Pics from SEIU 1021 protest on April 18th.

Giant rat in front of SF City Hall

please leave or we will arrest you.

In one of the largest rallies in SEIU 1021's history, 23 members were arrested in front of Bank of America Wednesday for taking a stand against mega banks and corporations who have been cheating San Francisco residents for over a decade.

At the intersection of Van Ness Avenue and Market Street, more than 1,300 people were chanting “Let the People Go, Arrest the CEO’s.” They were there to support the protesters, who sat in the crosswalk. By 6:30 PM, one by one each of the 23 protesters were handcuffed and put into the back of SFPD vans. On the front and back of each protester were large stickers that read “It’s time to draw the line: downtown greed or the city we need (http://www.neednotgreed.org).”

“We chose to be arrested at a symbolic intersection: It’s the intersection that houses the Department of Human Resources and Bank of America, said Larry Bradshaw, Vice President of SEIU Local 1021. “That intersection symbolizes City Hall tax policies that prioritize tax cuts for the 1% while demanding pay and health care cuts for the 99%.”

Research shows that only 10 percent of San Francisco’s registered businesses are paying the local payroll tax. The tax fails to tax highly profitable sectors of the economy such as banks like Bank of America and corporations.

And in 1999, 52 large downtown corporations sued the City to strike down the local gross receipts tax on a technicality. Settling the suit cost the City $150 million in one-time payouts and an ongoing loss of $25-40 million in annual revenue.

Meanwhile, the residents and city workers end up paying for the lost revenue. Even as sectors of the local economy are improving, as revenues come in higher than expected, city leaders continue to say they need to cut labor costs. 1021 members, on top of years of concessions, are being asked to take another 2.6 percent pay cut and give hundreds of dollars more each month for health insurance for their families.

Board President David Chiu, Supervisors John Avalos, Eric Mar, David Campos, Jane Kim signed a pledge to stand by city workers and to fight downtown greed and protect the city we need. A representative also spoke on behalf of Sup. Christina Olague, who wasn’t able to attend.

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SEIU 1021 represents over 13,000 employees in the City and County of San Francisco. SEIU Local 1021 represents 56,000 employees in local governments and non-profit agencies, health care programs, schools, and social welfare occupations throughout northern California.