"What does it take to get the mayor's attention in this town?" was the question on their purple lips Thursday night (it was cold) after several dozen SEIU 1021 members and staff occupied Mayor Gavin Newsom's office, while hundreds more cheered them on inside and outside City Hall. It was a two-pronged tactic of escalating the San Francisco campaign through civil disobedience on top of public rallies. The action was to highlight the solutions 1021 has been proposing over the mayor's latest attempt to decimate public services.

What's at stake: The $7 million to prevent more than 500 layoffs, pay-cutting reclassifications and job displacements that could be covered from the city's $25 million reserve. Mayor Newsom has said he won't spend the money even if the Board of Supervisors approves it. In addition, San Francisco stands to receive $34 million over two years through AB 1383, a bill that would increase MediCal reimbursements, drawing federal matching funds with it.

Through SEIU 1021's work with the Board, they've mustered seven of the eight votes needed to get the money and save schools, vital public health and social services. A recent Bay Guardian analysis shows that SEIU 1021 members have taken the biggest hits from Newsom's budget cuts. Over the past three years, 82 percent of all city layoffs have hit SEIU 1021 members while few management positions have been cut.

Watch a clip here, with more details about the action after the break.

According to reports, Governor Fortuño's personal security detail has been significantly beefed up since an incident on Tuesday when a protester threw an egg at him. The governor was holding a press conference in Fajardo to tout his new project for the improvement of the boats that carry passengers to the islands of Vieques and Culebrain. As the governor announced that the boats would be repaired in Fajardo, praising it as initiative to create jobs, one of the workers affected by the Gov.'s mass layoffs hurled an egg at the Governor's head, shouting "Hypocrite, how dare you talk about jobs when you're getting rid of them!"

Watch the egg-throwing incident unfold here:

After narrowly missing being hit by the egg, the Governor abruptly ended the press conference and left the area in a angry huff...but not before uttering this truly remarkable quote:

"I have nothing to say, because you, the press, decided to abandon me," he complained.

Nothing to say, really?! Has the Governor nothing to say to the families of the thousands of workers he's laying off? Or the hundreds of thousands of school children who will suffer when the Puerto Rican Department of Education loses federal funding?

How about all the patients who will have to wait in longer lines, and receive poorer services because of the cuts to the Health Department? Or all the seniors, battered women and neglected patients who will have no choice but to rely on crippled agencies decimated by ridiculous layoffs--especially as some of those jobs are paid with FEDERAL funds. And let's not talk about the abused kids and families struggling to get off welfare who will receive poorer services from an overstretched family department.

Unlike Governor Fortuño, we have plenty to say. And so did the dozens of protesters who arrived in the area, chanting "the people demand justice!" and "Fortuño is a coward!"

Today, news broke that the Governor's office bought all the remaining unsold seats (350) for a gala opening tonight featuring the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra at the new Performing Arts Center in Santurce. Reason: the Governor will be attending the event with his family and some members of Cabinet--and they don't want egg-throwers around.

"It is an audacity that the Government incurs expenses in times like this, where moderation should prevail in the costs to the treasury...and thousands of civil servants are living moments of despair and distress, having lost their jobs, wondering how they will bring bread to their children after November," said UGT president Juan Eliza Colon. At the very least, it doesn't look like the Governor is going to be shaking the public's new-found association of him + eggs anytime soon.

Puerto Rican union leaders instituted a 'Camp of Dignity and Shame' today in front of La Fortalez, the official estate of the Governor of Puerto Rico. "This is Camp Dignity and we will not move from here," said Robert Pagán, president of SEIU Local 1996SPT , who is one of four union leaders who chained themselves to the gates of Governor Luis Fortuño's home in an act of civil disobedience to stand up against the announcement from the government dismissing thousands of public sector employees.

The lay-off announcement came this past Friday from the chairman of the Reorganization and Fiscal Stabilization Board, Carlos García, a decision which he himself said will raise Puerto Rico's unemployment rate to 17 percent and further increase the economic crisis. A total of 16,970 public employees will be laid off, with the Education Department hit the hardest with over 7,000 layoffs. SEIU Local 1996SPT represents most (over 6,000 workers) who are part of laid-off Education workers.

