Headlines

Union leaders called it the first strike in the region since 2001 and they called the CEO “Out of Touch”.

The one-day strike involves members of the Service Employees International Union, including judicial assistants, court reporters and self-help staff, according to the union’s news release. “Time and time again, they acted as if they are above the very law that courts are supposed to uphold,” SEIU 721 President David Green wrote of court leadership in the release. “They are wrong – and we will prove it when we go on our (unfair labor practice) strike.”

The union, SEIU 721, is seeking higher wages and changes in working conditions. It’s accused the court of unfair labor practices.

SEIU 721 President David Green said the change is yet another example of [Ventura County CEO Kate] Bieker failing to consider the consequences her decisions have on employees. “The buck stops with her, and she has the ability to do the right thing and listen to the people who are actually doing the work every day,” he said. “And we’ve felt like we’ve found nothing but resistance from her, unfortunately.”

“These are workers that deal with everything from deactivation to wage theft issues to erratic schedules to harassment on the job,” said David Green, SEIU 721 president.

California is home to about 350,000 ride-hailing drivers, according to SEIU.

David Green, president of SEIU Local 721, called it the “largest expansion of private sector collective bargaining in California history.”

“I’m asking the leaders of Riverside County to support a fair bargaining process that shows our members how valuable they are, a process that recognizes the work our members do,” SEIU 721 President and Executive Director David Green said at the June 9 meeting. “And we ask you to preserve the integrity of the public services in the county with a contract that will help decrease outsourcing that goes on, help retain and hire the professionals needed to continue and provide the services that our community not only deserves, but depends on every single day.”

Staff at Union Station Homeless Services, the Pasadena-based nonprofit that serves as the San Gabriel Valley’s largest agency for the unhoused, voted Thursday to unionize with the Service Employees International Union Local 721, according to both the union and the organization’s management.

The Los Angeles march was organized by clergymen and other faith-based community members, alongside other groups including Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 721 and LA Voice.