Media Advisory
June 15, 2015
Contact: Khanh Weinberg (408) 921-0098
Santa Clara County workers set to vote for strike sanction
Economic inequality, public safety, labor shortage put #sccountyincrisis
San Jose, Calif. – Highlighting vital public programs that Santa Clara County government leaders should be prioritizing during a week of budget hearings, county workers will rally Tuesday to call on the Board of Supervisors to invest in the future rather than hopping from one crisis to another.
The June 16 rally will be held simultaneous to a strike sanction vote by SEIU Local 521 members. Instead of working with front-line workers to implement proposals that put the community first, county management has chosen to interfere in union business; unilaterally eliminating alternate work hours as a form of retaliation; and singling out SEIU leaders with unfavorable reports.
These Unfair Labor Practices have coincided with SEIU 521 county workers’ sounding the alarm that the county is failing the community by not doing enough to address the following crises:
- 1 in 3 households in Silicon Valley cannot make ends meet.
- A 35% staff shortage with the 9-1-1 Communications Department.
- A looming labor shortage where 2,000 workers will reach retirement age in 5 years.
WHAT: “County in Crisis” rally and Strike Sanction Vote
WHEN: 5:30 p.m., June 16, 70 W. Hedding St.
VISUALS: Giant posters featuring 7 days of the week, highlighting crises
1,000 workers marching
# # #
The Service Employees International Union is an organization of 2.1 million members united by the belief in the dignity and worth of workers and the services they provide. SEIU is dedicated to improving the lives of workers and their families and creating a more just and humane society. For more information, visit www.seiu521.org
