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Bakersfield, Calif. – During a lunch break on Wednesday, September 25th, Kern County Department of Human Service (DHS) workers formed an informational picket line protesting poor staff retention/recruitment, high caseloads, and stagnant wages.
The Social Workers who walked today’s picket line are workers who investigate reports of child abuse and help minors in the foster care system reunite with their families. Other workers in attendance also represented by Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 521 include Eligibility Workers and Office Aides who help residents access healthcare, food, and jobs. Workers are demanding county leadership stop ignoring the staffing crisis and support children in need and use a portion of the county’s growing financial surplus to make sure families are safe and secure. According to the California Child Welfare Indicators Project, from January to March 2024, when a report comes in of a child in immediate danger, children in Kern County are 50% less likely to get help in time.
In addition, the California Child Welfare Indicators Project reports that, as of March 2024, Kern County falls about 7% behind the California state average in providing timely monthly caseworker in-home visits for children aged 16-17. Between April 2023 and March 2024, only 64.2% of children ages 16-17 in Kern County have received timely in-home services compared to 75.3% of children ages 16-17 in California.
Meanwhile, according to Kern County’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for the Fiscal Year (FY) ending on June 30, 2023, over the past five years from FY 2019 to FY 2023, Kern County’s net position, or net worth, has increased by $1.17 billion, or 130% (source: Kern County CAFR, FY 2023 pg 217).
A county’s financial net position is calculated by its assets plus deferred outflows less liabilities. In other words, Kern County is hoarding funds while understaffing public services and programs that vulnerable children and families depend on.
The DHS protest is coming off the heels of a two-month-long series of protests at over a dozen Behavioral Health, Animal Services, Roads, and Public Health departments highlighting similar poor working conditions.
The community allies in attendance at today’s picket protest include
- Noe Garcia, Dolores Huerta Foundation
- Harveen Kaur, Young Democrat Leaders of Kern
- Neel Sannappa – Working Families Party
- Charlotte O’Brien – Democratic Women of Kern
REMARKS FROM THE FIELD
“We’ve protested at over a dozen worksites because we see rural roads crumbling, mental health services delayed, and families are waiting too long for food, shelter, and access to healthcare. This is a symptom of a staffing crisis and uncompetitive wages.
The county can use its funds to address these issues. The lack of action and urgency from Kern County has forced us to continue raising our voices and use every tool at our disposal.” – Alicia Aleman, Kern County Social Worker and SEIU 521 Regional Vice President.
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Service Employees International Union, Local 521 represents 53,000+ public- and nonprofit, private-sector workers in California’s Bay Area, the Coast, and Central Valley. Under a Community First vision, we are committed to making sure the needs of our community, and the vital services we provide our community, come first. We believe our communities thrive when residents, elected leaders, and workers recognize that we are all in this together when it comes to our safety, health, and well-being.
