On February 9, Governor Gavin Newsom came to the UDW San Diego office to join a roundtable discussion hosted by our Executive Director Doug Moore. In an open discussion on the pandemic and its effects on our communities, we made sure the governor understood that the state needs to ensure that people like us and our families are top-of-mind as he and other elected leaders address the pandemic and its economic effects.
Executive Director Moore pushed Newsom to provide more vaccines and better access for the most vulnerable and most at risk such as IHSS and child care providers. While IHSS providers are included in the top tier of the state’s rollout plan, we know that getting an appointment can be difficult and we urged that the state to push for more vaccines. Newsom acknowledged that the early phase of the vaccine rollout hasn’t always been fair and promised that coming changes to how the vaccine is administered will help close that gap.
Newsom’s visit was a great opportunity for UDW and other local community leaders to make their concerns heard directly to Gov. Newsom and to influence him on the issues that matter most to UDW members and their communities. It also showed how building our union power through a strong and involved membership gives us a strong voice in state government.
Other guests at the UDW roundtable were Reverend Dr. Beth Johnson, Palomar Unitarian Universalist Fellowship and the Poor People’s Campaign, Will Rodriguez-Kennedy, Chair of the San Diego County Democratic Party, Pamela Gray Payton, Chief Impact and Partnerships Officer, Vice President of Community Impact at the San Diego Foundation, and Erin Tsurumoto Grassi, Regional Policy Director at Alliance San Diego.
