California Senate President Pro tem Darrell Steinberg answered questions from some of the nearly 500 SEIU Local 1000 members who mobilized in Sacramento earlier this month, to urge the Senate to come back into session and pass legislation to ensure the state can pay its bills--including state worker salaries.
From Senate President Pro tem Darrell Steinberg:
"Whatever challenges I may have...it's nothing compared to being constantly demonized by a governor. It's nothing compared to your bargaining in good faith, reaching a contract, only to have it violated weeks later. It's nothing compared to furlough days where people are at risk of losing their homes and have a hard time supporting themselves and their families. And by God, it's nothing compared to the awful threat of a minimum wage...
"How dare any leader use hardworking Californians as pawns in a budget negotiation?"
SEIU Local 1000 attorneys say declarations of hardship by members were a key reason that the Governor's request to slash state worker salaries to minimum wage was denied.
More than 20,000 say 'No' to minimum wage, 'Yes' to a fair contract
Beyond sharing their moving stories, thousands of Local 1000 members have taken action to protest the governor's minimum wage order, support their bargaining teams, and urge CA lawmakers to pass to continuous appropriations bill. More than 20,000 members have engaged in work actions, made phone calls, written letters, sent e-mails and contacted their elected state representatives. Pretty impressive.
Members of SEIU Local 1000 celebrate outside the Sacramento courthouse after learning their pay cannot not be cut to minimum wage.
Watch SEIU members' reactions to Friday's news of State Controller John Chiang does not have to reduce state workers' pay to minimum wage, at least for now: http://seiu.me/62 (Video clip courtesy of KCRA-3 TV).
What it's like to be on the roller coaster of Governor Schwarzenegger's whims
» To stay in the fight, follow SEIU Local 1000 on Twitter and Facebook -- updates are posted early and often!
