Following an investigation of a patient suicide, state and federal health officials concluded that Valley Medical Center had failed to fully address serious, systemic and recurring issues that had placed patients at risk.

With horns blaring non-stop, a caravan of 100 cars led by a local union made its way through Atherton on July 11 to demand that billionaires do their part to help the racial and social inequities that have risen to the forefront of the nation’s consciousness during the Covid-19 crisis. SEIU 521 led a brigade of Bay Area workers, labor leaders and elected officials on a 2 ½ hour ride through Atherton, specifically targeting four billionaires—Jan Koum, George Roberts, Mark Stevens and Douglas Leone—three of the four whose wealth reportedly increased during the coronavirus pandemic. Assemblymember Ash Kalra [D-CA 27 District 27] was in one of the caravans to voice his support to raise taxes on billionaires.

Otto Lee scooped up the endorsement just weeks after Kansen Chu faced backlash for recent 'racist remarks.'

Hours before thousands of workers planned to walk off the job, Santa Clara County's largest employee union reached a tentative four-year agreement.

Santa Clara County's largest labor union voted to authorize a strike next week to protest what they call unfair labor practices and demand higher wages.

Days before the contract expires for the county's largest labor union, public hospital employees stage a "sick out" to demand higher pay.

After four months of negotiating, threatened strikes and sickouts, Santa Clara County reached an agreement Friday with its biggest union, whose employees agreed to chip in more from their own paychecks for healthcare in exchange for small raises.

Ticked off that Santa Clara County refused to continue labor negotiations over the weekend and still demands forced overtime to patch up staffing shortages, the county’s largest union sounds like it’s ready to strike. SEIU 521 will hold a noon press conference to announce the decision, where it is expected to demand benefits that would make it easier to recruit and retain qualified workers.

UPDATE: SEIU approved a strike authorization with 96 percent of voting members in favor.

Santa Clara County workers marched down Hedding Street to the tune of Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Going to Take It” Monday evening, as SEIU 521 union members voted for the right to authorize a strike.The voting continues Tuesday as county officials and labor union negotiators have yet to form an agreement.

Almost two weeks before she won the election for Santa Clara County Supervisor’s District 2 seat, ex-labor leader Cindy Chavez said she would not cross a picket line. That promise may get tested early since SEIU 521, the 8,000-employee county union whose contract is up for renewal, strategically postponed negotiations until Aug. 11, after the special election, in hopes of gaining a more favorable outcome. About 6,400 of those union members work at the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. The day after Chavez was voted in, some technicians in the hospital’s radiology department staged a “sick out,” which is not quite a strike but a coordinated effort to call in sick to work to make a statement. Enough participated that it left the hospital scrambling to schedule replacements.