Contra Costa Herald

Months of Action Result in Wage Increase That Will Eventually Reach $12.25/hour

Martinez, CA – Home care workers in Contra Costa County, represented by SEIU Local 2015, have ratified a new contract that raises their wage to $12.00 per hour as soon as the State can make the change, and to $12.25 per hour on January 1, 2017. The contract is on the agenda for a vote of the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors at its Tuesday, March 15^th meeting.

Home care workers currently make just $11.50 an hour and have not had a raise in more than seven years. The contract maintains their health care benefit, which the County had pushed to limit.

SEIU Local 2015 Provisional Officer Arnulfo De La Cruz was glad to reach a contract, but believes it should not have taken so long to achieve. “Home care providers, their clients and allies rallied for months at Board of Supervisors meetings,” he said. “This contract impacts those who care for our county’s most vulnerable population and should have been resolved sooner, but we are certainly glad that it is finally done.”

Union members voted overwhelmingly in favor of ratifying the agreement.

“We won our contract because we got organized and got members involved,” said home care worker John Roe, who was part of bargaining team. “Now we’re going to organize for $15.”

Home care worker Melody Lacy, also a member of the bargaining team, said “We got this victory because we have a union that is 100% focused on us as long-term care providers winning better wages and benefits.”

IHSS workers care for our low-income seniors and disabled neighbors, a tough but critical job that allows their clients to live at home with independence and dignity while being more cost effective than institutionalization. This work should be recognized and paid a livable wage.

Follow the conversation: @SEIU2015

WHAT: Dozens of community leaders will show their support for Meals on Wheels and Senior Outreach Services (MOWSOS) by helping deliver meals to senior clients in Contra Costa County during the national March for Meals event.

WHO:
District V Supervisor, Federal Glover – March 24th, Bateman Canteen

District IV Supervisor, Karen Mitchoff – March 21st, Concord Sr. Center

Clayton Mayor, Howard Geller – March, 22nd, Concord Sr. Center

Martinez Mayor, Rob Schroder – March 23rd, Martinez Sr. Center

Pleasant Hill Mayor, Sue Noack – March 21st, Pleasant Hill Sr. Center

Oakley Mayor, Kevin Romick – March 24th, Oakley Sr. Center

Orinda Mayor, Victoria Smith – March 25th, MOWSOS Office

Walnut Creek Mayor Pro-tem, Rich Carlston – March 24th, MOWSOS Office

Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff, Lt. Paul O’Mary – March 22nd, Bateman Canteen

Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County, Executive Director, Will McGarvey – March 24th, Bateman Canteen

Bay Point Municipal Advisory Council Member, Debra Mason – March 24th, Bateman Canteen

WHY: Senior hunger is a serious issue in our community – 25,000 seniors are hungry in Contra Costa County and nearly 800 rely on our meal delivery to survive.  Community leaders will join MOWSOS volunteers to deliver meals and see first-hand the impact Meals on Wheels has on individual lives.

WHEN:  March 21st through March 25th, 2016 (see dates above for each community leader).

ADDRESS:

Bateman Canteen —  1409 Auto Center Drive, Antioch

Concord Senior Center —  2727 Parkside Circle, Concord

Pleasant Hill Senior Center —  233 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill

Oakley Senior Center —  991A Rosemary Lane, Oakley

MOWSOS— Meals on Wheels and Senior Outreach Services 1300 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek.

Meals on Wheels and Senior Outreach Services is a full-service nonprofit organization dedicated since 1968 to helping seniors live independently and with dignity.  Based in Walnut Creek, the agency serves seniors all across Contra Costa County.  More information can be found at www.mowsos.org.

The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office is currently accepting applications for the College and High School Student Summer Internship Program.

Those interested are requested to send a cover letter and resume to Deputy District Attorney Dominique Yancey at dyancey@contracostada.org by March 31, 2016.

At a closed session board meeting Wednesday morning, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California authorized the purchase of four islands in the San Francisco Bay-Delta for an undisclosed sum.

