Artist Ignacio Gomez hoped to stir emotions with his bronze sculpture depicting Cesar E. Chavez striding up a hill with farm workers toiling in the fields, head held high. Gomez fulfilled that goal as over 1,000 people applauded, sighed, grinned, reflected and then pushed in to get a closer look at the life-sized statue of the famed farm labor leader following Saturday's unveiling and dedication in downtown Riverside.

SEIU 721 Inland Area members expanded their knowledge of labor rights and procedures this week at an all day new steward orientation training and workshop.

SEIU 721 members who live in Riverside will vote on Measure A in a vote-by-mail election by June 4, 2013. Measure A would allow the publicly owned water utility to continue to transfer a fixed percentage of funds into the City's general fund. This money goes toward the essential services that SEIU 721 members provide, like 311 call center representatives, mini-bus drivers who transport seniors and the disabled, and graffiti removal programs that help keep buildings clean. A Yes vote will maintain these and other services that are vital to the community and to in protecting member's jobs.

Braving scorching heat, tumble weeds the size of small cars, and a slithering snake, over 20 SEIU 721 Inland Area members and their families, joined the Riverside community in the Great American Cleanup, on Saturday, May 11, 2013.

For over a month the SEIU 721 Riverside City bargaining team has presented comprehensive proposals and management has responded with a resounding NO.

SEIU 721 Inland Area members are volunteering for Keep Riverside Clean and Beautiful (KRCB), a Riverside city-wide cleanup on Saturday, May 11, from 9 a.m. - 11:30 a.m., but we still need more. 721 members and their families will make up one to two teams and will have a designated cleanup site. Volunteers will help with graffiti abatement, work on a planting project, litter and storm drain clean up all over the city.

Interested in working with like-minded members of common interest but don't want to drive into LA? Come to the Inland Area Caucus Social, May 18, to find out how to get a caucus started in the Riverside and Desert areas and how to motivate others to become involved.

SEIU 721 and the County of Riverside have once again come together to offer scholarship awards to legal dependents of SEIU 721 members who are Riverside county employees. Awards range from $500 to $5,000. Application deadline is May 17, 2013.

Inland Area candidates for the SEIU 721 Executive Board.

The SEIU 721 Executive Board and Officer Elections are underway....

During the past few months SEIU 721 Riverside County stewards working in the county's Information Technology department have met with management over important workplace issues, particularly background checks and the restructuring/consolidation occurring in the department.

The SEIU 721 City of Riverside bargaining team entered into negotiations with city management March 7, 2013. The two sessions established ground rules and initial proposals. The current MOU expires on June 30, 2013.

SEIU 721 Inland Area members, led by the Riverside City Chapter, rallied together to help needy Riverside families by holding a canned food and toy drive that culminated with a joint union Holiday Barbecue on Saturday, Dec. 4, at Fairmount Park.

SEIU 721 Inland Empire members are invited to attend an important workers' compensation presentation by attorneys from the law firm of Rose, Klein and Marias, LLP., where these questions and more will be discussed, Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2012.

The SEIU 721 Inland Area office is now open. The new location, located at 6177 River Crest Dr., Ste. B, in the Box Springs area of Riverside, has ample space for meetings and conferences, a member lounge and resource center and great parking.

SEIU 721 Riverside members gathered on Thursday, Aug. 2, to hear Riverside Mayoral candidates Ed Adkison and Rusty Bailey provide responses to questions on issues that will affect the hard working families in Riverside. Mark Takano, Congressional candidate for District 41 (pictured above), Richard Roth, State Senate candidate for District 31 and a representative for Jose Medina, Assembly candidate for District 61, also spoke to members before the mayoral question and answer period. At the end of the evening, members unanimously voted to recommend an endorsement of Rusty Bailey, current Ward 3 Council Member, for Riverside Mayor.

In California, voters will decide on key propositions, specifically Prop 30 and 32, SEIU 721 is committed to making sure workers' rights are protected and that the wealthy pay their fair share of taxes so that schools, roads, health care systems and other vital services do not crumble.

SEIU 721 presented $20,000 in scholarships to the children of 20 Riverside County members. The scholarships, given out prior to the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, July 17, 2012, range from $500 to $2,500 and are a part of the SEIU Training Fund, a joint effort between SEIU 721 and Riverside County.

Mike Booth, water operator and SEIU 721 chief negotiator for the Lake Hemet Municipal Water District bargaining team, presented petitions signed by 100% of the unit to the LHMWD Board on Thursday, June 21, 2012.

This weekend SEIU 721 Riverside County leadership sent a letter to the Board of Supervisors in response to two items on the Tuesday, June 5, agenda which would result in increases in pay and benefits for elected officials and upper management, outside of compaction issues. This is an outrageous proposal made either for completely political antics prior to election day or lack of good judgement by management during a time of layoffs, furloughs, and pay cuts to front line workers who provide essential public services.