Hey there! I'm Simboa Wright, coming to you from Los Angeles where I inspect, maintain, and fix the city's sewer system, the largest municipal sewer system in the nation.
When Covid hit, me and my fellow LA City co-workers / SEIU Local 721 union siblings were soon protected with PPE … but only because through our union we contacted each city department to assess PPE supplies and work with community partners to cover shortages.
We were also shielded from layoffs and pay cuts due to creative problem solving:
> Through our union we created and implemented a financial incentive program for those who had the ability to retire—therefore relieving pressure from the city's budget; and
> Local 721 members delayed two 2% raises, again relieving pressure from the city's budget for the time being. We'll receive those raises for a total of 4.04% (with compounding) this June 2022. But, in addition, to recover cash we'd given up on account of those delays, we ratified our salary re-opener agreement, locking in cash payments amounting to 4.77% of our annual salaries!
That's the union difference. When workers are organized, they have a structure in place to identify problems on the job, voice solutions, and make constructive change for all!
My co-workers and I are a diverse group from all over the world: civil engineers, security officers, equipment mechanics, custodians, environmental engineers and more. When we come together and problem solve together, we ensure the City acts to honor and respect our work.
All of us should be able to join together like this—no matter what we do, who pays our paycheck, where we work, what we look like, and where we're from. #UnionsForAll
A key step in the fight for #UnionsForAll is the passage of the PRO Act, the federal Protecting the Right to Organize Act. Learn more and take action!