The deal is highly controversial in Northern California as it would put Southern California’s most powerful water agency in control of a group of Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta islands that can serve as water storage areas or entry points for the proposed $15 billion Delta Tunnels projects.

For months MWD has been considering the purchase of islands now used for farming. The islands mirror the path of the plan for the Delta Tunnels proposal.

The four island deal includes Bouldin Island, Webb Tract, Holland Tract, and Bacon Island. They cover approximately 20,000 acres of the Delta. Here (and above) is a map of the islands in the path of the Delta Tunnels.

Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of Restore the Delta spoke on the matter.

“It is troubling for the Delta region that Metropolitan Water District is going to acquire such a significant portion of Delta land and Delta water rights,” she said. “They have the resources to change law and policies statewide to maximize their access to Delta water in their favor. They will own two islands that are directly in the path of the proposed Delta Tunnels project, eliminating eminent domain concerns for that portion of tunnels construction. We believe that having MWD as a neighbor is an existential threat to the future of the Delta and Delta communities.”

Delta Tunnels opponents note that after nine years and a quarter of a billion dollars spent on the proposal, Delta Tunnel backers have still has not produced a legally acceptable plan that can pass environmental standards. On October 30, 2015 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued the Draft Environmental Impact Report a failing grade of “Inadequate” due to lack of science about the impacts on the Delta ecosystem and endangered species.

For more information on the Restore the Delta visit www.restorethedelta.org.

Contra Costa lawmaker also joins Budget panel

Sacramento – In an expansion of his role in the California State Senate, Sen. Steve Glazer, D-Orinda, (9th District), was named on Wednesday as Chairman of the Banking & Financial Institutions Committee and to serve on the Budget and Fiscal Review Committee.

Glazer, who was elected in May 2015, will serve on the Budget Subcommittee on State Administration and General Government. He also serves on the Public Safety, Insurance and Governmental Organization committees.

Senate President pro Tempore Kevin de Leon made the nominations, which were approved by the Senate Rules Committee.

“I’m pleased to have someone with Steve’s knowledge shepherd the Banking and Financial Institutions Committee and join the Budget and Fiscal Review Committee,” de Leon said. “His experience will be critical to the committees as it takes on issues of great importance to all Californians that create economic opportunity and financial security.”

Glazer said he is “appreciative of the confidence that the President pro Tem is showing in me by tapping me as chairman of the important Banking and Finance Committee.

“One of the most important tasks of a legislator is to be a good steward of the state’s finances, so I’m pleased to have a seat at the budget table.”

Glazer represents most of Contra Costa County in California’s 9th State Senate District.

A unique program that sends doctors from Contra Costa County to train physicians around the world is holding an event, on Monday, March 14 in Pleasant Hill, to raise money to continue its work in countries with limited medical resources.

The Contra Costa Global Health Fellowship is one of only six family medicine global health fellowships in the country, according to Dr. Neil Jayasekera, the fellowship’s founder and co-director. The fellowship, an initiative of the Contra Costa Family Medicine Residency Program that works in collaboration with UC San Francisco, was started in 2011.

Fellows train family physicians in other countries to build capacity for them to provide care in their communities. Global health fellows have trained local doctors in Kenya, South Sudan, India and Mexico. Most recently, fellows have been the African nation of Malawi to train medical students there. Malawi has one of the lowest physician-to-patient ratios in the world, as well as some of the poorest health outcomes.

“We are helping train the next generation of physicians in Africa. We’re providing the mentorship and the skills that will allow them to diagnose and treat disease, alleviate suffering, and save their patients’ lives,” said Dr. Jayasekera, who works in the emergency department at Contra Costa Regional Medical Center. “Our philosophy is teach one, help many.”

Dr. Mena Ramos, a current global health fellow, recently returned from a training expedition to Malawi. The experience was extremely rewarding, she said.

“After 3 years of residency training, the global health fellowship allowed me to share the skills I learned while at Contra Costa with providers in East Africa, and in turn, learn from their experiences providing care in a resource constrained setting,” Dr. Ramos said. “There is nothing more empowering than walking away knowing that you have shared a skill that will be useful to patients and communities beyond your own.”