With this symbolic gesture, the union members of SPT & UGT are making a (peaceful) but powerful appeal to the public to show their support for the workers by gathering with them in front of La Fortaleza. They are also demanding that Gov. Fortuño engage them in dialogue from where they have determinedly gathered outside his home, which is also in front of the Governors' office. There will be no substitutes for the people who are chained to the Governor's gates--not even to go to the bathroom. "Es el momento de lucha en la calle, de transformar la indignación que todo el pueblo está sintiendo en acción," said Pagán. ["It's time to fight in the street, to transform the indignation that all people are feeling inaction."]

The peaceful act of civil disobedience and upcoming October 15th general strike is supported by virtually all of organized labor in Puerto Rico including SPT and UGT, as well as a broad coalition of religious and civic groups. "Esta es sólo una primera actividad de decenas de desobediencia civil que irán dirigidas al gobernador Fortuño, a los legisladores y al sector económico que apoya al Gobernador en esta política malsana", said SPT president Robert Pagán. ["This is only a first of tens of civil disobedience actions that will target governor Fortuño, legislators and the industry sector that supports the Governor in this unhealthy policy."]

More updates on this demonstration to come shortly--stay tuned.

Gov. Schwarzenegger signed the state budget into law last week, but not before chopping another half billion dollars from services for women, children, the sick and the elderly - services that just days before he'd agreed not to cut any further. Legislators, feeling betrayed, may head to court to challenge the legality of the cuts.

According to the Daily Roundup, "Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger seemed to relish the task of reining in government spending, almost as if it was another cinematic role in which to star.

"With gusto, he launched blistering attacks against fraud in the welfare system, demanding that those abusing the system be kicked out. He unwaveringly stood his ground on taxes, never allowing Democrats to seriously consider including them in negotiations. And he proclaimed himself the guardian of responsible, frugal government.

"It didn't seem to matter to Schwarzenegger that fraud in the system was minuscule compared with other soaring costs; or that voters actually favored taxes on oil companies, alcoholic beverages and tobacco products; or that he'd previously increased state spending by tens of billions of dollars after coming to office in 2003."

What matters, what doesn't

In making the additional cuts, the governor made his priorities crystal clear. He cut:

• $80 million that pays for workers who help abused and neglected children;
• $50 million from Healthy Families, which has already frozen enrollment and now will actually disenroll more than half a million children who are currently covered. In blunter terms, it takes away health care from half a million kids. Why? Because he can. It's easy to take candy from a baby.
• $50 million from services for developmentally disabled children age 3 and under;
• $16 million from programs protecting women from domestic violence;
• $6.3 million from services for the elderly;
• $6.2 million from parks.

But according to veteran Sacramento reporter Bill Cavala, new revenues that might have saved these and other services never really had a chance:

"The fight for revenue increases was effectively lost when the Governor and the Republicans were successful in depicting the defeat of the various ballot measures -- especially Prop. 1A -- as a referendum against taxes.

[...] The lack of public pressure ... combined with the need to involve Republicans because of the 2/3 requirement and the need for a signature gave the Democrats no real hand to play. Holding a gun to the head of Democrats by threatening the very existence of social service programs, the Governor was able to force changes in law otherwise unthinkable by the Majority Party."

So there you have it: government by extortion. Experts say we'll be back at it by October, trying to reform California's government, tax code, and maybe even the State Constitution. California needs a new way of working.

Detailed budget analysis from the California Budget Project - www.cbp.org

(Thanks to SEIU Local 1021 for this budget update)

By a 74 percent margin, SEIU Local 1000 state workers in California voted to step up pressure on Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to ensure that the contract signed with the governor's representatives this past February is ratified. "We are not going to stand by and let him [Schwarzenegger] hurt California, our families and ruin the quality public services we provide," said SEIU President Yvonne Walker, making clear that the workers would strike if necessary. "We wouldn't be in this situation if the governor had lived up to his word and supported the contract that he agreed to, which would save the state $340 million," Walker added.

