Fighting for Better Options

Hundreds of SEIU Local 99 members at Options, a child care and early education agency based in the San Gabriel Valley, are currently engaged in a tough contract fight to improve services, safety and staffing at their centers. Members have focused on five top contract demands to ensure Options is a better place to work and receive care:

Job Security - To ensure a stable environment for the children
Fair Process - Allows a neutral third party to decide any worksite disputes with the employer
Union Security - Gives workers greater strength to ensure their voice is heard
Respect for Seniority - Requires Options to recognize and respect workers' experience on the job
Safe Staffing Ratios - Forces Options to obey the law and enforce ratios

Their fight has included speaking out before the school boards at Alhambra and Rowland Unified, two school districts that contract Options' services. Members raised safety and staffing concerns with the Boards and urged their support. In response, Options' Executive Director Cliff Marcussen sent workers a chilling letter blaming them for the problems at the centers. Marcussen's letter clearly angered Alhambra School Board Members Adele Andrade-Stradler and Robert Gin. They responded with their own letter to Marcussen in which they call his anti-worker actions a "shame." Click here for a full copy of the letter.

Members are definitely not alone in this formidable fight. Many elected and community leaders have put their support behind Local 99 members, including Judy Chu, a member of the California Board of Equalization.

"Options should recognize our experience and really listen to our concerns," says Christina Fernandez, a Local 99 member at Options. "We are in the classroom and we know best how to prevent and handle emergencies. Ultimately, we want what is good for our program, and best for our kids."

This contract fight will have a far reaching impact on other early education classifications - in and out of Options. Options is the largest non-profit child care provider in Southern California. The gains members make at Options will help set standards throughout the child care and early education industry.