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Support Essential Santa Cruz County Workers, Send an Email to the Board Here: https://bit.ly/3blNBkO 

As federal relief money from The American Rescue Plan is poised for distribution among cash-strapped counties and states, workers urge the Board of Supervisors to work together, secure funding and protect good union jobs

On Tuesday, February 23, 2021, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors approved a proposal by the Sheriff’s Office that will deliver a blow to central coast union families. Despite months of strong opposition from our Union, the Board voted to outsource ten cooks’ positions in the Sherrif’s Department to Aramark. Following months of sacrifice and contributions amidst the pandemic, cooks in the Sheriff’s Department are reconciling unemployment and the financial insecurities posed by COVID-19. These cooks are experienced essential employees who are long-time residents of the Santa Cruz County community contribute heroically by feeding workers and County jail inmates without hesitancy.  

“I have lived in this community for 50 years; my coworkers and I take immense pride in the work we contribute – it’s taken us years to build the experience,” said Anna Dinapoli, a Sherriff’s Office Cook. “Not only is this mass firing effort by the Sheriff’s Office an attempt to bust our union, but it’s also premature given the priorities set out by the Biden administration to fund counties and states. We are ready and willing to work with the board and management to do everything we can to make sure we receive relief.”

The abuse of public authority is no surprise as the Board has demonstrated a disregard for health and safety of union workers throughout their careers by adopting the proposal. Stress levels were so high that one cook passed away due to a stroke. The neglect of union workers in the County even led to the death of several in County Jails. Union cooks banded together online, recruiting public support through their petition. 

Support Essential Workers, Send an Email to the Board Herehttps://bit.ly/3blNBkO 

SEIU 521 Santa Cruz County Chapter President, Veronica Velazquez said of the layoffs and outsourcing, “Santa Cruz County management is choosing layoffs over a people-centered approach to keep the community whole. With nearly $50 million in federal funding expected to be available to the County as part of the new administration’s relief priority, we urge the County Supervisors to reconsider with alternative solutions to protect the jobs of essential workers. Residents have made it clear through the historic votes in November that we need bold approaches to address financial challenges, and the clear path to funding jobs and protecting services is through the American Rescue Plan.

Aramark is a company with a history of serving food to people with maggots, is involved with multiple lawsuits related to human trafficking and has 79 employment rights violations. Still, the Board ignored our member’s plea not to outsource our members union jobs to this company.   The ten Union workers worked for the County for over 20 years and are residents of our community. They provide quality food to inmates and officers throughout County jails and the Santa Cruz County Sherriff’s Office. The County Board of Supervisors is responsible for overall management of county government operations.