Dr. Jayasekera added that the program also produces local benefits. Global health fellows are the most committed to working with the underserved and are very likely to stay here in our community and work with most underserved and vulnerable patients, Dr. Jayasekera said. For example, he noted, two recent fellows are currently the lead physicians at two prominent homeless clinics in the Bay Area.

The March 14 event is being hosted by the Contra Costa Regional Health Foundation (CCRHF), a nonprofit agency that supports Contra Costa Health Services. Global health fellows will share their stories about the places they’ve been and the people they’ve helped.

Proceeds from the event will help pay for the fellows’ travel expenses and the purchase of critical medical equipment, such as portable ultrasound devices.  The Contra Costa Family Medicine Residency program is a recognized leader in point-of-care ultrasound training for family physicians.

While most people think of ultrasound in connection with prenatal care, its use has become standard in many areas of medicine. Ultrasound is especially well-suited for physicians who work in under-resourced settings locally and abroad. Global Health fellows devote a lot of time teaching doctors and medical students in other countries how to use ultrasound devices in their healthcare practices.

“Ultrasound is like radiology in your pocket,” said Dr. Erin Stratta, a current global health fellow who has worked in Peru. “It can be used every single day with just about every patient that you see. It’s the future of clinical practice and I think it is going to change the face of medicine.”

Those who are unable to attend can still donate to the cause by on the Regional Health Foundation’s website at ccrhf.org.

For more information about the Contra Costa Global Health Fellowship, visit cchealth.org/residency/ghf.

Event Details

WHAT: Fundraiser for Contra Costa Global Health Fellowship. Admission is $35. There will be complimentary wine (donated by Sky Terrace Vineyards) and appetizers (provided by caterer Lovable Feast).

WHEN: 6 p.m. to 8.pm. on Monday, March 14

WHERE: Pleasant Hill Community Center, 320 Civic Drive, Pleasant Hill

WHO: Hosted by the Contra Costa Regional Health Foundation, a nonprofit that supports Contra Costa Health Services

HOW: Register for the event or donate to the cause at ccrhf.org

The nomination period for those interested in running for office ends this Friday, March 11th at 5:00 p.m. to file or March 16th for those offices in which the incumbent is not seeking reelection.

Candidates must complete nomination papers if they plan to run for certain elected offices.

OFFICES NOMINATED UNDER THE “TOP TWO” PRIMARY SYSTEM – In these races, the top two vote getters advance to the November election.

UNITED STATES SENATOR

UNITED STATES CONGRESS

5th District

9th District

11th District

15th District

STATE SENATE

3rd District

7th District

9th District

STATE ASSEMBLY

11th District

14th District

15th District

16th District

COUNTY OFFICES (4 Year Term) – Candidates win in June if they receive 50% plus one of the vote. If no candidate receives 50%+1, the top two will have a run off in November.

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

2nd Supervisorial District

3rd Supervisorial District

5th Supervisorial District

The nomination period closes 5:00 pm, Friday, March 11, 2016.

In addition deadline for filing for the following offices is also this Friday at 5:00 p.m. without any extension to March 16th.

COUNTY CENTRAL COMMITTEES

Democrat

Republican

The County Elections Office will provide updates throughout the nomination period via Twitter and Facebook about who has pulled papers to run for office and when candidates signatures have been verified.

The Contra Costa Elections Division staff recommends that interested candidates read through the 2016 Candidate Guide for more information about the process, including the necessary number of signatures for nomination, candidate statements, ordering campaign resources, maps and filing fees.

A Contra Costa Board of Supervisor candidate, for example, must pay a $1,044 filing fee and collect 20 signatures to be on the ballot.

The Candidate Guide can be found online at: http://www.cocovote.us/wp-content/uploads/2016_CandidateGuide_Combined_Updated-12-30-15.pdf.

For those interested in seeking local political offices in November, the nomination period for the November 8th General Election starts in mid-July.

