CWA/OPEIU Telework Policy Petition 

We the undersigned CWA/OPEIU members demand management bargain in good faith with our unions on a reasonable, 21st century remote work policy. 

SEIU 521’s refusal to agree to a fair, flexible remote work policy has already forced some of our colleagues to leave for other organizations and we are concerned more are soon to follow.

CWA/OPEIU staff is proposing a hybrid telework model where staff goes in the field as required, meetings are conducted via Zoom, and there is a rotation of required staff to keep union offices open, while keeping everyone’s safety as the top priority.

Without the inclusivity and flexibility Telework brings, we will be forced to choose between our families, health and/or our jobs. No worker should be forced to make that choice. 

However, the concern over our health is highlighted by the fact that both unvaccinated and vaccinated employees, members, tenants and the general public are capable of contracting and spreading COVID-19.

Many CWA and OPEIU staff cannot afford to live in the high cost Bay Area, Central Valley, or Central Coast regions. We are sensitive to the financial cost of work: telecommuting bears little to no cost on the employer and workers, while providing a substantial benefit to guardians of children, elderly parents, families and /in-laws.

Spending hours in traffic does not advance the labor movement. Instead, commuting keeps us away from our families and adds unnecessary stress to our lives. We have gone above and beyond to fight for our members and we want to continue to do so in the most strategic way. 

Remote work reduces our carbon footprint, improves our work life balance, and opens up our workplace to those with health concerns, disabilities and/or limitations that would otherwise prevent them from participation. 

We are asking that SEIU Executive Management team:

Meet with CWA & OPEIU representatives to  bargain a fair, flexible remote work policy;

To take accommodation requests as they relate to telework seriously; to implement them in a manner that is transparent and applicable to all staff who submit requests. 

Why it is unsafe to return to the office on Nov 15th:

On September 20th SEIU 521 Management implemented their Phase 2 return to pre-pandemic activities without having staff trained or a policy and procedures in place. Since then, we have asked SEIU 521 Management to train staff and provide us with their policy and procedures. Now they are asking staff to fully return to pre-pandemic activities starting November 15th without having the staff trained or a policy and procedures in place. It is concerning that they are waiting until the last minute to do that. We are concerned for the health and safety of our staff, members, and guests that come into the office without the aforementioned being given to us.

·       No clear policy, protocols, or training provided by management to union staff to mitigate the exposure of COVID-19 in each regional office.

·       No clear communication on policy and procedures to mitigate the exposure of COVID-19 for members, guests, and vendors.

Put safety first and respect all workers' voices and concerns as we are amid a pandemic.