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ORGANIZING IN CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
Homecare workers organize in Central California with the help of SEIU 250
ORGANIZING IN CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
By Mike Rhodes
Editor of the Community Alliance Magazine
http://www.fresnoalliance.com/home
Madera is a small county in the middle of the Central Valley with chronic double digit unemployment and massive poverty. But now, homecare workers are organizing to improve their lives. The workers, there are currently over 1,000 of them, receive minimum wage and no benefits. Service Employee International Union Local 250 has been at the forefront of the struggle to bring better wages and benefits for homecare workers in Madera and throughout the State of California. Unionized homecare workers in San Francisco, Yolo, Contra Costa, and Sacramento earn at least $9.50 an hour with benefits.
The union got hundreds of homecare workers to sign union cards and an election will be held in February, 2003. In Fresno county, which is just South of Madera, homecare workers voted in support of the union by 92%. The Fresno workers are currently negotiating their first contract.
DON’T BE MISLED BY A PHONEY ASSOCIATION
In recent weeks, a union busting “workers association” has been encouraging workers to resign from the union. SEIU 250 members say that the effort will weaken Madera county homecare workers chances to improve their working conditions. Madera homeccare worker Margarita Adame said “some people are asking us to resign from SEIU 250. The are purposefully trying to confuse and divide homecare workers, but we will not be fooled. Now’s the time for us all to unite in SEIU 250 and achieve what other SEIU 250 homecare workers already have - a wage increase and benefits.”
On Wednesday, January 22 the Fresno, Madera, Tulare, Kings Central Labor Council passed the following resolution:
WHEREAS SEIU Local 250 has been organizing Madera County Homecare Workers since June of 2000; and
WHEREAS SEIU Local 250 has been involved since that time in the process to set up an IHSS Public Authority as the Employer of Record; and
WHEREAS SEIU Local 250 filed a petition for election immediately after it became legal to do so; and
WHEREAS former SEIU Local 250 organizer Marc Scalzo has set up a “Madera Homecare Workers Association,” with himself as Secretary-Treasurer; and
WHEREAS Marc Scalzo has recruited Madera County Homecare worker members of SEIU Local 250 to his “Madera Homecare Workers Association” and induced them to resign from SEIU Local 250 using union-busting tactics; and
WHEREAS the “Madera Homecare Workers Association” has garnered signatures from 10% of the Madera County IHSS workers and has intervened in the IHSS election; and
WHEREAS these actions have resulted in confusion among Madera County IHSS workers and division between workers; and
WHEREAS, the “Madera Homecare Workers Association” is not affiliated with the AFL-CIO; and
WHEREAS union busting against one Fresno, Madera, Tulare, Kings union hurts all Unions in their efforts to defend workers;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Fresno, Madera, Tulare, Kings, Central Labor Council go on record condemning the efforts of the “Madera Homecare Workers Association” to organize against the interests of SEIU Local 250 members;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Fresno, Madera, Tulare, Kings Central Labor Council ask the “Madera Homecare Workers Association” to withdraw its petition to intervene in the Madera County IHSS election; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Fresno, Madera, Tulare, Kings Central Labor Council provide assistance to the organizing efforts of SEIU Local 250 in Madera County.
By Mike Rhodes
Editor of the Community Alliance Magazine
http://www.fresnoalliance.com/home
Madera is a small county in the middle of the Central Valley with chronic double digit unemployment and massive poverty. But now, homecare workers are organizing to improve their lives. The workers, there are currently over 1,000 of them, receive minimum wage and no benefits. Service Employee International Union Local 250 has been at the forefront of the struggle to bring better wages and benefits for homecare workers in Madera and throughout the State of California. Unionized homecare workers in San Francisco, Yolo, Contra Costa, and Sacramento earn at least $9.50 an hour with benefits.
The union got hundreds of homecare workers to sign union cards and an election will be held in February, 2003. In Fresno county, which is just South of Madera, homecare workers voted in support of the union by 92%. The Fresno workers are currently negotiating their first contract.
DON’T BE MISLED BY A PHONEY ASSOCIATION
In recent weeks, a union busting “workers association” has been encouraging workers to resign from the union. SEIU 250 members say that the effort will weaken Madera county homecare workers chances to improve their working conditions. Madera homeccare worker Margarita Adame said “some people are asking us to resign from SEIU 250. The are purposefully trying to confuse and divide homecare workers, but we will not be fooled. Now’s the time for us all to unite in SEIU 250 and achieve what other SEIU 250 homecare workers already have - a wage increase and benefits.”
