Local 99 Members, our summer unemployment insurance bill (AB2197) is currently in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. Legislators on this Committee are set to vote on the bill this Friday, May 27. The Appropriations Committee is the legislative committee where previous bills for summer relief have stalled and died.
The only way we can move this bill forward is by moving the legislators! Right now, the best way to do that is for us to take collective action and put pressure on members of the Appropriations Committee who have not yet expressed support for AB2197.
This is what you can do:
- Send them a direct message. You can easily send a message here.
- Call them. These are the office phone numbers of Committee Members who have not yet indicated where they stand on AB2197:
- Asm. Frank Bigelow (R-O’Neals)(Committee Vice Chair) – (916) 319-2005
- Asm. Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles) – (916) 319-2053
- Asm. Ian Calderon (D-Whittier) – (916) 319-2057 (Note: He voted to pass the bill as a member of the Insurance Committee)
- Asm. Richard Bloom (D-Santa Monica) – (916) 319-2050
- Asm. Ling Ling Chang (R-Diamond Bar) – (916) 319-2055
- Asm. Tom Daly (D-Anaheim) – (916) 319-2069
- Asm. Eduardo Garcia (D-Coachella) – (916) 319-2056
- Asm. Susan Bonilla (D-Concord) – (916) 319-2014
- Asm. Susan Eggman (D-Stockton) – (916) 319-2013
- Asm. James Gallagher (R-Nicolaus) – (916) 319-2003
- Asm. Chris Holden (D) – (916) 319-2041
- Asm. Brian Jones (R-Santee) – (916) 319-2071
- Asm. Jay Obernolte (R-Big Bear) – (916) 319-2033
- Asm. Bill Quirk (D-Hayward) – (916) 319-2020
- Asm. Donald Wagner (R-Irvine) – (916) 319-2068
- Asm. Shirley Weber (D-San Diego) – (916) 319-2079
- Asm. Jim Wood – (D-Healdburg) – (916) 319-2002
Also, be sure to call Committee Chair Asm. Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego) – (916) 319-2080 – to let her know AB2197 is something that matters to you. She already expressed her support for AB2197, but as Committee Chair, she may be able to influence her fellow members.
- Ask your friends, family members, and co-workers to send a message to them and call them. The more people who send messages and call, the more seriously they’ll take it.
What should I say?
Keep it simple and brief. It’s already a given that not having enough money to cover for basic living costs is hard. Give specifics:
- Let them know about your dedication to students and how your work impacts student learning. It’s important to let them know that you care about education and that’s why you choose to work in this field.
- Tell them that your commitment to students should not mean you have to struggle and sacrifice to support yourself and your family.
- Share how you struggle in the summer. What are some of the difficulties you face? Have you ever lost your home? Had to run-up debt on your credit cards? How do you make it during the summer? Do you have children? How does it impact them? Be as personal and specific as you can. Legislators need to know the real impact that this issue has on people’s lives.
- Tell them to vote Yes on AB2197.
The goal is to get these assemblymembers to know who this issue affects and how, and to keep your story in mind when deciding how to vote for AB2197.
SEIU Local 99 Members Speak Out for AB2197 in Sacramento
On Thursday, May 19, SEIU Local 99 school employees took an overnight trip to Sacramento to speak out in support of AB2197, and gained ‘Yes’ commitments from several legislators. Visiting 26 offices, we spoke directly with state assembly members and senators, and their staff representatives about how we’re personally affected when school is out for the summer, and why unemployment insurance would ease our economic hardship during this difficult time. We targeted members of the Appropriations, Budget, Revenue and Taxation, Insurance, Jobs, Economic Development, and the Economy, and Labor and Employment Committees, as well as Mayor Pro Temp Kevin De Leon.
