SEIU 721 President's Report — June 2026 Issue cover. Union Power Delivers. Members at Mayor Karen Bass's election-night celebration. Three feature teasers: Gig Workers, 2026 Primary, We Are Family.
A MESSAGE FROM SEIU 721 PRESIDENT DAVID GREEN
David Green and SEIU 721 members celebrating in front of a Measure ER Wins! banner with raised fists, gathered around a Yes On ER podium

SEIU 721 members deliver victory in tough races up and down the ballot across SoCal

Our future was on the line on June 2, and SEIU 721 members delivered. Up and down the ballot across Southern California, members powered pro-worker candidates to victory against corporate-backed opponents.

On election night, LA Mayor Karen Bass told the crowd: "We are a union town. And we are a town that understands that union jobs are the way we deal with affordability."

She pointed at me and named our union from that stage. That recognition isn't about me — it belongs to every one of you who knocked on a door, worked a shift, and refused to let this election go by without a fight. Elected officials know SEIU 721 because our members are impossible to ignore.

The best example: Measure ER — our fight to rescue LA County's healthcare safety net from devastating federal cuts. Behind on election night, Yes on ER is poised for a come-from-behind victory, thanks to nurses and healthcare workers who rallied tens of thousands of union voters to say yes.

The victories in this issue don't stop there. Gig drivers filed to form a union. Bartz-Altadonna workers voted YES. Members packed council chambers from Santa Ana to Port Hueneme. Riverside County workers are taking the fight to the bargaining table.

This is what union power in action looks like. Keep reading.

In unity,

David Green signature
David Green, SEIU 721 President

Measure ER: SEIU 721 Members' Come-From-Behind Win

Members protected $1 billion a year in LA County healthcare funding

When the first votes came in on election night, Measure ER was trailing. But our nurses and healthcare workers had already done that work — talking directly to members and union households about what was at stake.

Ads with real members and real faces

Targeted to our people in English and Spanish

Still from a Yes on ER ad featuring SEIU 721 nurse Montique Thompson
Every ad featured actual SEIU 721 nurses and healthcare workers, like Montique Thompson
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Times our ads appeared on screens
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The Come-From-Behind Win
Measure ER: Results Over Time
Primary Election 2026

SEIU 721's biggest GOTV campaign delivers

SEIU 721 organizer holding a Yes! On ER sign, photographed in purple duotone
We Planned.
We Organized.
Mayor Karen Bass speaking from a Let's Do This podium, photographed in purple duotone
We Campaigned.
We Won.

SEIU 721's biggest GOTV campaign delivers

When the June 2 primary came down to the wire, SEIU 721 members didn't wait. Over two major canvassing pushes, members fanned out across Los Angeles — knocking tens of thousands of doors and making the case for Mayor Karen Bass and Yes on Measure ER. Combined with a targeted digital ad campaign featuring SEIU 721 LA County nurses and healthcare workers making a direct appeal to union members, our union pulled out all the stops.

It worked. Karen Bass finished first. And Measure ER pulled off a stunning come-from-behind victory.

The largest member-driven get-out-the-vote operation in this local's history — and the results to prove it.

By the numbers: GOTV in final weeks

SEIU 721 GOTV Weekend — LA City Mayor's race & LA County Measure ER

  • 21,448  doors knocked
  • 48,785  voters reached
  • 2,459  conversations
  • 1,567  voters confirmed in support

721 LA Mayor's Race GOTV Event — May 30

  • 4,173  doors knocked across two council districts
  • 500  voters contacted
  • 313  confirmed YES votes for Mayor Bass

SEIU 721-endorsed candidates score major victories

The results are in from the June 2026 Primary Election, and SEIU 721 members have once again shown what organized labor can do when it shows up for its candidates.

Across Los Angeles and the Inland Region, the union's endorsed candidates advanced or won outright — delivering victories in races that matter most for working families. This didn't happen by accident. It happened because SEIU 721 members walked precincts, knocked doors, made phone calls, and turned out their coworkers, families, and neighbors.

In Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass advanced to the November runoff. Hugo Soto-Martinez, Eunisses Hernandez, and Katy Yaroslavsky were all re-elected to the LA City Council. Lindsey Horvath kept her seat on the LA County Board of Supervisors. And Marissa Roy advanced in the race for LA City Attorney.

In the Inland Region, Curt Hagman was re-elected to the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors.

These are leaders who know that working people are the backbone of this region — and who have stood with SEIU 721 when it mattered. Our union helped put them there. Now we hold them accountable.

