Parent Leader Lost –Time Report

July 12-August 10, 2010

Introduction and Goals

This summer, the Building Skills Partnership (BSP) is running its 3rd

Annual Parent Education

Workshops for the members of USWW-SEIU Local 1877 who are parents of school-aged children. The

workshops are geared toward informing members how they can become involved in their children’s

education with the goal of attaining higher education. The workshops cover basic information about

the Los Angeles school system with topics as basic as how to read a child’s report card to the class

requirements for entering a 4-year college or university.

As part of its Parent Education Program, the BSP hosted its first Parent-Leader Lost-Time position

from July 12 to August 10, 2010 with the contributions and collaboration of USWW-SEIU Local 1877

and its LTTF Fund.

The goal of the month-long position was to develop the organizing, speaking and leadership skills of a

member parent of USWW so that s/he may create awareness of the importance of parents’

involvement in their children’s education. The parent member would organize and deliver workshops

at various worksites across Los Angeles during members’ lunch breaks and on two Saturdays in

August where more complete information would be covered. Moreover, the Parent Leader Lost-

Timer would help create a parent committee so as to involve key leaders who could further develop

the Parent Education and Involvement Program for USWW- SEIU Local 1877 through the support of

BSP.

This year’s candidate, Pedro Cortez, was selected through an interview process with the support of

the staff from the Janitors’ Division at USWW, the UCLA Labor Center, and BSP.

Parent Leader Profile

Pedro Cortez has been an SEIU Local 1877 member since the early 1990’s. He currently works for

ABLE at the Cal Plaza 1 building located at 350 S. Grand Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles. Pedro and

his wife Maria Cortez have five children, 3 of which have graduated from high school and who are

now enrolled in college. He has a youngest son who will begin high school this fall. Pedro and Maria

have been heavily involved in their children’s schools

from an early age, joining parent committees both on a

school and district level. They credit their children’s

success with their heavy involvement and engagement

in their children’s education.

�“I�believe�that�it�is�important�for�us�parents�to�be�involved�in�the�education�of�our�children.�That�way,�they�can�have�more�opportunities.”�Pedro�and�his�oldest�daughter�at�her�high�school�graduation��

Parent Leader Lost-Time Work

During his 4-week project, Pedro Cortez was introduced to the Parent University Program that the

BSP has developed and carried out over the last three years with the help of professors and student

volunteers from the UCLA Department of Education and the UCLA Labor Center.

Pedro Cortez met with BSP staff on a weekly basis to create a work plan that clearly listed the week’s

goals and methods of accomplishing them. He received continuous support from staff on developing

phone banking messages, preparing Steward Council announcements, speaking with parents about

the BSP, its educational programs and its parent education work for the summer, as well as creating

agendas and materials for the workshops.

Pedro outreached and mobilized for the first Parent Committee Meeting on July 27th

which brought

together 13 Members from the J4J Division and USC who were interested in steering the Parent

Educational Program work. This Parent Committee, like COPA and the Leadership Committee, will be

trained and supported to take basic information to hard to reach members throughout the Los

Angeles County. Additionally, they will become involved in educational campaigns and policy issues.

With the help and support of the Janitors’ Division staff, 11 worksite visits were coordinated where

Pedro and Maria spoke to parents during their lunch break about the importance of becoming

involved in their education as well as inviting parents to the August 7th

Parent University Workshop

where more extensive topics would be covered. Additionally, Pedro spoke to members about other

BSP programs such as the ESL, Computer, and Citizenship classes available at the USWW Union Hall.

Worksites visited:

� 777 S. Figueroa Interbuilding in DTLA

� Macy’s Plaza in DTLA

� 400 S. Hope Interbuilding (included members from 400 S. Hope, Wells Fargo Towers, BofA) in

DTLA

� Yahoo Center in Santa Monica

� Santa Monica Business Park in Santa Monica

� USC in DTLA

� Howard Hughes Office Park in El Segundo

� AT&T in DTLA

� Cal Plaza I and II in DTLA

� DreamWorks in Glendale

Number of Members and Children:

Total Number of USWW Members visited: 180

Total Number of Members phone banked from previous survey data: 240

Total Number of Stewards spoken to: 58

Total Number of Workers signed up for Parent Education workshops, ESL, Computer, and

Citizenship Classes: 97

Total Number of Parents who attended Parent Committee Meeting: 13

Total Number of Parents and Students who attended the August 7th

Workshop: 18

The first time I saw Pedro speak to a group of more

than 10 people at the start of his project he was

hesitant, visibly nervous and wasn’t sure about the

message being given. At the end of the month, when

he carried out a workshop at his own building for

more than 30 people, he was concise and clear about

his message and very comfortable speaking to the

group. ~ Enrique Gaspar, J4J Internal Organizer

Key Trainings and Events

UCLA Labor Center Trainings

On July 23 and 24, Pedro attended all day workshops at the UCLA Labor Center which focused on

training member and worker parents on how to effectively facilitate workshops and trainings for

other members and parents. The trainings focused largely on leadership and public speaking skills as

well as familiarizing parents with basic information such as requirements for entering a college or

university, costs of higher education and financial aid. There were members from SEIU 721, UHW,

ULTCW, Clean Carwash Campaign, as well as

Community Coalition.

Pedro and a parent worker leader from the Clean

Carwash Campaign on June 24th

at the UCLA Labor

Center Training

Inner City Struggle Meeting (ICS)

On July 24, Pedro visited and met with the Executive Director, Henry Perez, of Inner City Struggle

where he was introduced to the organization’s history in the organizing of parents for the

improvement of East Los Angeles Schools. Additionally, Pedro attended a strategic meeting for Parent

Leaders at ICS on August 4, 2010 and shared with them his parent education work at USWW-SEIU

Local 1877.

KPFK “Labor Review” Radio Segment

On August 29th

, Pedro Cortez was invited to the

KPFK Radio Station to speak about his parent

education and involvement work at BSP and

USWW-SEIU Local 1877 on the “Labor Review”

Show with Henry Walton. He spoke about the

importance of translating union members

organizing skills for change from the workplace to

their children’s schools.

Pedro Cortez and host Henry Walton on the “Labor

Review”

Next Steps:

As part of the Parent-Leader Lost-Time position, Pedro has committed to joining a Parent Committee

at his youngest son’s high school. Additionally, Pedro and Maria have signed up for continuous

Parent Leader Trainings offered by our partners at Inner City Struggle.

Pedro will also convene a Parent Committee meeting at USWW-SEIU Local 1877 in the month that

follows so that the leaders of the Committee can work on a strategic and development plan for the

Parent Committee. The Parent Committee will decide how often the committee will come together

to speak about educational issues and receive Parent Leader trainings with the support of our

partners at the UCLA Labor Center, Inner City Struggle and Community Coalition in South Los Angeles.

The Parent Committee will continue to take the work of the BSP’s Parent Education Program to

members of USWW-SEIU Local 1877.

Pedro at the first Parent Committee Meeting at USWW-SEIU Local 1877

on July 27, 2010

Parents and Children at the Parent Workshop

on August 7, 2010

Pedro Cortez at KPFK getting ready for the “Labor

Review” Show with Henry Walton