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Why I Didn't Strike On March 14th 2006
On March 14th I decided to do something I had never done and never expected to do. I walked through strike lines and worked while all my co-workers spend the entire day, sometimes in heavy rain, fighting fo a better contract. But, I had to disagree with my union.
My concerns go beyond the logic behind a one-day strike. I’m more troubled with how the union managed events during the months after our contract expired and I hesitate facing a community that has already shown declining support for county and city employees. I believe the majority of members are dissatisfied with the union’s performance. I also believe we are missing our opportunity to change how the public perceives us.
One thing should be made clear, I have always supported the union in the past. I was in support of the strikes during our last contract negotiations. I also was the only SEIU member to walk with several hundred UCSC students marching from the U.C. campus to downtown Santa Cruz in support of the 40-day bus strike. Even though the march was held after 5pm on a weekday, not a single member of our union was there other than me.
The decision to fire Cliff Tillman without due process or giving the former Executive Director any opportunity to resign is ludicrous. For the union members to discover the news from the morning paper and local radio broadcast is absurd. From what I understand, the steps taken to purge Mr. Tillman from the union were illegal and local journalists have hinted on investigating the process.
The vote for the strike is also a point of discomfort with me. How can we justify a strike when only 42.5 percent of the county employees voted to reject the contract and walk? Only 900 employees showed to vote. The sense in having a union is moot if the 900 non-voters aren’t heard. As a union, we need to do whatever it takes to get the vote. During the union elections there were several locations to vote at and several weeks to get to those numerous voting stations. Why should the vote that effects several years of our pay be decided at one location in North county and be give 4.5 hours to do so? Many times our labor movement has stumbled and bruised itself. Our weakness is evident in the number of members coming out to vote. Our union claims that the deck is always stacked against them, the truth is, our present union is it’s worst enemy. Receiving tens of thousands of dollars every month from our pockets and not giving us the proper venue and timeframe to vote is shameful.
I’m not comfortable with our inconsistent system of voting.
I always understood that the labor movement was the refuge for the neglected, the downtrodden and the poor. I am not neglected, downtrodden or poor; I don’t believe that any county worker is. Living paycheck-to-paycheck and making ends meet is how capitalism functions for the majority of American households. The labor movement will never resolve that quandary. Capitalism is not fair, therefore labor will never be. We can only strive to reduce the gray area in between; watching the poor become poorer and county workers asking for more money will not accomplish anything.
I know many people want to live in the Santa Cruz area. Go anywhere in America, mention Santa Cruz and people know what you’re talking about. The reality is it’s expensive to live here and unless you are one of the lucky few that have very high paying jobs, you will never be able to own the perfect home or live the lifestyle you dream about. As the human resource agency we tell our participants to gain as much education as they can and work as hard as they can to move up the ladder at whatever they do. That is how the system works, through constant and tiring exertion.
The argument that county employees should receive more pay because managers are paid so much is comical. Managers are supposed to make more money because they are managers. How can a business model function if parity is across the board? You must have levels of pay, some greater in distance than others, it’s what makes employees go back to school and make an attempt at a promotion. What would be the benefit of being a manager if the pay was almost equal to the people you are managing?
If the county has the funds to provide us the pay raises and terms we are asking for, I suggest that money be put back in the community, not the pockets of county workers. Every year we see fewer services for the people that desperately need a helping hand. The county deserves a workforce that is committed to public service.
I need a union that will communicate with its members. I don’t want to find out in the newspaper about our Executive Director getting sacked. I don’t want to hear our negotiating team resigned the night before calling on a strike. I stand for what I have done today because I believe it is the right thing to do. I do not believe in conformity and solidarity if the circumstances are unjust. I believe in common sense and the personal choice to take the first step to make a greater change.
Helbard AlkhassAdeh
Employment & Training Specialist
CareerWorks
HRA / County of Santa Cruz
One thing should be made clear, I have always supported the union in the past. I was in support of the strikes during our last contract negotiations. I also was the only SEIU member to walk with several hundred UCSC students marching from the U.C. campus to downtown Santa Cruz in support of the 40-day bus strike. Even though the march was held after 5pm on a weekday, not a single member of our union was there other than me.