For more information, call 925-335-7874 or visit their new website at www.contracostacore.us

By Joe Canciamilla

Our new web address – www.contracostacore.us – reflects what we believe is our CORE mission (Clerk, Outreach, Recorder, Elections) which is customer service. The goal of our entire team is to ensure that your experience with our office is unlike any you might have had or expected when dealing with a government agency: fast, friendly, efficient and helpful whether you are in need of a vital record, recording a document or registering to vote.

Please let us know what you think about our new site and our services. You can follow us on Facebook at Engage Contra Costa. Keep up to date with elections on Facebook at Contra Costa Elections and on Twitter @cocoelections. Follow what’s happening in the Clerk-Recorder Division on Facebook at Contra Costa Clerk Recorder and on Twitter @CCClerkRecorder. We even have YELP reviews for you to check out.

Congressmen Mark DeSaulnier (D, CA-11) and Jerry McNerney (D, CA-09) will host a joint town hall meeting in Antioch on Wednesday, March 9^th, from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm.

This unique forum will be an opportunity for residents to receive a Congressional update on key issues of importance to their community and learn more about the broad range of constituent services the Representatives’ offices can provide.

• What:Representatives DeSaulnier and McNerney’s Joint Town Hall Meeting in Antioch
• When: Wednesday, March 9, 2016, from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. Check-in begins at 6:00 pm
• Where: Antioch Middle School, 1500 D Street, Antioch

For more information or to request ADA accommodations, please email CA11.RSVP@mail.house.gov or call (925) 933-2660.

Candidate for District 3 Supervisor, Antioch Mayor Wade Harper, announced Saturday, he has received endorsements from fellow city council members Mary Rocha and Tony Tiscareno.

Mary Rocha

Rocha is the longest serving member of the current Antioch City Council and first Hispanic mayor of Antioch (1996-2000). Rocha is very knowledgeable of the nonprofit world and has dedicated her life to supporting Contra Costa County families. She has been a community liaison for Brighter Beginnings, with the Mary Rocha Child Development Center named in her honor. She serves on the board of directors for Tri-Delta Transit and Delta Diablo Sanitation District with Harper.

“I am supporting my mayor because he has done a great job bringing our city together to address many of the problems that we face,” Rocha said. “Wade is the most experienced candidate in the race. As a directly elected mayor and 24-year veteran police officer, he is the strongest candidate to tackle the challenges that persist in the county.”

Tiscareno was appointed to the city council in 2012 to fill Harper’s unexpired term when Harper won the race for Mayor. Tiscareno is a 33-year retired steelworker, and a former Political Director for the Contra Costa Labor Council. In the 1990’s, Tiscareno owned a small business trading sports cards. The 46-year resident of Antioch is now a real estate agent.

Tony Tiscareno

“What stands out about Wade is he cares about people,” he said. “I share Wade’s commitment to stand up for hard-working people when we returned city employees back to a full-time work week after five-and-a-half years of work furloughs. I am honored to stand with Wade for Supervisor and support his campaign. He will make a great supervisor.”

When Harper was elected as mayor he led the city council in team-building and strategic planning. He also led the charge in authorizing violent crime suppression teams, while also spearheading the Measure C campaign to hire more police. Measure C is bringing in more than $5 million per year to hire police officers, code enforcement officers and blight reduction.

Harper is chair of Delta Diablo Sanitation and a member of the board of directors for Tri Delta Transit. In the past, he has served on the Transplan, Highway 4 Bypass, eBART and East Contra Costa Regional Fee and Finance Authority committees. Harper was also elected to serve as chair of the Contra Costa County Conference of Mayors.

“Today, on my birthday, I am honored to have key support from my fellow council members,” Harper said. “I look forward to bringing my leadership to the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors. The community deserves integrity, excellence and hard work from their elected officials. I will work with the current supervisorsand community to find solutions to problems and add value to the community.”

Harper also added that he is “ready to work on the many issues facing our community such as public safety, jobs, protecting our Delta, healthcare and transportation to name a few.”

Harper is one of seven candidates running for Supervisor in District 3, which includes most of Antioch. The election is June 7^th. If no candidate wins a majority, the top two candidates will face each other in a run-off during the November General Election.