Sept 2000

Social Worker Heartbeat
Counties are experimenting with exciting new programs that make use of intensive wraparound services and community resources. But will workers get the time to take advantage of these programs?

Riding Along with Bilingual Worker Frederick Machado
We travel along with social worker Machado as he tries to bridge the generation gap between immigrant parents and their children, who are growing up in American culture.

Social Worker Awareness Campaign "We Can Make a Difference" Local 535 Children's Services Committee plans a campaign to educate the public about the exciting work of children's social workers and why they need more time to help families.

Historic Kaiser Agreement
Kaiser Permanente has reached a national agreement with 25 unions representing Kaiser workers around the country.

Horrors of Privatization
San Diego privatized its CalWORKS and instituted managed competition for the remaining county workers. Employment case managers speak out about the negative effect it has had on providing services to clients:

"We could be making a real impact. But we don’t have the time to see our clients. We don’t have the time to find out what their problems are and what services they need.”

“There are no statistics kept on counseling clients, on sitting with them and helping them...The priority is to prove the clients have done their 128 hours of job club and job search... Whether or not more people are going to work has become less of a priority.”

Superior Court Judge declares contracting out of San Diego County CalWORKS unlawful and orders the program terminated.

Retirees Organize!
Local 535 has hired its first retiree organizer, Connie Langford, to organize the union's growing numbers of retirees. Retirees, the union wants you. Fill out the retiree form on-line.

Local 535 Helps Fix
Fingerprint Problem
Relatives attempting to provide a home for children in trouble were caught up in a glitch in the system. Local 535 worked with lawmakers to fix the problem.

Contra Costa Workers Get a Nursing Room Contra Costa County Steward Ian Arnold describes how Children's Protective Services worker Stacey Anderson and her colleagues worked together to get a room where mothers like her could nurse their new born children.

Around the Local
Probation Officer Nancy Dominguez elected to city council, and other 535 local news.