Sacramento, CA – Members of the Service Employees International Union in California welcomed yesterday’s joint legislative budget agreement and essential workforce investments. David Huerta, President of SEIU California and SEIU-USWW (United Service Workers West) said:
“This agreement reflects the voices of workers who are unified in our demand for an equitable recovery – where every worker and her family has the opportunity to thrive that can only come when she has a voice in her work.
“SEIU members thank legislative leadership and our budget champions for heeding our call for key investments that position workers to lead us to a more equitable California.”
Nursing Homes
“The agreement adopts a key plank of workers’ ‘Put Care First Agenda,’ establishing a Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Standards Board that puts workers at the center of transforming nursing homes from profit centers to care centers. After COVID devastated nursing homes, one in two workers is likely to leave in the next year if critical quality, staffing, and safety issues are not addressed.”
Community Clinics
“Community clinics are where health equity happens – where Californians can access quality care in their community, in their language, and without regard to ability to pay. Dedicating $137 million toward our community clinic workforce, the legislature’s proposal underscores the value of our community clinics and their workers; however, this is a fraction of the investment needed in the clinic workforce, and we urge a more significant investment of $400 million to meet the surging need for care coming out of the pandemic and as California prepares to include all eligible Californians in Medi-Cal, regardless of immigration status.”
Child Care
“The agreement released yesterday gives families struggling to recover a reprieve from child care fees, and it provides for contributions to providers’ health care and retirement security, which if included in the final budget, will be a monumental step towards justice for a women-of-color powered workforce. Workers are counting on Governor Newsom to fully fund critical investments in this essential work.”
Higher Education
“The increase in CSU’s budget is a welcome step toward rebuilding ‘the People’s University,’ but the workers at the university, both faculty and classified, need even greater investment and equitable pay scales.”
Public Health
“Legislators heard workers’ call to strengthen our frontline against diseases like COVID-19 and to address longstanding impacts of racism and discrimination so every community can thrive. We commend the legislature for keeping the promise of $300 million in ongoing funds for local and state public health infrastructure, and dedicating a one-time, $195 million investment to recruit, retain and train the diverse workforce California needs to deliver health equity.”
Housing
“Lawmakers have rightly prioritized investment in housing needs for workers and their families; we encourage further, bold steps to build more affordable homes for working families while creating quality jobs, including AB 2011 (Wicks).”
Support for Californians with Developmental Disabilities
“SEIU members praise the legislature’s proposals to build out the services that enable children and adults with developmental disabilities to thrive.”
More Work to Do on Residents, CSU, Healthcare Worker Retention, and Clinics
“There is still work to do to ensure the final budget maximizes the record surplus and lifts up workers and our families. Retaining our essential hospital workforce, growing our pipeline of resident doctors, investing more in California State University’s workers, and boosting investments in community clinics are all essential. We will continue to work with the Legislature and the Newsom Administration to ensure the final state budget reflects workers’ values and positions California to show the nation what an equitable recovery looks like.”
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