a 21st century agenda

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THE NEW CALIFORNIA DREAM

• a 21st century agenda

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SEIU IN CALIFORNIA
In recent years, SEIU in California has

• Had impressive victories, but too often has been
  on the defense.
• Not always spoken with one voice.
• Been caught in reactive election-year cycles with
  minimal returns.
• Not increased our permanent capacity.

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Looking to the future, SEIU in California is
implementing its plan to work as a team.

• CA VPs began meeting in 2005 as a team to build a
  long-term, progressive vision for CA.
• CA VPs worked with team coaches to move beyond
  previous ways of interacting.
• CA VPs have already met with outside experts on
  the CA economy, demographics, education,
  infrastructure, health care, voting trends and
  more.

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Now powerfully repositioned, SEIU can take the
lead in California.

• CA VPs increase SEIUs power in the state by
  leading a successful jurisdiction decision,
  consolidating 28 locals into 14.
• CA Public Locals are creating new opportunities
  for back-office consolidation and member service
  centers, as well as bringing additional leaders
  to the New California Dream team.

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OUR LONG-TERM VISION
SEIU envisions a future in which Californians
become the best educated people in the nation,
healthy, deeply engaged in their communities and
their state, technologically adept, and the next
generation of true innovators.
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BACKGROUND
California is a nation-state with the worlds 6th
largest economy. As such, everything here is
bigger

• More people
• More diversity
• More poverty working poor
• More wealth super-wealth
• More uninsured

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Background (contd)
Californias population

• 37.4 million in 2006
• 14 million larger than the next-size state
  (Texas)
• 1 of 8 Americans calls California home
• In 2005, 9.8 million Californians were
  foreign-born (more than any other state)

Source California Department of Education,
Educational Demographics Unit
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Background (contd)

• Diversity (2005)
• 44.4 White
• 35.3 Hispanic/Latino
• 12 Asian/Pacific Islander
• 6.3 African American
• 0.3 Native American
• 1.7 Multi-Racial

Source CA Dept.of Finance
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CAS IMMINENT CRISIS
California is an ethnic minority-majority state
with a small number of whites controlling the
politics and economy. The majority face

• Low-wage jobs
• Failing schools
• High cost of housing energy
• Job, health retirement insecurity
• No safety net

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Crisis (contd)
There is a serious disconnect between
Californias diverse and foreign-born populations
and those who vote and make the decisions

• 7 in 10 California likely voters are white and
  relatively affluent (whites comprise 44 of CAs
  population).
• Only 1 in 6 CA likely voters is Latino (although
  Latinos comprise 35 of population).
• 12 million of the states 27.7 million eligible
  adults are not registered to vote.

Source Public Policy Institute of California
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Crisis (contd)
4.8 Million
Californians living in poverty--the largest
income group in the state.
Latinos comprise the majority of CAs low-income
families.
Source Stephen Levy, Center for the Continuing
Study of the California Economy California
Budget Project
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Crisis (contd)
6.5 Million Californians
without health insurance
10 Million
with no prescription coverage
1 in 6 Working Adults carries medical debt
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Crisis (contd)
By 2022, one in three jobs in CA will require a
college education. However

• 33 of all CA students do not graduate from high
  school.
• 40 of Latino 43.4 of black students do not
  graduate from high school.
• CAs K-12 schools perform at the bottom end of
  states, just above Louisiana and Mississippi.

And CAs wage disparities continue to grow.
Source Rand Corporation, Harvard
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Crisis (contd)
By 2025, CA will gain between 7 and 11 million
new residents, however

• CA ranks 50th in housing affordability 43 of
  Californians cant afford to buy a home.
• CA needs to build 52,000 units of housing
  annually to keep up with the growth of households
  earning less than 41,000 per year.
• 1.7 million CA households are overcrowded.

Source CA Dept. of Finance, CA Building Industry
Association, Policy Link
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Crisis (contd)
Where will they live and will California be able
to deliver adequate services to them?
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WHY IS CA BACKSLIDING?

• Prop 13 gutted public education and left cities
  and counties making land-use decisions based on
  sales tax revenues, instead of on community
  priorities.
• Term limits keep politicians focused on the
  short-term winning their next campaign.
• Political factions block action and dont build
  solutions.

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Backsliding (contd)

• Relentless, expensive divisive ballot
  initiatives keep voters confused and often are
  assaults on workers.
• Political, business, union community leaders
  lack long-term vision for the whole they are
  caught up in the next campaign or quarterly
  report.
• Low- moderate-income voters are
  under-represented not engaged in the political
  process.