Local 1000 represents 95,000 state workers in numerous government agencies including clerks at the DMV, healthcare professionals in public hospitals, librarians at the State Library and auditors at the state tax board. More at SEIU Local 1000's website and the LA Times.

Last week, elected officials left Springfield without doing their job--again. So SEIU Healthcare Illinoismembers took their fight to protect home and childcare workers from budget cuts to the scene of the crime. Protesting in the statehouse, members demanded an end to budget cuts that would devastate home care, child care and countless other human service programs in Illinois. Governor Quinn agreed and vetoed the bill.

Recently, healthcare activists gathered at Rep. Kirk's campaign kickoff for his Senate bid--to fill the seat that was previously held by President Obama--to demand he support measures that will bring quality, affordable healthcare.

But it seems as though Rep. Kirk isn't trying nearly hard enough to emulate the former holder of the Senate seat he's bidding for, when it comes to stepping up the plate to tackle the biggest challenge facing our country: making sure every American has access to high quality, affordable health care. After the Monday event announcing his candidacy, Rep. Kirk told one of the activists, "We can't afford to insure everyone."

According to a report by HCAN, from 2000 to 2007, health insurance premiums for working Illinois families has risen by 73 percent. So the real question is, how can we afford not to support fixing America's broken healthcare system? SEIU members will continue pressuring their legislators to pass measures that put quality care in reach for everyone. Stay tuned for more information on how you can help.

In spite of the fact that months of debate between CA lawmakers on how to resolve the state's $26 billion budget deficit may be finally coming to an end, there can be no cause for celebration when the 'solution' does not reflect the priorities of a vast majority of California voters. Commenting on the staggering cuts agreed upon by lawmakers late Monday night, SEIU Local 1000 President Yvonne Walker said this:

"There may be a budget deal, but there's no budget solution."

Walker continued, saying "The governor's refusal to close corporate tax loopholes, eliminate waste in private vendor contracts and make big tobacco and big oil pay their fair share, is another series of bad decisions."

"Making state employees pay what amounts to a 15 percent furlough tax is just plain wrong ... We'll fight in the courts, in the Legislature and in the workplace to have it cut back," Walker said.

The California State Council of the SEIU also released a statement from State Council President Kristy Sermersheim, who declared "Big oil, big tobacco, and the alcohol lobby" the only real winners in this budget deal.

"Approximately 80,000 seniors and people with disabilities will be put at risk of leaving their homes for institutions. Nearly half a million children will lose healthcare. The deal will eliminate tens of thousands of jobs, making our terrible economy even worse. Local communities, which have relied on a responsible and balanced approach to their budget challenges, will now be hit with deep cuts to basic public safety and other services. And millions of school children will have an education inferior to what they could have."

The unions in the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition (SEBAC), District 1199 launched their latest TV ad this week taking aim at Governor Jodi Rell for protecting the wealthy in a time of crisis. The unions are delivering a hard-hitting response to Gov. Rell making good on her threat to veto the state budget Democrats pushed through the legislature late last week that would have asked those most able to pay to step up and help solve the economic crisis while preserving vital services.

Led in part by SEIU Local 1996 in Puerto Rico, close to 100,000 union members, students, and other activists marched in front of the capitol building in San Juan last week to protest Governor Luis Fortuño's plan to lay off more than 30,000 government employees and suspend public sector collective bargaining rights. Puerto Rico is currently in its fourth year of recession and has an unemployment rate of more than 15 percent. Governor Fortuño has since agreed to meet with representatives from the laid-off workers.

If you think agree that workers should not be made to pay the price for a crisis they did not create, send a letter to the Governor of Puerto Rico in strong protest of these anti-union and anti-public sector measures. Layoffs of public sector employees are set to begin on July 1, so please take action now: Click here to send a letter telling Governor Fortuño not to cut public sector services and jobs.

Workers in two counties on opposite sides of Pennsylvania voted late last month to unite for a voice with SEIU Local 668--Pennsylvania's Social Services Union. In Montgomery County, a traditionally conservative Philadelphia suburb that hasn't always been union-friendly, 38 prison guards and detention counselors voted overwhelmingly on May 27th to join Local 668. These employees for the Montgomery County Youth Center have started a union wave that is spreading across the county, and will hopefully soon give needed representation to hundreds of additional workers in the coming months.

