Close to 90 Local 21 Delegates gathered at the Downtown Oakland Marriot last month for our second Delegate Assembly of the year. The Assembly’s theme, “Taking It Back,” focused on the opportunities and challenges we are seeing in 2013 and beyond, including a rebounding economy, securing wage increases, and protecting our health care. With nearly every Local 21 chapter at or headed to the bargaining table, our Research Department reviewed the current year’s bargaining trends to examine where we came from, where we’re headed, and lessons we can learn.
Workshops for the day focused on strategies for securing greater accountability and transparency in health care, and fighting bullying in the workplace. Special Guest Speaker, Sacramento Labor Lobbyist Barry Broad joined us and spoke about new legislative opportunities on the state level, and what an adequately funded budget for the first time in years will mean for public services across California.
Delegates also participated in the Assembly’s normal business meeting, which included an overview of the union’s budget, discussion of our San Francisco headquarters’ relocation, and membership rates.