On Wednesday, January 22 the Fresno, Madera, Tulare, Kings Central Labor Council passed the following resolution:
WHEREAS SEIU Local 250 has been organizing Madera County Homecare Workers since June of 2000; and
WHEREAS SEIU Local 250 has been involved since that time in the process to set up an IHSS Public Authority as the Employer of Record; and
WHEREAS SEIU Local 250 filed a petition for election immediately after it became legal to do so; and
WHEREAS former SEIU Local 250 organizer Marc Scalzo has set up a “Madera Homecare Workers Association,” with himself as Secretary-Treasurer; and
WHEREAS Marc Scalzo has recruited Madera County Homecare worker members of SEIU Local 250 to his “Madera Homecare Workers Association” and induced them to resign from SEIU Local 250 using union-busting tactics; and
WHEREAS the “Madera Homecare Workers Association” has garnered signatures from 10% of the Madera County IHSS workers and has intervened in the IHSS election; and
WHEREAS these actions have resulted in confusion among Madera County IHSS workers and division between workers; and
WHEREAS, the “Madera Homecare Workers Association” is not affiliated with the AFL-CIO; and
WHEREAS union busting against one Fresno, Madera, Tulare, Kings union hurts all Unions in their efforts to defend workers;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Fresno, Madera, Tulare, Kings, Central Labor Council go on record condemning the efforts of the “Madera Homecare Workers Association” to organize against the interests of SEIU Local 250 members;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Fresno, Madera, Tulare, Kings Central Labor Council ask the “Madera Homecare Workers Association” to withdraw its petition to intervene in the Madera County IHSS election; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Fresno, Madera, Tulare, Kings Central Labor Council provide assistance to the organizing efforts of SEIU Local 250 in Madera County.
For more information:
http://www.fresnoalliance.com/home
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Embattled union SEIU in ad campaign
George Raine, Chronicle Staff Writer Thursday, February 6, 2003
A labor union representing security officers in San Francisco office buildings, engaged in fruitless contract negotiations and competition for workers' loyalties, started an advertising campaign Wednesday that contends building security and guard training are inadequate.
The campaign seeks support for citywide standards on building security. More specifically, the union is seeking a citywide contract that the security guards union has been unable to negotiate with the private security companies that hire them.
The union is the Service Employees International Union Local 24/7, in San Francisco. SEIU gained entree to the security guard sector in San Francisco in May when it merged with the International Union of Security Officers. Today, it is the bargaining unit for about 2,000 San Francisco private security officers.
The campaign was revealed at a news conference Wednesday in San Francisco, at which Andrew Stern, the SEIU international president from Washington, D.C., said the union is unable to even engage security firms in a conversation about industry standards, training needs and stabilizing the workforce, let alone negotiate a contract.
"After (Sept. 11), I don't know what in the world they are thinking," said Stern. "Low wages and substandard benefits for security officers make job turnover in the sector comparable with the fast-food industry and that is just not acceptable," he said. Stern said that proved "the industry continues to be driven by the bottom line above all else, and it is proof the industry has not risen to the challenge since Sept. 11."
The matter is more complex than fruitless negotiations, however. A rival union, the Security, Police and Fire Professionals of America, based in the Detroit area, is engaged in an aggressive campaign to organize as many as 160, 000 California security officers, said David Hickey, the international president.
"In my opinion they (SEIU) need to take more time in representing low-paid janitors and health care workers," Hickey said, referring to two groups the union represents, "and stay out of the security business."
SPFPA, the largest security police union in the United States today, had just filed a citywide election on behalf of hundreds of Pro-Tech Security officers who no longer wish to be represented by a "JANITORS UNION"
SPFPA is also set to file a citywide election on behalf officers working for Allied Security and as recently as last week had filed several elections on behalf security officers working for Pinkerton, Burns, and Sentinial who also wish to disifiliate from the SEIU Local 24/7 and SEIU Local 1877.
Steve Maritas, SPFPA Organizing Director had stated
"SEIU's campaign is nothing more then a SCAM and the Security Officers working in both San Francisco and Los Angeles know it". What does Jarro Shaffer or Tomas Balanoff know about negotiating security officers contracts, absolutly NOTHING. "How could they, their both former low-paid janitors."
Several contracts SEIU members have with private security companies have expired and differences are not being resolved because those companies believe there is a built-in inequity in the process. About four years ago, the International Union of Security Officers negotiated five-year contracts with two security companies in San Francisco, while two years is the norm, said Sergio Reyes, an owner of ProTech of San Francisco, which has about 800 private officers.
Thus, there is an imbalance in wages and benefits in the industry. At the same time, building owners with high vacancy rates are pressured to lower costs.
The ad campaign that first appeared on Wednesday begins with the premise that security practices and training of officers is inadequate.
Marc Intermaggio, executive vice president of the Building Owners and Managers Association of San Francisco, took exception to that claim.
Of the headline in the ad, "Has Enough Been Done to Improve Security in Buildings," Intermaggio said, "That is certainly an unfortunate way to get attention."