The November election is next. The work continues.

A gig driver in a CGWU Making History cap

Gig Drivers File to Form a Union

Adolfo Granados, SEIU 721 Treasurer
Gig drivers are racing towards rights, respect, and a union.
Adolfo Granados · Treasurer, SEIU 721

California drivers take historic step under AB 1340

Rideshare drivers from across California gathered in Los Angeles on May 12 to take a historic step toward union power. At a press conference alongside the 2nd International Gig Workers Congress, the California Gig Workers Union (CGWU) announced it has formally petitioned the state to represent Uber and Lyft drivers under the new AB 1340 law — submitting tens of thousands of signed authorization cards to the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB). In the weeks that followed, PERB verified the required 10 percent support threshold, and every covered driver in California has been notified of their rights and the union effort.

What is AB 1340?

New California law that gives app-based rideshare drivers the right to form a union and bargain over pay, benefits, deactivation, and safety.

Took effect on January 1, 2026, and covers drivers for companies like Uber and Lyft across the state.

Keeps drivers classified as independent contractors but adds union and collective-bargaining protections for covered drivers.

Puts the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) in charge of verifying support, running elections, and enforcing the law.

By the Numbers

Tens of thousands of union authorization cards submitted with the California Gig Workers Union petition.

10% — support threshold PERB uses to formally recognize a gig-union campaign and notify all covered drivers.

30% support or a union-election win required before bargaining can begin.

$5.97 — median hourly pay for California gig drivers before tips once expenses are deducted.

Drivers with We're Making History signs at a press conference Drivers holding We're Making History banner Driver speaking at the We're Making History podium
Bartz-Altadonna Community Health Center staff celebrating their union vote

Welcome to
the Family!

Staffers at Bartz-Altadonna Community Health Center vote YES — 150 new members join SEIU 721

The vote is in, and the answer was overwhelming: YES.

Staffers at Bartz-Altadonna Community Health Center have voted to join SEIU 721, making our union 150 members stronger. Nurses, outreach workers, call center staff, and others who keep this vital community health center running are now part of the 721 family.

Bartz-Altadonna serves the Antelope Valley with a remarkable range of healthcare services — pediatrics, podiatry, obstetrics and gynecology, mental health support, optometry, and HIV treatment and prevention, among many others. These workers show up every day for some of the most vulnerable patients in the region. Now they'll have a union behind them.

With their YES vote, Bartz workers took a powerful step toward a voice on the job, better wages and benefits, and improved working conditions. SEIU 721 is proud to stand with them as they build their union and secure the contract they deserve.

Union Yes. Union Strong. Welcome to the family.

The union will give us a voice, and the people on the frontlines who are actually doing the work will finally have a say.
— Elizabeth Ochoa · Bartz-Altadonna Community Health Center, SEIU 721
Elizabeth Ochoa
SEIU 721 coalition members in LA City Hall chambers holding Protect Workers, Protect Civil Service signs
Hell No to Weakening Civil Service

SEIU 721 coalition members flood City Hall to block Personnel Department power grab

The LA City Charter Reform Commission recently completed its recommendations and brought its report to the full City Council. But buried in those recommendations were proposals from the Personnel Department that would make it easier to bypass civil service protections — and silence the union voice in how the city hires and manages its workforce.

SEIU 721 wasn't having it.

More than 100 coalition members showed up in force at City Council to deliver one clear message: not on our watch. Members packed the chambers in purple, spoke at the mic, and made sure every council member understood exactly what is at stake — the civil service system that protects workers from political manipulation, ensures merit-based hiring, and guarantees that essential city services are run by qualified public servants, not political appointees.

The fight is not over. SEIU 721 will keep the pressure on as the Charter Reform process moves forward, defending civil service, protecting essential workers' voices, and making sure City Hall serves working Angelenos — not the interests of those who want to weaken union power.

SEIU 721 Tri-Counties
City of Port Hueneme SEIU 721 members in purple shirts ahead of council chambers
Port Hueneme Members Pack the Chambers

Nearly two dozen workers show up in purple to demand fair pay, affordable healthcare, and investment in community services

On June 1, City of Port Hueneme members packed the council chambers to make one thing clear: they will not wait for a fair contract. Nearly two dozen workers showed up in purple to back their bargaining team as speakers stepped to the podium one by one, pressing the council on the need for real salary increases and affordable healthcare.

