This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. I’m one of 60 people who clean the California Medical Facility in Vacaville. We are veterans, people with disabilities and people who have overcome addiction and trauma to build stable, self-sufficient lives for ourselves and our families. Our jobs, which we got through PRIDE Industries, have given us purpose, dignity and steady paychecks that help us pay rent, buy groceries and care for our loved ones. Now all of that is a risk. We’re facing the devastating possibility of losing everything within days. A union grievance filed by the Service Employees International Union Local 1000 led to the state Personnel Board deciding that our custodial roles should be changed to state civil service positions, meaning the jobs would be held by state employees. But since no one has stepped up to fill the jobs, the state now appears to be moving toward reassigning our duties to inmates in the prison industry program, replacing PRIDE Industries workers who have done these jobs reliably and effectively for years. We believe in rehabilitation programs, and many of us have our own second-chance stories. But it shouldn’t come at the expense of a dedicated workforce made up largely of people with disabilities and service-disabled veterans like me. There is enough work at the California Medical Facility for everyone. This month, 80 PRIDE Industries workers rallied at the Capitol. We met with key legislators and hand-delivered a letter to SEIU Local 1000’s president, pleading for one thing — to sit down with us and the state to find a solution. We believe in SEIU’s mission, that every worker deserves dignity, respect and a fair voice. And we’ve said we’d join the union. We are not asking for charity. We have earned our place and have a stellar record of helping the California Medical Facility remain clean, safe and licensed for patient care, even during the toughest stretches of the COVID-19 crisis. The workers who fill jobs like these tell the story best. Ronika Washington is a mother of five who is assistant operations manager at PRIDE Industries. She needs this job. “This job gives me peace of mind, knowing I can provide for my children without relying on the system.” Read More: A nonprofit got jobs for disabled workers in California prisons. A union dispute could end them And Chris Fuqua, a disabled veteran who is assistant operations manager at PRIDE Industries, eis dismayed this is even happening. “After 10 years … it’s shocking to me and everyone that the state wouldn’t come through as they have done in the past.” I feel this deeply, too. After serving in the Air Force as a crew chief on C-5 aircraft, I remained in California and spent years battling anxiety and bipolar disorder. My diagnoses are still part of my life, but working for PRIDE Industries has made navigating the workplace far easier. I’m proud of the work we do at the California Medical Facility. But our contract ends on June 30, and there is no safety net for most of us. Losing this job means losing our income, health insurance and the supportive workplace that makes it possible for us to succeed and stay healthy. We ask that SEIU Local 1000 meet with us, and that Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders extend our contract and support Assemblymember Lori Wilson’s bill, AB 912, which would build a civil service pathway for people with disabilities in the future. But in the meantime, don’t allow us to lose everything on June 30, while we wait. This moment is a test of the state’s commitment to equity. It’s not enough to say inclusion matters; we need leaders to act like it does. And fast. Ameer Habeeb is Environmental Services Director for PRIDE Industries at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville and an Air Force veteran.
CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.
–
Stay up to date on business in the Capital Region: Subscribe to the Comstock’s newsletter today.
Recommended For You
The Capital Region Is in the Vanguard of Autism Research and Treatment
Researchers, educators and students help unlock the mystery of autism
Autism is neither a disease nor a sickness. But for the increasing population of those diagnosed — one in 31 children is the current count in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — it’s quite real. What might surprise you is that when it comes to learning about and managing autism, the Capital Region is very much in the forefront.
This Time, Donations May Not Be Enough
This time will be different. Nonprofits tend to survive recessions, albeit with considerable tenacity. Today, however, a lot of them directly or indirectly receive government funding for their services. Many of their donors work in public service and companies that support it. As funding for USAID and other large public programs is being cut, nonprofits are losing revenue that donations alone cannot easily replace.
The Changemakers
The people who’ve shaped the Capital Region over the past decade
The Capital Region has seen a stunning metamorphosis over the past decade. These changes didn’t happen on their own; they occurred due to the work and vision of a range of notable people, from developers and public officials to sports executives and innovators.
Bridging the Job Gap
Community-led training programs help people find jobs and escape poverty
Carissa Ramirez was less than six months out of college when she realized she would never reach her goals of owning a home, starting a family and attaining financial stability if she continued a career in her chosen field.