(Sacramento, CA) – Bill A. Lloyd, President of the Services Employees International Union (SEIU) California released the following statement after yesterday’s referendum vote in Oregon:

“Yesterday’s election in Oregon showed voters will stand firmly beside our leaders when they are ready to invest in our recovery – and proved conventional wisdom is wrong.

“In a state struggling with high unemployment and faced with cuts to schools and human services that would deepen the recession, Oregon voters made a clear statement of their priorities: the government’s top job must be to preserve vital services and infrastructure and stimulate the economy.  Cutting services and jobs would only make the recession worse.

“When voters are given a choice, poll after poll shows that Californians support the same approach.

“It’s time for California’s leaders to get the message, too. Working people have already taken the hit year after year to our schools, colleges, and communities. Now it’s time for corporations to pay their share. California’s people and our economy benefit from a budget that strengthens our schools, colleges, and healthcare.  

“SEIU’s 700,000 California members are ready to work with our elected leaders to begin rebuilding our state.”  


SEIU California is a coalition of over 700,000 janitors, social workers, security officers, home care workers, school and university employees, healthcare workers, and city, county and state employees represented by SEIU local unions throughout California. We come together to build a better California by fighting to pass policies and elect candidates that benefit working families and advance the issues we care about: affordable healthcare, good wages, retirement security for all, a healthy environment, good schools and universities, and stronger communities. We believe that by working together we can build a California where working families can thrive again.