By Rachel Johnson
Every time we turn around workers have gained more ground in Silicon Valley! Just a few days after tech industry shuttle drivers voted to join Teamsters Local 853 news broke that Apple committed to increasing drivers’ salaries by 25 percent.
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Last week, over 400 labor leaders and activists mobilized and coordinated a massive gathering in Washington D.C. for a national fly-in Lobby Day on Trade. Their mission? Demand Congress to Stop Fast Track. Leaders spent the day meeting with over 120 members of congress and staff to relay the dangers of passing massive trade agreements with Fast Track legislation.
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In order to meet its mission to provide high quality higher education in California, the California State University (CSU) promises to “emphasize quality in instruction”. However, over the last decade, a new report has found that the CSU has failed to invest in the very people who provide this quality instruction to nearly half a million students at 23 CSU campuses across the state. To make matters worse, these findings come at a time when student tuition has been skyrocketing.
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Budgeting is a matter of priorities. Just ask any family who budgets monthly. The necessities always take priority. In that sense, state budgeting is no different. Education, infrastructure, health care, public safety and the safety net, among other essential services, should all be paramount. And the workers who deliver those services ought to be able to count on a living wage and decent benefits.
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We have another victorious example of what workers can do when they stand strong together! Just this week, advocates for security officers at Apple were planning to send a message to the tech giant with storefront actions around the state to demand they stop contracting their work out Security Industry Specialists (SIS). Before all actions could even be completed, Apple released a statement announcing that will start hiring security officers in-house and offer them full-time work with fair wages and benefits. This is an incredible win for workers and their families in Silicon Valley!
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Nearly 48,000 workers in Oakland got a raise today. No, this wasn’t a gift by altruistic corporate CEOs (now there’s an oxymoron). Today’s raise is courtesy of Measure FF, which voters passed in November due to the strong support of Bay Area labor unions and community groups. And not only do workers get a bump in pay to $12.25 an hour beginning today, the measure also provides for paid sick days, which will impact more than 56,000 workers in Oakland. The minimum wage is indexed to inflation, ensuring it will rise as the cost of living does.
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