Recommendation to request City Attorney to prepare a resolution to support a fair and free union election for Security Guards at CommonSpirit/ Dignity Health facilities.
Item 28 Communication from Councilwoman Sara. Councilwoman Zendejas. Councilwoman Allen. Vice Mayor Richardson Recommendation to request City Attorney to prepare a resolution to support a fair and free union election for security guards at common. Spirit. Dignity. Health Facilities. Councilwoman Ciro. Thank you, Mayor. And first one to think, Vice Mayor Richardson and Councilmember Sunday has an Allen for signing on to this item. You know, during the pandemic, we saw how valuable our frontline workers are and they still are. And the security guards at Common Spirit, Dignity, health facilities are part of these workers. They were on the front line day after day, standing side by side to all hospital work. Staff and numerous security officers have reported contracting COVID 19 and have also, you know, it's impacted their family due to inadequate equipment. So this has caused many of the security guards to sign on to a petition to becoming part of SEIU. And so I fully support them in their decision in wanting a fair and free election to join SEIU, UAW. And, you know, the security guards were some of the many heroes during the pandemic. And they should have the ability to decide to join a unit that's meant to improve their well-being on the job site. I also just want to share to that kind of out of an abundance of caution of the Delta variant and the nature of their work, they couldn't be present today. But I know that they're listening and counting on us to stand with them in this fight, to enjoy basic protection or in their workplace. So, so. So I ask my colleagues to support this item, to prepare a resolution to support the security guards at common spirit, dignity, health, to have a fair and free election to join SEIU. One point of clarification that I wanted to just make is, you know, on the agenda item, it doesn't it doesn't state. It's different from the subject of what's in my agenda item I submitted and I wanted to clarify that it should be the subject is to a resolution to support security officers that common spirit dignity health to join SEIU UAW. Thank you. Thank you. Before I turn it over to Vice Mayor Richardson, I just want to make a few brief remarks. So I'm very, very happy to not just support this resolution, but just to say a few brief remarks. Also, I want to thank Councilwoman Sato in particular for bringing this forward. But I do want to share a very short story because it means personally a lot to me. And I have a lot of love for the SEIU, UAW family. In fact, I consider myself part of of this family. In about a year before my mom passed away, she actually had been working at our same clinic for about almost 25 years. In the time that she worked at her clinic. She was considered a low wage worker, worked very hard, always went to work, rarely called in sick, rarely got a raise. But loved her job and had a lot of integrity as an immigrant woman working in her workplace. After about 20, 20 plus years, she continued and continued to wanting to work at her location. I think folks know that as a frontline worker. My mom also, unfortunately passed away to the pandemic, as do many women that are in spaces of health care spaces. My mom, just a few months before she passed, actually became a member of SEIU, UAW within the last year of her life. As she was approached, her and her her coworkers were approached and discussed the idea of actually forming and joining this union. And this group of six women at her workplace were very nervous to do it. They did not want to lose their jobs. They were a little bit nervous about taking a step forward and asking for an election for union membership. But they did it. And I remember my mom came to me and said, hey, you know, you, me, how what do you what do you think? I'm really scared to do this. But they are saying that they would represent us and fight for fair wages and represent us at the at the workplace. And my mom was the last person to ever ask for a raise. She never did because she would never do it. But she thought here a group or a union that would actually advocate for her on her behalf. And so a year before, about a year before she passed, she began her and these other women organizing and won an election at the site and became the first union at my mom's clinic. And they were represented by SEIU, UAW. And so I'm very grateful to to the workers of SEIU, UAW for welcoming my mom. She became a very proud member of the union very quickly. And when I talked to these security guards at this facility and at facilities across the state, folks should know that these security guards also are in a similar situation where they don't feel heard. They don't feel they have representation. And and in many cases are the only people on the campus that don't have union representation. And so I'm happy and proud to support this organizing of these workers. Just I was proud to support my mom's organizing and her job when she took that step forward as well and was welcomed into the SEIU, UAW family. And so as a proud member of that family, I want to thank Councilman Sauro for for this resolution. And I'm very proud to support it. Rosemarie Richardson. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. And thank you, Councilwoman Ciro, for bringing this this resolution forward. Certainly happy to support it. You know, I think just over the course of the past year and a half, we've seen significant changes in our economy. And we've talked about the k-shaped recovery, how low wage workers are feeling the most, the most they've had the most significant impacts. And they show up every day. They show up every day. They protect us, the security officers. And very difficult times, you know, when folks you know, many of us have the privilege of staying home and working remotely. They don't have that privileged security officers. They have to step forward and do their jobs. And in this time, you know, folks are leaning going back to what they know. Economy is shifting. Significant impacts. They're going back to what they know and what they know that works in difficult times is forming a union. They want to protect their jobs. They want to protect dignity in the workforce. So they're taking steps to do what they never done in forming union. And I support that effort. And I think that's something that history has shown us, has worked, and we certainly support those workers. In terms of SEIU, I certainly appreciate the comments by my colleagues have said, you know, I remember when I was, you know, a college student at Cal State Dominguez Hills, my mom went back to school to be a CNA, and she worked at Huntington Memorial Hospital and she was a SEIU UAW member. And I remember the pride that she had being a rank and file union member and a nurse's aide. And so these are very personal efforts. And so I certainly appreciate Councilwoman Ciro for speaking up and saying we're not just supporting security officers, we're support and security officers that form a union and join SEIU instead of you, because that comes with a certain level of dignity and a certain level of pride. So thank you so much and I'm happy to support this. Thank you. Thank you, Councilwoman Ellen. Thank you, Mayor. And I also just want to say thank you to Councilman Ciro for bringing this forward and Vice Mayor Richardson and Councilman Zendaya's for signing on to this very important item, these workers. Just like your mom did, mayor absolutely deserve the right to organize and collective bargaining. We have to make sure that these officers feel safe, valued and taken care of. I just strongly support this item. Union jobs promote safe working conditions. They help workers secure their livelihoods and they make sure that they are treated fairly. So thank you again, Councilman Sorrell, for bringing this forward. And I will be supporting this item. Thank you. Councilman's in the house. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you, Councilwoman Zahra, for putting this item forward. And thank you, Councilwoman Allen and Vice Mayor Richardson also as well for supporting this very important item. The pandemic has exacerbated any inequality ability and unsafe working conditions for many people, and it is so important to support and stand by our workers who are speaking up on these injustices. I think creating the opportunity for workers to unionize is a step in the right direction to ensure that our residents have adequate and equitable working conditions. It is also very important to make sure that this resolution include the naming as a union that these that these hardworking individuals have petitioned for, which is SEIU. Each of you. So I'm very, very happy to support this item. I don't believe there's any public comment. So, members, please go ahead and cast your vote. Motion carries.