The decision to fire Cliff Tillman without due process or giving the former Executive Director any opportunity to resign is ludicrous. For the union members to discover the news from the morning paper and local radio broadcast is absurd. From what I understand, the steps taken to purge Mr. Tillman from the union were illegal and local journalists have hinted on investigating the process.
The vote for the strike is also a point of discomfort with me. How can we justify a strike when only 42.5 percent of the county employees voted to reject the contract and walk? Only 900 employees showed to vote. The sense in having a union is moot if the 900 non-voters aren’t heard. As a union, we need to do whatever it takes to get the vote. During the union elections there were several locations to vote at and several weeks to get to those numerous voting stations. Why should the vote that effects several years of our pay be decided at one location in North county and be give 4.5 hours to do so? Many times our labor movement has stumbled and bruised itself. Our weakness is evident in the number of members coming out to vote. Our union claims that the deck is always stacked against them, the truth is, our present union is it’s worst enemy. Receiving tens of thousands of dollars every month from our pockets and not giving us the proper venue and timeframe to vote is shameful.
I’m not comfortable with our inconsistent system of voting.
I always understood that the labor movement was the refuge for the neglected, the downtrodden and the poor. I am not neglected, downtrodden or poor; I don’t believe that any county worker is. Living paycheck-to-paycheck and making ends meet is how capitalism functions for the majority of American households. The labor movement will never resolve that quandary. Capitalism is not fair, therefore labor will never be. We can only strive to reduce the gray area in between; watching the poor become poorer and county workers asking for more money will not accomplish anything.
I know many people want to live in the Santa Cruz area. Go anywhere in America, mention Santa Cruz and people know what you’re talking about. The reality is it’s expensive to live here and unless you are one of the lucky few that have very high paying jobs, you will never be able to own the perfect home or live the lifestyle you dream about. As the human resource agency we tell our participants to gain as much education as they can and work as hard as they can to move up the ladder at whatever they do. That is how the system works, through constant and tiring exertion.
The argument that county employees should receive more pay because managers are paid so much is comical. Managers are supposed to make more money because they are managers. How can a business model function if parity is across the board? You must have levels of pay, some greater in distance than others, it’s what makes employees go back to school and make an attempt at a promotion. What would be the benefit of being a manager if the pay was almost equal to the people you are managing?
If the county has the funds to provide us the pay raises and terms we are asking for, I suggest that money be put back in the community, not the pockets of county workers. Every year we see fewer services for the people that desperately need a helping hand. The county deserves a workforce that is committed to public service.
I need a union that will communicate with its members. I don’t want to find out in the newspaper about our Executive Director getting sacked. I don’t want to hear our negotiating team resigned the night before calling on a strike. I stand for what I have done today because I believe it is the right thing to do. I do not believe in conformity and solidarity if the circumstances are unjust. I believe in common sense and the personal choice to take the first step to make a greater change.
Helbard AlkhassAdeh
Employment & Training Specialist
CareerWorks
HRA / County of Santa Cruz
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This firing of Tillman seems a little fishy. Do you know why exactly he was removed? How do workers in general feel about this?
I definitely understand motives to democratize the union and ensure that the rank-and-file are the ones making the decisions, but I can't help but wonder if some of your comments are actually hurting your fellow workers?
I noticed that The Sentinel used your comments as a way to both discredit the union and the current wage parity struggle. Here's a quote: "Alkhassadeh estimated that a day of pay lost while striking equalled about two months of the retroactive salary hike the union is fighting for"
It's very likely that the Sentinel could have taken your words out of context and used them to seem anti-union and anti-struggle, but what are your intentions?
You seem to think that County workers, including yourself, are already payed enough? Is it enough to pay for all vital family needs? What about this health care fight?
You also mention that you think managers should be paid and receive better benefits than workers. Do you want to be a manager sometime soon? Why should one person who works the same 8-hour day be given so much more than another person who works the same 8 hours?
I'm just finding myself confused because many of your arguments could be seen as being against your interests.. if you get what I'm saying.
Can you help clarify?
Either way, thanks for posting your comments!