Meanwhile, straight across the state in Westmoreland County, 34 first-line supervisors said "Union YES" to Local 668 on May 22nd in this eastern Pittsburgh suburb. These new members are on the front lines of ensuring that Westmoreland residents receive quality public services at the county's 9-1-1 center and Children's Bureau.

By overwhelming margins, California voters rejected the false solutions on the special election ballot in the May 19th statewide election, sending Gov. Schwarzenegger and the Legislature back to the drawing board. SEIU members helped defeat several propositions that would have hobbled the state's public services with devastating cuts to community-based mental health services, health care, education and child welfare. Voters rejected a permanent cap on public service spending by a margin of two to one.

"The defeat of Proposition 1E sends a clear message to Sacramento to create a balanced budget that preserves cost-effective mental health services that save taxpayers' money in the long run." Akbar Chatman, substance abuse counselor and SEIU 721 member.

What was on the ballot: Prop. 1A put caps on funding for public services, using low-funded crisis years as the baseline, and also greatly enhanced the Governor's power to make mid-year budget cuts to pretty much any department without having to ask the Legislature. SEIU also opposed Prop. 1D and 1E, which raided children's health and mental health funds. By defeating Proposition 1E in particular, union members helped prevent more than $460 million in cuts to vital mental health services--and protect the successful Mental Health Services Act approved by California voters five years ago.

SEIU members in California joined with clients, families, workers, advocates, and community leaders in the effort to defeat Prop. 1A , 1D and 1E, making phone calls to thousands of SEIU members, participating in the May 13 rallies in downtown Los Angeles and outreach to members at their worksites and online. And their hard work paid off by a wide margin: 65.9 percent of voters said "no" to Prop. 1A, 65.8 percent rejected Proposition 1D and 66.4 percent voted "no" on Proposition 1E. Read more about the election results in the San Francisco Chronicle.

In 2004, the citizens of California voted to pass the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA), legislation that was intended to take a new pro-active approach to improve mental health services for the state's most historically marginalized and vulnerable population. Now Gov. Schwarzenegger and state legislators want to shift $460 million in mental health funding over the next two years into the state's general budget fund instead, to help balance the state's budget deficit.

Mental health workers and advocates throughout California oppose Prop. 1E because it will strip funding for vital community-based mental health services on which hundreds of thousands of Californians rely. Watch SEIU Local 721 mental health worker Joel Solis speak out about the impact of Prop 1E on his clients and urge California voters to vote NO on this ballot measure:

When it comes to saving money and cutting costs, mental health is an area on which compromise should not happen. Help build support to save mental health services in California by signing SEIU's online petition.

Get the facts: Learn more about the cost of mental health cuts and see the SEIU California State Council's May 19th Ballot Recommendations.

Workers and community members from Santa Clara County rallied on Tuesday, May 12, to urge the Board to preserve critical county services. What's at stake: a $140 million reduction in public services and some 340 county workers--nurses, mental health counselors, social services workers--who will be affected either by losing their jobs, having their job changed, or reduced work hours.

The crowd of over a hundred people--members from SEIU Local 521, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Momentum for Mental Health, and other non-profit organizations--gathered just before county officials met for a budget workshop. "We are translators and community workers who link the community with county services," said Rosemary Romo, a Public Health Assistant. "How many administrators are going to sit down and talk with clients who have a mental illness? How many administrators can speak the diverse languages of this community? If we need to cut, start cutting from the top."

Check out the photo slideshow from the rally:

One personal story that captures the essence of what county government was created to do comes from Andreine Golden, who was rescued from the brink seven years ago. Read her story here . More from SEIU Local 521.

"I need your help. Here in California there is a ballot initiative called Prop. 1A that would put a cap on what we spend. Supposedly in the good years, extra money would be put in to a 'rainy day' fund. In lean years, I think, money would be pulled back out."