He added, "We can always work to better meet the needs of office building tenants, but office building safety and security has always been a concern of building operators and we did not need Sept. 11 to be reminded of the importance of tenant and visitor security."
Research for the SEIU found that 48 percent of security officers say that the buildings in which they work do not conduct any emergency drills, and that 65 percent say that their buildings do not conduct earthquake drills. About 67 percent do not conduct bomb-threat drills, and 76 percent never conduct arrest- procedure drills.
As SEIU's Stern announced the campaign Wednesday, he was joined by San Francisco Sheriff Michael Hennessey; John Hanley, president of the Firefighters Local 798; Chris Cunnie, president of the Police Officers Association; and Larry Bradshaw, a San Francisco paramedic, all of whom endorsed the union effort.
E-mail George Raine at graine [at] sfchronicle.com.
George Raine, Chronicle Staff Writer Thursday, February 6, 2003
A labor union representing security officers in San Francisco office buildings, engaged in fruitless contract negotiations and competition for workers' loyalties, started an advertising campaign Wednesday that contends building security and guard training are inadequate.
The campaign seeks support for citywide standards on building security. More specifically, the union is seeking a citywide contract that the security guards union has been unable to negotiate with the private security companies that hire them.
The union is the Service Employees International Union Local 24/7, in San Francisco. SEIU gained entree to the security guard sector in San Francisco in May when it merged with the International Union of Security Officers. Today, it is the bargaining unit for about 2,000 San Francisco private security officers.
The campaign was revealed at a news conference Wednesday in San Francisco, at which Andrew Stern, the SEIU international president from Washington, D.C., said the union is unable to even engage security firms in a conversation about industry standards, training needs and stabilizing the workforce, let alone negotiate a contract.
"After (Sept. 11), I don't know what in the world they are thinking," said Stern. "Low wages and substandard benefits for security officers make job turnover in the sector comparable with the fast-food industry and that is just not acceptable," he said. Stern said that proved "the industry continues to be driven by the bottom line above all else, and it is proof the industry has not risen to the challenge since Sept. 11."
The matter is more complex than fruitless negotiations, however. A rival union, the Security, Police and Fire Professionals of America, based in the Detroit area, is engaged in an aggressive campaign to organize as many as 160, 000 California security officers, said David Hickey, the international president.
"In my opinion they (SEIU) need to take more time in representing low-paid janitors and health care workers," Hickey said, referring to two groups the union represents, "and stay out of the security business."
SPFPA, the largest security police union in the United States today, had just filed a citywide election on behalf of hundreds of Pro-Tech Security officers who no longer wish to be represented by a "JANITORS UNION"
SPFPA is also set to file a citywide election on behalf officers working for Allied Security and as recently as last week had filed several elections on behalf security officers working for Pinkerton, Burns, and Sentinial who also wish to disifiliate from the SEIU Local 24/7 and SEIU Local 1877.
Steve Maritas, SPFPA Organizing Director had stated
"SEIU's campaign is nothing more then a SCAM and the Security Officers working in both San Francisco and Los Angeles know it". What does Jarro Shaffer or Tomas Balanoff know about negotiating security officers contracts, absolutly NOTHING. "How could they, their both former low-paid janitors."
Several contracts SEIU members have with private security companies have expired and differences are not being resolved because those companies believe there is a built-in inequity in the process. About four years ago, the International Union of Security Officers negotiated five-year contracts with two security companies in San Francisco, while two years is the norm, said Sergio Reyes, an owner of ProTech of San Francisco, which has about 800 private officers.
Thus, there is an imbalance in wages and benefits in the industry. At the same time, building owners with high vacancy rates are pressured to lower costs.
The ad campaign that first appeared on Wednesday begins with the premise that security practices and training of officers is inadequate.
Marc Intermaggio, executive vice president of the Building Owners and Managers Association of San Francisco, took exception to that claim.
Of the headline in the ad, "Has Enough Been Done to Improve Security in Buildings," Intermaggio said, "That is certainly an unfortunate way to get attention."
He added, "We can always work to better meet the needs of office building tenants, but office building safety and security has always been a concern of building operators and we did not need Sept. 11 to be reminded of the importance of tenant and visitor security."
Research for the SEIU found that 48 percent of security officers say that the buildings in which they work do not conduct any emergency drills, and that 65 percent say that their buildings do not conduct earthquake drills. About 67 percent do not conduct bomb-threat drills, and 76 percent never conduct arrest- procedure drills.
As SEIU's Stern announced the campaign Wednesday, he was joined by San Francisco Sheriff Michael Hennessey; John Hanley, president of the Firefighters Local 798; Chris Cunnie, president of the Police Officers Association; and Larry Bradshaw, a San Francisco paramedic, all of whom endorsed the union effort.
E-mail George Raine at graine [at] sfchronicle.com.