I definitely understand motives to democratize the union and ensure that the rank-and-file are the ones making the decisions, but I can't help but wonder if some of your comments are actually hurting your fellow workers?
I noticed that The Sentinel used your comments as a way to both discredit the union and the current wage parity struggle. Here's a quote: "Alkhassadeh estimated that a day of pay lost while striking equalled about two months of the retroactive salary hike the union is fighting for"
It's very likely that the Sentinel could have taken your words out of context and used them to seem anti-union and anti-struggle, but what are your intentions?
You seem to think that County workers, including yourself, are already payed enough? Is it enough to pay for all vital family needs? What about this health care fight?
You also mention that you think managers should be paid and receive better benefits than workers. Do you want to be a manager sometime soon? Why should one person who works the same 8-hour day be given so much more than another person who works the same 8 hours?
I'm just finding myself confused because many of your arguments could be seen as being against your interests.. if you get what I'm saying.
Can you help clarify?
Either way, thanks for posting your comments!
but you are still a fucking scab. shame on you.
Here are some questions for Helbard to consider:
Is it not arrogant to claim that you know that all county employees are not deserving (since they are, in your OPINION not "poor, down trodden or neglected)? How could you possibly know the financial siuations of thousands? Who gives you the right to judge?What wages are actually needed to be out of the poverty level in SCruz County? Do you know?
Why all of this complaint and concern about Union process-- which may be valid--when you're preference is to "give the money --if the County had it-- "to the community". Hell, why don't you just publicly state that whatever percentage the union gets you'll simply donate to the 'community.' Remember: you don't need the money either.
You may be a scab, but you're irrational as well.
Is it not arrogant to claim that you know that all county employees are not deserving (since they are, in your OPINION not "poor, down trodden or neglected)? How could you possibly know the financial siuations of thousands? Who gives you the right to judge?What wages are actually needed to be out of the poverty level in SCruz County? Do you know?
Why all of this complaint and concern about Union process-- which may be valid--when you're preference is to "give the money --if the County had it-- "to the community". Hell, why don't you just publicly state that whatever percentage the union gets you'll simply donate to the 'community.' Remember: you don't need the money either.
You may be a scab, but you're irrational as well.
This is mostly in response to the previous commenters.
Do you folks realize that the same day you were striking for a higher salary, Watsonville citizens were protesting cuts in social services? If you don't get your union raise, will you be forced to live in a gutter like many of these people already do? Just so I have this right, you folks want to get paid more so that you can actually offer LESS services to the community? I think Helbard hit the nail on the head. This strike is a selfish move by these workers. Not many people can afford to live luxuriously in Santa Cruz County, and most of those that live the life do not work in the county. I commute over two hours each way each day to be able to live in a place where I feel I'm part of a community.
If you complain that you should be paid a manager's salary, go work your manager's job for a week. I guarantee you will be happy with your own job and learn to respect the higher pay that they earn. Especially if they have to deal with selfish arrogant people such as the earlier commenters.
Do you folks realize that the same day you were striking for a higher salary, Watsonville citizens were protesting cuts in social services? If you don't get your union raise, will you be forced to live in a gutter like many of these people already do? Just so I have this right, you folks want to get paid more so that you can actually offer LESS services to the community? I think Helbard hit the nail on the head. This strike is a selfish move by these workers. Not many people can afford to live luxuriously in Santa Cruz County, and most of those that live the life do not work in the county. I commute over two hours each way each day to be able to live in a place where I feel I'm part of a community.
If you complain that you should be paid a manager's salary, go work your manager's job for a week. I guarantee you will be happy with your own job and learn to respect the higher pay that they earn. Especially if they have to deal with selfish arrogant people such as the earlier commenters.
Now that County employees with SEIU 415 have a signed labor contract, it seems to me the county HRA scab (who felt that giving any proposed raises to 'the community' would be superior to giving a raise to, in his view, undeserving County workers) should now PUBLICLY STATE that HIS salary increase--which is undeserved in his stated opinion--will be given to a local community org more in need than himself.
I expect nothing but silence from the scab on this issue.
I expect nothing but silence from the scab on this issue.
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