Labor
Yvonne R. Walker: Let your circle be unbroken
While we are all extraordinary, it takes a circle to bring out the extraordinary within us. […]
Articles supported by SEIU Local 1000
Labor
Yvonne R. Walker: Secure retirement needs more than dreams
Women particularly face challenges in golden years Are you dreaming of a happy retirement? For women, prospects for their golden years can appear pretty bleak as we are more likely to be poor in retirement […]
Labor
Yvonne R. Walker: Celebrate women and power of change
Unions make a big difference in working women’s lives Imagine your job is to clean up somebody else’s mess. You work long hours, often late at night by yourself. You are isolated, vulnerable and on […]
Labor
Yvonne R. Walker: Let your heart and mind soar
Poets provide inspiration in both words and actions “a poem is pure energy horizontally contained between the mind of the poet and the ear of the reader if it does not sing discard the ear” […]
Labor
SEIU Local 1000: Yvonne R. Walker: Fight for the right to count every vote
From registration to election day, suppression gets creative Why do we celebrate Black history in February? Thank Frederick Douglass and Carter Woodson. Douglass, America’s most famous abolitionist, was born a slave sometime in February 1818. […]
Labor
Yvonne R. Walker: Celebrating hard-earned rights
Still fighting for the right to vote Our voting rights did not come easy. I’m reminded of that often during Black History Month and this centennial celebration of the 19th Amendment that enabled American women […]
Local Issues
Yvonne R. Walker: Leaders who made a difference
Their grassroots efforts led to real change in their communities How do you create change? You can organize at the grassroots level, inspiring others and nurturing ideas. And you can vote, electing leaders who will […]
Labor
Yvonne R. Walker: Where is Sacramento in fight against poverty?
Many neighborhoods are getting worse, not better What are you doing to lift children out of poverty in Sacramento? That’s a question we should be asking anyone running for office. During this election year, politicians […]
Labor
Yvonne R. Walker: Why I march with Rev. Barber
Poor People’s Campaign continues King’s legacy This past weekend at a commemoration in Fontana for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I joined another reverend, Dr. William Barber, who continues Dr. King’s legacy as co-chair of […]
Labor
Yvonne R. Walker: Poor People’s Campaign marches on
Dr. King’s legacy behind a new call for a moral revival Monday, our nation celebrates the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. On this special day of remembrance, people will recall his […]
Labor
Yvonne R. Walker: Stay focused on your North Star
Set your compass for a better tomorrow Every leader needs a North Star, something that guides them through the darkness to where they want to be. With their compass, ancient mariners used the North Star […]
Labor
Yvonne R. Walker: A shared vision for 2020
Make these New Year’s resolutions stick Every single day, we have the opportunity to change people’s lives. In fact, we not only have the opportunity, but the responsibility, to make sure that in the fifth […]
Labor
Yvonne R. Walker: Time for reflection and connection
Take a few moments during this busy season to look at yourself You may write me down in historyWith your bitter, twisted lies,You may trod me in the very dirtBut still, like dust, I’ll rise. […]
Labor
Yvonne R. Walker: Striving to do MORE
This tale of two organizers shows the power of people united This time of year, people reflect on what they’ve accomplished and what they aspire to do in the year ahead. As they celebrate the […]
Labor
Yvonne R. Walker: Be a leader, find the light
Ending poverty in California starts with shared vision The purpose of SEIU Local 1000 is to have the power necessary to give our members — and all Californians — the opportunity to have a good […]
Education
Yvonne R. Walker: How to fix Prop. 13
Large corporations need to pay their fair share Proposition 13 was passed because the legislature at the time couldn’t agree how to help families stay in their homes and keep their property taxes from rising […]
Labor
Yvonne R. Walker: Giving thanks for many people
Being part of a union tops this list What am I thankful for this holiday? I’m thankful for unions, and my union in particular. Up to 45% of all U.S. workers are legally excluded from […]
Labor
Yvonne R. Walker: Nurturing new leaders can bring change
How one Fresno worker helped his community for the better Where will we find tomorrow’s leaders? Look around; you may already know a leader in the making. Leadership is a skill that takes support and […]
Health
Yvonne R. Walker: Union apprenticeships offer leg up
Groundbreaking program creates path to a better career Imagine how difficult it is with kids, working, saving for their education, while also trying to dream of a different professional life for yourself. When do you […]
Labor
Yvonne R. Walker: Honoring our veterans
Veterans served our country; now many serve our state Everybody is familiar with the Marine Corps motto, “Semper Fi”; it means “always faithful.” In the Marines, that faith is in God, Country, Corps. The Marines […]
Labor
Yvonne R. Walker: Facing fears with a pen
These bills target real-life horror stories Ghosts, vampires, zombies; Halloween is packed with scary things. While trick-or-treating as children, we learned to laugh at our fears. (These monsters lived in our imagination, not under our […]
Labor
Yvonne R. Walker: Worried about your retirement? You are not alone
High earners should pitch in fair share to Social Security How do you feel about your retirement prospects? Are you optimistic that you’ll be able to afford to stop working some day? If you’re anxious […]
Labor
Yvonne R. Walker: Retirement security for all
Big difference between a pension and a 401(k) Thinking about retirement? For many Californians, that day will never come. They work hard their whole lives, but never have the means to finally stop worrying, put […]
Labor
Yvonne R. Walker: Making changes, one bill at a time
These new laws will help workers This week, Jews around the world are celebrating the end of their New Year period with a day of fasting on Yom Kippur, October 9th. For some, it is […]
Health
Yvonne R. Walker: Taking a stand against high drug prices
Members’ personal stories at the heart of campaign California has the most poverty in the country. We don’t have a resource problem; we have a distribution problem. And one way we are kept from thinking […]
Labor
Yvonne R. Walker: Affordable housing key to ending poverty
Renters’ rights important part of this fight Sacramento used to be a bargain. People moved here from all over because our city was considered an affordable place to live and work. We were known as […]
Health
Yvonne R. Walker: Health care shouldn’t be a headache
Open enrollment an annual reminder of rising costs BY YVONNE R. WALKER It’s that time of year again when families pull out their calculators, crunch the numbers and keep their fingers crossed. (For this headache, […]
Health
Yvonne R. Walker: Keeping our heads above water
Tentative contract helps lift up bottom, close inequality gap Arising tide lifts all boats – but only if there’s enough water to go around. To create a California for All, that rising tide also needs […]
Health
Yvonne R. Walker: Economic Justice
What can you do to end poverty for all? That can be a difficult question to ponder when you may be a paycheck away from poverty yourself. According to the Federal Reserve, one out of […]
Labor
Yvonne R. Walker: Finding strength in a united voice
Labor leads way to California for all This weekend, we celebrate Labor Day, a federal holiday for 125 years. It’s not the end of summer; it’s a historic milestone. A salute to the enduring contributions […]