This one and the UFW,,,,gee where are the other unions...does Fresno have any other active Union's.....most large cities do. Is it true the Unions in Fresno are broken? Maybe the active Labor unions in other states could come over and give support to these courages SEIU members.....Maybe the Labor union members who enjoy a $20.00 or more an hour pay could donate a little time and money to help the fight for their brothers and sisters who are just starting in the struggle.......cause if we ask Fresno labor...lthey just might call us communist.
Be strong SEIU members...We are proud of you!!!!!!
thanks for the pictures!!!!
Be strong SEIU members...We are proud of you!!!!!!
thanks for the pictures!!!!
Disgruntled ex-union employee Marc Scalzo is making quite a name for himself in Madera and in union circles. This is a photo of his new Association/Bail Bond office. Marc is leading the effort to destroy Service Employee International Union Local 250 efforts to bring a living wage and health benefits to the approximately 1,000 home care workers in Madera. His tactic? Form an association, with himself as the director, and interceded in the upcoming election. His pitch? Don’t pay union dues!
It may also be of interest to readers of Indymedia that Marc Scalzo was a featured speaker at the American Independent Party (neo-fascist) statewide convention last August? See details at: http://www.aipca.org/News___Views/july2002.html
It may also be of interest to readers of Indymedia that Marc Scalzo was a featured speaker at the American Independent Party (neo-fascist) statewide convention last August? See details at: http://www.aipca.org/News___Views/july2002.html
Service Employees International Union local 250 won the election in the Madera home care worker election. SEIU received 75% of the vote. The Association and a vote for NO union received 25% of the vote.
To whom this may concern
My name is John Dunn. I work for IHSS in Tulare County as an in home care taker. I’m writing to let you know about the problem I'm going through with SEIU taking dues out of my paycheck for the months of January and February. ($20 per month). I’ve called a dozen people about this problem, I’ve even written notes regarding the deductions, and sent them along with my time card to IHSS. Well apparently the dues deductions has stopped coming out of my paychecks, but now I'm interested in recovering the dues ($40) that have already been deducted that need to be paid back to me because I am not a union member, and I never signed on to be a member, if I was a member I would expect to be making more than min wage. I really don't know what to do about this problem. IHSS doesn't even have a union rep to talk to. If you could help me I would sure appreciate it. My social security number is 559-39-6735; my worker at IHSS is Judy Moorehead she can be reached at 559-733-6111. My phone number is 559-562-8102.
Thank you,
John Dunn
My name is John Dunn. I work for IHSS in Tulare County as an in home care taker. I’m writing to let you know about the problem I'm going through with SEIU taking dues out of my paycheck for the months of January and February. ($20 per month). I’ve called a dozen people about this problem, I’ve even written notes regarding the deductions, and sent them along with my time card to IHSS. Well apparently the dues deductions has stopped coming out of my paychecks, but now I'm interested in recovering the dues ($40) that have already been deducted that need to be paid back to me because I am not a union member, and I never signed on to be a member, if I was a member I would expect to be making more than min wage. I really don't know what to do about this problem. IHSS doesn't even have a union rep to talk to. If you could help me I would sure appreciate it. My social security number is 559-39-6735; my worker at IHSS is Judy Moorehead she can be reached at 559-733-6111. My phone number is 559-562-8102.
Thank you,
John Dunn
Congratulations to the Sisters and Brothers in Homecare for making it into a union. I am a Local President here in Toronto and reprsent about 100 Homecare workers. The struggles you face around wages, benefits, hours of work is shared with your sisters and brothers here in Canada. We just spent five weeks on strike and finally have achieved benefits for the majority of our workers.
Whether it is the state, or city or for-profit employer - Homecare is an area that exploits workers and does not fully meet the needs of the elderly and disabled who are entitled to the service.
Our Local, with the support of our Union CUPE and other locals representing Homecare workers, plan on starting a campaign to expose the problems in the homecare sector and put pressure on our government bodies to provide adequate funding for this vital health care service to ensure fair wages, benefits and quality of care.
Congratulations again, Sisters and Brothers for joining with your fellow workers in a union - unions do make the difference for us!
Cheers and solidarity
Kelly O'Sullivan
CUPE 4308
Toronto, ON
Canada
Whether it is the state, or city or for-profit employer - Homecare is an area that exploits workers and does not fully meet the needs of the elderly and disabled who are entitled to the service.
Our Local, with the support of our Union CUPE and other locals representing Homecare workers, plan on starting a campaign to expose the problems in the homecare sector and put pressure on our government bodies to provide adequate funding for this vital health care service to ensure fair wages, benefits and quality of care.
Congratulations again, Sisters and Brothers for joining with your fellow workers in a union - unions do make the difference for us!
Cheers and solidarity
Kelly O'Sullivan
CUPE 4308
Toronto, ON
Canada
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