AFSCME Leaders Gather in San Diego as California Faces Big Decisions — and San Jose Workers Prepare for Their Own
Last weekend, AFSCME leaders from across California met in San Diego for a powerful forum with six Democratic candidates for governor. The discussion centered on the biggest challenges facing working people in our state: housing affordability, the rising cost of living, and threats to healthcare.
Candidates, including Xavier Becerra, Katie Porter, Tony Thurmond, Betty Yee, Ian Calderon, and Antonio Villaraigosa, made their case to over 150 AFSCME leaders representing more than 200,000 public workers statewide. Each spoke about the urgent need to make California more affordable for working families and to strengthen the public services that millions rely on every day.
State Superintendent Tony Thurmond pledged to walk picket lines with Kaiser healthcare workers if their strike continues, saying, “Just get it done, damn it, and give them what they’re asking for.” Former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra highlighted his record of defending public services and workers’ rights at every level of government. At the same time, former Congresswoman Katie Porter emphasized the connection between housing affordability and the ability to recruit and retain the public workforce that keeps California running.
For AFSCME members across the state — including those of us here in San Jose — the message was simple: our issues are California’s issues. The same forces driving up housing costs and straining healthcare systems are the ones pushing our city workforce to the breaking point.
As we prepare for our own contract negotiations in San Jose, we’re fighting for the same things these statewide candidates spoke about: fair pay that keeps up with the cost of living, affordable healthcare for our families, and a city that values the workers who keep it running.
AFSCME members showed in San Diego what solidarity looks like: public service workers standing together, demanding a California that works for everyone, not just the wealthy and well-connected.
Our fight here in San Jose is part of that larger movement. The road ahead will take all of us, united, to ensure that our next contract reflects the respect and fairness that city workers deserve.