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THE CONSEQUENCES IF WE DONT ACT NOW
Without radical change, the future of
next-generation Californians looks bleak

• Declining wages
• A ballooning racial and economic divide
• One medical emergency away from financial ruin
• Life-long debt
• Increased environmental deterioration

IS THIS THE FUTURE WE WANT?
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NEW CALIFORNIA DREAM Six Pillars for
Strategic Change
The SIX PILLARS are a radical change from the
states current path. They are broad, long-term
goals to improve the lives of all Californians
and to increase Californias competitiveness in
a global economy.
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1. Provide affordable, accessible health care for
every man, woman and child
Creating a high-quality, 21st century health care
system for all Californians
2. Build sustainable communities that promote the
common good for current and future generations
Solving Californias housing shortage, energy,
and environmental crises
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3. Establish the conditions for life-long
learning
Ensuring every Californian has access to quality
and equal public education, as well as to higher
education and job training in order to meet
his/her full potential
4. Expand civic participation and good government
Addressing immigration reform and voting
disparities to increase the voice of all
Californians in government and civic life and to
provide equal access to the CA Dream
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5. Build a vibrant economy that works for everyone
Bridging the economic and racial divide and
ensuring Californias future economic
competitiveness
6. Create revenue streams for what Californians
need most
Securing a fair tax structure, closing loopholes,
and developing sustainable revenue streams
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GETTING TO THE NEW CA DREAM
To implement long-term change will require
creating a sustainable partnership with
organizational leaders and funders to build a
permanent progressive majority. The partnership
will
? Serve as stewards for the entire vision.
? Commit to the long term. ? Oversee the
big picture and strategies. ? Require
minimal internal maintenance. ? Raise major
resources. ? Practice action and reflection.
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Getting There (contd)
Building Power for the Long-Term
What we dont want
What we want
To build another short-term progressive issue
coalition (in a state with hundreds of them)
sustained primarily by labor
To build a long-term, sustainable partnership
with financial, business, religious, academic
community leaders/institutions
To create a large institutional bureaucracy that
weighs down action
To create flexible entities to implement multiple
strategies over time
To establish short-term political machines for
time-limited campaigns
To establish a permanent political machine
capable of adding or taking away determinative
support
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Getting There (contd)
More of What we dont want
More of What we want
To include every progressive organization in
California
To engage key allies who can deliver on the ground
To assemble institutional partners for
short-term action
To grow an institutional base for sustained action
To mobilize voters for a single campaign
To develop widespread civic engagement for all
Six Pillars of the New California Dream
To conduct research with a narrow focus and
limited application
To establish practical think-tank partners
capable of translating policy into political
options
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NEW CA DREAM TIMELINE
JANUARY - OCTOBER 2007

• Partners Financial Commitments
• 3- to 5-Year Strategic Plan Priorities,
  Infrastructure, Budget
• 1 Member Engagement and commitment for launching
  event
• Communications Strategies (Int/Ext)

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The New California Dream LAUNCH
OCTOBER 2007
WHAT Convocation Launching Event WHERE
Fresno, CA WHEN Late October 2007, 2 hours
WHO 6,500 member leaders (1), Partners,
targeted Allies
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ELEMENTS FOR WINNING
To ensure success of the New California Dream, we
need to build a solid foundation including these
elements

• 1. People
• Leadership Keepers of the whole picture
  organizers and drivers of the component parts
• Donors Partners capable of long-term commitment
  and quick response
• Staff Team Dedicated, full-time staff to
  organize and coordinate the pieces and enforce
  effectiveness of goals and objectives

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Elements for Winning (contd)

• 2. Vision and a Plan
• New CA Dream A bold, long-term, achievable
  vision integrated with all of SEIUs goals
• Strategic plan Clear priorities, timelines, and
  tasks a process to track implementation and make
  corrections
• 3. Permanent Voter-Delivery System
• Voter file Expertly staffed latest technology
  with highly functional interface capabilities
• Campaign technologies Applied modeling,
  targeting, and microtargeting
• Shared tools For contact across partner
  organizations
• Coordinated programs To broaden Voter ID,
  registration, education, and GOTV efforts
• Candidate recruitment

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Elements for Winning (contd)

• 4. Organizations with Constituencies
• Ongoing organizing to build and sustain
  relationships
• Linked organizations capable of mobilizing key
  constituencies
• 5. Research and Policy Development
• 6. Disciplined Coordination with Partners SEIU
• Planning and learning strategic, on-going, and
  shared
• Communications
• Partner agreements to avoid conflicts or
  infighting
• 7. Clear and Flexible Legal, Administrative,
  Financial, and Governance Structures

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WHY SEIU?
SEIU can and should take the lead in CA because

• With 650,0000 members, SEIU is the largest union
  in CA and represents a third of SEIUs total U.S.
  membership.
• SEIU has been rated 1 in terms of political
  strength nationwide.
• SEIU represents a broad base of working
  Californians and has a larger activist base than
  any other coalition or alliance in California.
• SEIU has a national brand and solid working
  relationships with business, labor, religious and
  community organizations.

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CHALLENGES

• How can we operate as a team instead of fiefdoms?
• How can we build an engagement process wide and
  deep enough to engage our members and other
  Californians?
• How can we develop our leadership to represent
  the diversity of Californias population and our
  membership?
• How can we get the right partners?
• How can we create a permanent election capacity
  inside and outside our locals?

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THE NEW CALIFORNIA DREAM

• a 21st century agenda