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RESOLUTION of the City Council for the City of San Leandro Affirming the City’s Continued Cooperation with the Public Sector Unions in the City of San Leandro to Ensure their Health and Success; and Supporting the Freedom of City of San Leandro Employees to Collectively Bargain After a United States Supreme Court Decision in Janus v. AFSCME
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WHEREAS, all families should have the means to thrive in safe and healthy communities; and
WHEREAS, the working people who make San Leandro run deserve good jobs that can support families; and
WHEREAS, over the last forty years, working people have become more productive than ever, yet real wages have declined and Chief Executive Officers make more than ever before; i.e., 347 times more than the average person in 2016; and
WHEREAS, being able to work together in unions gives people - particularly women and people of color - a powerful voice in speaking up for themselves, their families, and their communities and ensures they are treated with dignity and respect at work; and
WHEREAS, when people stick together in unions, they leverage power in numbers to raise wages and improve benefits like health care for themselves, their families, and communities; and
WHEREAS, people working collectively together in unions have won victories like the 40-hour work week, overtime pay, and health and safety standards, as well as advanced policies especially important to women like paid leave, earned sick time, and reducing the gender pay gap; and
WHEREAS, when people can negotiate together for strong contracts, higher wages, and safer, dignified working conditions, all of society benefits, communities become stronger, and the entire economy is made fairer; and
WHEREAS, the United States Supreme Court is considering the case Janus v. AFSCME Council 31, which could restrict unions from requiring dues from non-member employees who benefit from collective bargaining, thereby weakening the unions' power to effectively negotiate on behalf of all public sector workers - such as teachers, police officers, and firefighters; and
WHEREAS, an unfavorable decision by the United States Supreme Court in Janus v. AFSCME may deny public sector workers the freedom to access strong unions that make our communities safe, more equitable, and strong; and
WHEREAS, in states where public union rights have come under attack, there have been different outcomes - in Wisconsin, for example, union membership has fallen 38% after the state passed a law in 2011 curtailing collective bargaining, but in other states such as Ohio and New Hampshire, unions have been able to survive similar attacks through proactive strategies; and
WHEREAS, the City of San Leandro relies on those who work in public service to provide health care, educate our children, prevent crime, put out fires, fix our potholes, pick up our trash, and more.
NOW THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of San Leandro does hereby RESOLVE that the City of San Leandro supports the freedom of all employees to exercise their rights to a collective voice and dignity on the job through joining together in strong unions; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City of San Leandro City Council urges the City Manager and appropriate staff to work with public sector unions at the City of San Leandro to ensure their health and success following a Janus v. AFSCME Supreme Court decision by cooperating to mitigate impacts and by engaging in good faith discussions around implementing a membership card if desired by unions, and granting reasonable release time for rank and file union leaders to explain the implications of the Janus decision.