There’s no doubt that we are in a severe economic crisis. The problem is working people didn’t cause it, but we’re being blamed for it – and we’re paying for it!
Good Union Jobs Are Under Attack
A living wage, health benefits for our children, pension plans that allow us to retire with dignity – suddenly these foundations of a middle class life are being blamed for the economic crisis. And as we’ve seen in Wisconsin and other states, even workers’ basic rights to have a voice on the jobs through collective bargaining are threatened.
But this isn’t really about trying to address an economic crisis. Even as we struggle to protect jobs and sacrifice with furloughs and other cuts, the rich are getting richer. Consider this:
Corporations posted an estimated $1.6 trillion in profits last year, but one in six Americans has no job.
Corporations making billions in profits are escaping paying any taxes at all. GE is a good example – the company made $26 billion in annual profits over the past five years, and not only paid absolutely no federal income tax, but got itself a $4.1 billion rebate from the IRS.
In the past two decades, 80% of the income growth has gone to the wealthiest 1% but every 20 seconds an American files for bankruptcy.
What we need is a fair economy: where wealthy corporations pay their fair share of taxes so our kids’ education doesn’t have to be shortchanged; where big profit-making companies ensure living wages and health benefits to their employees so we can start seeing some real economic recovery; and where hard working people have good, stable jobs so we can start rebuilding the middle class.
We Can Do It!
SEIU Local 99 members are fighting for a fair economy by:
Ensuring stability for our families and our students through strong agreements that protect good jobs in a bad economy.
Thousands of SEIU Local 99 members are in contract negotiations and in talks with employers to address the impact of state and federal budget cuts. We are fighting to prevent or minimize layoffs, maintain job protections, and protect student services from even more reductions. Stay informed and stay involved by attending worksite and Local-wide meetings.
Demanding a Budget that Funds Education
In the last three years, California’s education budget has been cut by $18 billion. We can’t continue to balance the budget with cuts alone, and working people can’t continue to carry the biggest burden. It’s clear that what our schools need is new revenue, not more cuts. And this year we have a clear solution:
1. Governor Brown has proposed a revenue initiative to increase taxes for the rich and place a temporary ¼ cent sales tax increase. Prop. 30, if passed by voters in November, will raise up to $9 billion for education, safety and healthcare.
We can help secure funding for quality schools and good jobs by working to help pass this revenue initiative in November.
Organizing!
Good jobs with decent wages and benefits aren’t protected if a majority of workers aren’t unionized. It just means employers can pit us against each other and we get caught in a race to the bottom. At Local 99, our goal is to raise standards for all education workers through efforts focusing on organizing workers in charter schools and child care. For more information, join the Member Organizing Committee. Call 213-387-8393 ext. 308 or mgutierrez@seiu99.org.
Standing Strong with Our Communities
The fight is about all of us. We all prosper when we have an economy that works for everyone – not just the 1% richest people in America. That is why SEIU Local 99 has stood strong with striking janitors at LAX, workers fighting for dignity at work at the American Recycling Plant, immigrant workers, and our own union brother James Wilson and his wife Ana Casas who are protesting predatory lending. We will continue to stand strong with workers and community organizations that are demanding good jobs, urging corporations to pay their fair share of taxes, and protesting budget cuts. Check out our Calendar for upcoming activities you can support.