A few days ago, we received a link to a video on Colorado's experience with TABOR, a law that -- like Proposition 1A in the May 19 special election -- put caps on funding for public services, using low-funded crisis years as the baseline. The video, by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, shows how a so-called "Taxpayer Bill Of Rights" ended up costing taxpayers even more than before, while turning Colorado into one of the worst-funded states in the country for health care, education, senior services, and just about everything else.

Well, one of SEIU Local 1021's members in Sonoma County -- an Employment and Training Program Coordinator, Alix Shor -- felt compelled to dig deeper. She wanted to know if the video was true (will Prop. 1A guarantee budget disaster every year?) or just campaign propaganda from her union. So she wrote and asked a lifelong friend now living in Colorado.

"On the other hand, if Prop. 1A doesn't pass, the budget goes back to the Legislature whom I would like to fire every single last one of them for their doing nothing since Prop. 13 passed many years ago and completely ruined the state you and I grew up in. Excuse the rant."

Later, she e-mailed her friends and co-workers her friend's report:

"The video plus Ruth's take on what has happened...leads me to believe that as bad as it is to send the Legislature back to work on the budget, the long term effects of Prop. 1A will be so much worse."

So, thank you, Ruth in Colorado. And Alix, for asking her.

Read Ruth's report after the jump, as well a quick rundown of how Prop. 1A would affect California's budget and fiscal situation if written into the state Constitution.

Mass layoffs make front page news seemingly every other day. This week, layoffs lead in the Local 1021 NewsWire too.

A total of 2,632,336 people filed unemployment claims between December 2007 and January 2009 - the fallout from 25,712 mass layoffs across America. More than half a million people lost their jobs in the fourth quarter of 2008 alone. The national unemployment rate reached 7.2 percent to close the old year, 7.6 percent to start the new. In California, already third-worst in the nation, unemployment reached 10.1 percent last week, a rocky, mountainous height it hasn't seen since the 1980s.

Closer to home, layoffs and mandatory unpaid furloughs have been affecting SEIU Local 1021 members too, reducing the availability of public services and even shutting down cities like Oakland, where our city workers have already taken half of the 12 furlough days they've been handed in the current budget.

In San Francisco, nonprofits staffed by Local 1021 members just took another $3 million in case manager layoffs and cuts to mental health, substance abuse and other public health care services. And despite a massive public outcry that produced 500 speaker cards at a Feb. 13 public hearing, 70 rec and park directors received pink slips last week, leaving the city's children with after-school places to go but no one waiting for them.

We say: Another way!

At the table in Contra Costa County, where Local 1021 is part of a bargaining coalition, management has said it's willing to hear ideas on temporary labor cost savings to prevent permanent pay cuts, but some layoffs cannot be avoided. While making it clear we reject the County's proposed 5.5 percent pay cut, county workers are hoping the County will accept a labor-management committee to address workforce planning, especially as it affects job security.

In Mendocino County, members and management reached agreement on a 9-hour/4-day schedule that preserves jobs and prevents 12 furloughs by saving 10 percent on labor costs. Where bargaining has dragged on for months, Oakland and Sonoma County workers have launched public campaigns against waste, fraud and abuse in city and county government, looking for unseen fat to trim from the top.

Together, these examples spell out the message SEIU 1021 is sending across northern California: In tough economic times, takeaways and layoffs are not the answer. But where layoffs are inevitable, we'll work with employers to reduce their impact and find other savings that let critical public services continue.

Action Center: Economic Recovery Resource Fair: March 14

While we can't stop the tide of layoffs, we can look to the future. That would be the 1021 Economic Recovery Resource Fair at the end of this week.

An afternoon of panels, presentations and clinics can point you to what you need to know about unemployment benefits, home foreclosures, credit and debt management, resumés and job interviewing, and more. Join us. Your family, friends and neighbors are welcome to attend.

Saturday, March 14 -- 2-5p
UC Berkeley, 2601 Warring St., Berkeley
Clark Kerr Campus, Krutch Theater, Bldg. 14
www.seiu1021.org/events/Ecoomic_Recovery_Resource_Fair.aspx