SEIU members stand with California’s leaders as they gear up to defend our state’s progress
SACRAMENTO, CA – Members and leaders of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) in California expressed determination and resolve following the election of Donald Trump to serve a second term as US President. Members’ commitment comes alongside announcements from Governor Newsom, legislative leaders, and Attorney General Bonta that California will stand strong to defend our values.
“SEIU members have seen this horror show before, and we know the sequel is never better. There is no time to rest and no time to mourn, said David Huerta, President of SEIU California and SEIU – United Service Workers West (USWW). “We vow to defend immigrant communities, women, communities of color, and the LGBTQ+ community from the hate agenda of the MAGA fascists and their corporate and billionaire backers. And we will fight to defend and build the strength of our labor movement against the anti-union attacks we know are coming our way. California can and must resist the agenda of corporate dominance and MAGA hate. The work starts today.”
“The economy isn’t working for working people. The single best way to fight back is to build a bigger, broader, and stronger worker movement that can tackle the laws and policies that keep giving working people the short end of the stick,” said Tia Orr, Executive Director of SEIU California. “We will organize. We will grow. Being part of a union is the best way to make sure our families can thrive. We will fight to expand our movement so that every worker has a union card and a powerful voice. And working women of color will remember this day as the day we committed in a deeper way than ever before to building an economy that works for our families and a nation that lives up to our best ideals.”
Californians Voted for Progress
In California, SEIU members, in partnership with other labor union members and environmentalists, took on corporate greed here in California.
“Strengthening our pro-worker majority in the Legislature is the way to make progress on working families’ priorities, from housing we can afford, to wages that feed our families and the opportunity to retire in dignity,” said David Huerta, President of SEIU California and SEIU United Service Workers West (USWW).
“SEIU members put our time, energy and resources into electing candidates up and down the ballot who are committed to a pro-worker agenda. Having a “D” by their name isn’t enough for a candidate to earn our support. We go to the mat to support candidates who will stand by workers and our families, not CEOs’ corporate agenda to shrink our paychecks, raise the prices of food, gas and healthcare to pad their profit margins,” said Tia Orr, Executive Director of SEIU California.
SEIU members in California fought hard and reached out widely to our communities. Our work included:
· Nearly 4 million calls and 100 thousand door knocks
· Targeted nearly 1.3 million voters across the state
· Had conversations with nearly 100 thousand voters
· Sent over 1 million pieces of mail in English, Spanish, Armenian, Chinese, Korean, Russian, and Vietnamese
· SEIU California targeted a specialized in-language and in a culturally competent phone program into 16 targeted districts to target African American, Latino, Chinese, and Vietnamese voters, who otherwise might not have been contacted
· Multi-layered approach to meet voters where they are, whether is it where they consume media, on the phones, via text, in the mail, or at the doors
The following pro-worker, SEIU backed candidates are significantly ahead of their opponents and on their way to victory:
- Sade Elhawary, Assembly District 57
- Robert Garcia, Assembly District 50
- Jessica Caloza, Assembly District 52
- Mark Gonzalez, Assembly District 54
- Dr. Darshana Patel, Assembly District 76
Many more pro-worker candidates will see their races called in the coming weeks and SEIU members look forward to working hand in hand with these elected officials to defend our democracy and ensure that California remains a place where, through a collective voice in their union, workers and their families can thrive.
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