The message was direct. Port Hueneme members are not just fighting for themselves — they are fighting to protect the community services their neighbors depend on every day.

The bargaining team returns to the table in the days ahead, carrying the strength of every member who filled those chambers. Their top priorities remain firm: wages that keep pace with the cost of living, healthcare that working families can actually afford, and a contract that reflects the value of the work they do.

In Port Hueneme, the union showed up. The fight is not over.

Family Fun Day attendees Family Fun Day attendees Family Fun Day attendees Family Fun Day attendees Family Fun Day attendees Family Fun Day attendees

Family Fun Day!

SEIU 721 members and families gathered June 6 at Riverview Park in Buellton for a day of food, face painting, raffles, and games — organized by the Santa Barbara County Chapter Board. President David Green and Vice President Simboa Wright joined the festivities and spotlighted the work of the union's Black, Latino, and Lavender Caucuses.

President Green also delivered good news: SEIU 721 fought for — and will win — a zero-layoff budget in Santa Barbara County.

When we fight, we win!

SEIU 721 Santa Ana appreciation lunch

Santa Ana Members Show Their Strength

From the lunch table to the council chambers — 721 members make their voices heard

SEIU 721 held an appreciation lunch for Santa Ana members, bringing workers together for food, a raffle, and a chance to connect directly with union leadership. The event drew Congressmember Lou Correa and members of the Santa Ana City Council — a clear sign that elected leaders know where the power is.

But the celebration didn't stop there. After lunch, members packed City Council chambers to deliver a message that couldn't be ignored: Santa Ana workers are united, organized, and ready to fight for a strong new contract.

That combination — community, solidarity, and direct action — is exactly how SEIU 721 builds the leverage to win. When members show up together, at the table and in the chambers, elected officials and employers pay attention.

Lillian Cabral
Santa Ana workers are united and ready to fight for a strong new contract.
Lillian Cabral · Secretary, SEIU 721

Inland Region Members Show Up and Speak Out

RUHS Workers Celebrate Mental Health Awareness Week

SEIU 721 members turned out in force during Riverside University Health System's Mental Health Awareness Week, staffing a union booth at the community health fair and connecting with workers and community members across the region.

The event brought together county health workers, social service staff, and community members to spotlight mental health resources and celebrate the people who deliver care every day. For members who work in mental health, social services, and community health, the fair was a chance to be seen as more than just workers — as neighbors, advocates, and partners in building healthier communities.

SEIU 721 booth at the RUHS Mental Health Awareness Week health fair

Riverside County Workers Bring the Fight to the Boardroom

Riverside County SEIU 721 members aren't waiting for the bargaining table to come to them. In the weeks leading up to the first in-person action of the 2026 contract campaign, the union completed five lobby visits — one for each member of the Riverside County Board of Supervisors — to make sure elected officials heard directly from the workers who keep county services running.

Members walked into supervisors' offices across the region and delivered the same message at every stop: Riverside County workers are united, organized, and ready to fight for the wages and working conditions they deserve. The first in-person action is coming. Riverside County workers will be ready.

SEIU 721 Riverside County members during their lobby visit to the Board of Supervisors

AANHPI Heritage

Four AANHPI women in cultural dress at SEIU 721's AANHPI heritage celebration Asian Pacific Islanders Caucus — SEIU

Celebrating culture and union power

SEIU 721's Asian Pacific Islanders Caucus wrapped up Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in style with the union's first-ever AANHPI celebration. Union leaders including President and Executive Director David Green and Vice President Simboa Wright joined API members, families, and community allies to honor the generations who paved the way and the workers who keep Southern California running today.

The program featured a member-led volunteer dance troupe, cultural performances, and remarks from AANHPI elected and community leaders who lifted up the ways API workers "give so much back" to the region. A sponsoring LA City Council member and allied organizations underscored that AANHPI representation matters at City Hall, on the job, and at the ballot box. The 721 API Committee closed the event with an invitation to stay engaged year-round — organizing for strong contracts, supporting pro-worker candidates, and mentoring the next generation of AANHPI leaders in our union.

AANHPI heritage event scene AANHPI heritage event scene AANHPI heritage event scene AANHPI heritage event scene
Honor Linda Dent — Serve Our Community. Join us for the annual drive-thru food distribution at Ted Watkins Park on Saturday, June 27, 9:00 AM–12:00 PM, 1335 E 103rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90002.
Register to Volunteer

Sign up at seiu721.org → Juneteenth Linda Dent Day of Service 2026