in front of me. This was the last opportunity that I had to think by myself. That night I meet my roommate, who was full of energy and excitement, and really helped make my trip an experience that I will never forget. 

Building Worker Strength Through Immigration Reform

Oscar-Valladares_at-Convention-Mic_300x197.jpgDuring the convention, Local 721 spearheaded support for "Comprehensive Immigration Reform that values the contribution of immigrants" and called for a process to bring "dignity and respect" to all workers. SEIU moved to promote the urgent need to provide a Temporary Protected Status for Guatemalans workers based on the "devastating environmental and economic damage" their country has endured since early 2010.

I am proud and honored to be part of a union that opposes unrealistic, punitive, anti-immigrants measures and calls for the full legalization and integration of immigrants into our society. I left the convention motivated and convinced that worker-based movements are crucial to developing a more equitable society that stands on the two pillars of dignity and respect for all. 

--Oscar Valladares
Deputy Public Conservator/Administrator
Office of the Public Guardian
LA County Department of Mental Health

Lead, Unite, Fight and Win: What I Learned at the Int'l Convention

Rosie_Martinez_80px.jpgBy Rosie Martinez

PHN retiree - SEIU 721

The 25th International Convention has just ended and I am deeply encouraged by the vision my union,  SEIU, has proposed over the last four days. It brings  clarity  to our world turned upside down!  My thoughts  go back to the last four years and I often wonder how we could have survived the challenges and attacks on working families. But rest assured our union  has a strategic plan that encompasses a clear and formidable direction.

I have attended many conventions, but this convention offers a vision unique in its design for creating a just and fair society for all. Through the ideas proposed  in the Blue Print for the Future,  we can LEAD, UNITE, FIGHT, AND WIN for our members and the communities we serve. The world will be changed because of our profound will to make the world better for all--and SEIU members will lead the way.  Together we are forging alliances with the 99% to transform our union, our communities and our world.

Our path is clear and our transformation is real. We must re-elect President Barack Obama,  end income inequality, organize millions into unions,  engage our youth in action and leadership,  elect champions with a mandate that reflects our vision, direct action to take our communities back, mobilize other members and build the 99% movement so that we all benefit--not  just the 1%. We will embrace the ideals of human dignity and respect, worker rights, immigrant rights, civil rights, productive and quality work, solidarity with communities and allies and a transformation for a better future.  THIS IS OUR MANDATE, THIS IS OUR VISION.

I'm supporting Mike Soubirous in Riverside

Mark_Kisselburg_80x80.jpgBy Mark Kisselburg
Riverside County Staff Development Officer

As a resident and long-time employee of Riverside County, I have directly seen the impact that our choices at the ballot box have on our working conditions and our quality of life. And that is why I am supporting Mike Soubirous for the Riverside County Board of Supervisors in District 1.

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