may/june newsletter
In This Issue:
- Budget Advocacy Recap
- Students for Economic Justice has begun!
- Worker Justice
- In Case You Missed It
- Job Opportunities
BUDGET ADVOCACY
City of San Diego
Earlier this month, CPI and our partners in the Community Budget Alliance (CBA) came out strong to close out the Fiscal Year 2025 City of San Diego Budget cycle.
In April, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria released a proposed budget. CPI identified over $21 million in cuts to equity focused programs that greatly impact Black, brown, immigrant, refugee, and working-class people and neighborhoods. Hundreds of people showed up to city council hearings to demand restoration of these funds. After months of community advocacy, the mayor and city council restored more than $20 million.
The CBA will continue to fight to ensure everyone can live and thrive in the city. We are proud to sound with everyone that showed up and spoke up to ensure working class voices were heard in this process. When we fight, we win!
County of San Diego
At the County of San Diego, CPI and our partners in the Invest in San Diego Families coalition fought for and won an additional $250,000 in funding for the Workplace Justice Fund, additional staffing for the Office of Labor Standards and Enforcement, and $5 million for the Immigrant Rights Legal Defense Program. These programs will provide financial assistance to workers, help hold businesses that exploit workers accountable, and make sure immigrants at risk of deportation have legal representation. While it wasn’t added to this budget, we will continue to fight for long–term rental subsidies for low-income tenants.
STUDENTS FOR ECONOMIC JUSTICE
Our 2024 Students for Economic Justice (SEJ) program has begun!
We have eight interns participating in the SEJ program this year. This first week, the interns met at CPI for two training days where they shared their stories, learned about San Diego’s economic landscape, and about successful organizing campaigns. For the rest of the week, they worked at other community and labor organizations, where they’ll continue working and learning for the next 5 weeks.
Since 2000, the SEJ internship program has been training social change and economic justice leaders and organizers. This full-time, $22 an-hour, program provides college students with tools and information on how to engage in local organizing and advocacy to move towards greater worker and racial justice. The program provides hands-on experience with community organizations and local labor unions.
Stay tuned for an introduction to this year’s interns!
WORKER JUSTICE
California Coalition for Worker Power
Last month, CPI joined over 250 workers and organizers from across the state at the California Coalition for Worker Power’s (CCWP) Worker Power Assembly. Workers from all over the state met at UC Davis Law School to celebrate CCWP’s wins, assess obstacles and opportunities to build worker power, and forge solidarity.
Workers, advocates, and organizers met with 57 legislative offices to push for greater enforcement of workplace rights. As a result, $30 million for the California Workplace Outreach Program (CWOP) was included in the state’s final budget ensuring the program will be funded through 2026! This victory in a very difficult budget year was achieved because every meeting showed legislators the importance and the promise of workers coming together across regions, languages, and industries to build an equitable economy. The increase in funding from $25 million to $30 million will help CWOP reach even more workers.
Learn more about CCWP and check out the recap video from the Worker Power Assembly here.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
The High Price of Paradise
Our Executive Director, Kyra Greene, was on a KPBS panel discussion last night to talk about the cost-of-living crisis in San Diego, how we got here, and what community-based solutions could look like. The panel was hosted by KPBS Midday Edition host Jade Hindmon, and included Lisa Cuestas from Casa Familiar, Andrew Keatts from Axios San Diego, and Khea Pollard from Jewish Family Service of San Diego. If you missed it, you can watch the recording here.
In the News
Catch up on recent media coverage of CPI’s issues and campaigns:
- Public weighs in on city of San Diego’s 2025 budget (CBS 8, June 2024)
- San Diego Aims to Help Wage-Theft Victims Recover Money Owed (KQED, May 2024)
- Public Outcry Leads to Partial Budget Adjustments (SD Voice & Viewpoint, May 2024)
- Concern grows for proposed cuts to San Diego city equity programs’ budgets (Fox 5 San Diego, May 2024)
- County Supervisors hold closed session in search for new CAO (KPBS, May 2024)
- Minimum wage violations rise in major California cities, including San Diego (KPBS, May 2024)
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
We are currently hiring for the following positions. Click to learn more:
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As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, CPI relies on the generous support of our community to operate. If you would like to support our fight for economic and social justice, please consider becoming a monthly donor or making a one-time donation. Thank you so much!
CPI San Diego
