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C57 LOCAL GENERAL ELECTIONS ENDORSEMENTS 2024

C57 Local General Election Endorsements for 2024

Federal funding to help vulnerable Americans in danger of getting cut

Federal money for programs and services that help millions of vulnerable Americans and employ many AFSCME members could be in jeopardy next year.

Elk Grove Food Service Workers Find Joy In Sewing Masks, Protecting Their Coworkers

Workplace safety has taken on a whole new meaning since the coronavirus outbreak started.

The demand for personal protective equipment, especially masks, remains high. And for our sisters and brothers who remain on the front lines, every day they go into work is a day when they are risking their lives to keep essential public services going.

Merced County Supervisor Forced to Apologize After Dismissing Social Workers’ COVID-19 Concerns

Oakland Food Service Workers Stay Dedicated to Feeding Community During Crisis

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought all normal life to a standstill over the last several weeks, and schools have been hit especially hard.

Schools were forced to shut down, teachers have had to scramble to put together online lessons and parents have to quickly figure out what to do about childcare.

AFSCME Urgently Demands More Aid from Congress for States, Localities

It’s become clear that relief bills Congress has approved thus far, including the record $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, won’t be enough to quell the health and economic fallout caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

What other aid should Congress provide? AFSCME has recommendations.

No Clear Path for Two Bay Area Hospital Workers

While some health care workers are knee deep in the battle to treat patients suffering from COVID-19, countless other health care workers are feeling its devastating impact, even if the places they work haven’t seen a surge in coronavirus patients.

Two of those health care workers are Jackie Garcia and Carla Cambra.

A Fragile Balance, Broken

Even a normal day at Coalinga State Hospital in Coalinga is a delicate balancing act.

For staff who work at the 1,500-patient maximum security hospital, which houses a number of sexually violent offenders—most of whom are not yet safe to enter the community—there’s no such thing as letting your guard down. Seventy-five percent of Coalinga’s patients have committed sexually violent crimes and 25% are patients with mental disorders.

Their Lives Are On The Line. Yet, ‘Public Service Workers Still Answer the Call’

Updating wills before heading into work. Extending the lives of single-use masks. Self-isolating from their own families. These are just some of the shameful realities and conditions health care workers on the front lines of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic are facing each day.

Council 57 Appoints New President

Abdul Johnson recently announced that he was stepping down as AFSCME Council 57's president, and the Executive Board voted to appoint Steve Jovel as the new president, effective April 1. Jovel has been the Council 57 vice president since 2019, and he will serve as president through the remainder of the board's two-year term. The following message is Jovel's message to the membership:

"Let me start by wishing you health and safety during the difficult time our nation is going through with the COVID-19 pandemic.