Prison guards’ role in election disputed

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As predicted, other groups are taking issue with the claim that the state’s prison guards union deserves credit for catapulting Juan Vargas to victory in the bitterly fought Democratic primary in the 40th Senate District. A blind-sourced item in the subscription-only newsletter Calpeek: California Political Week credited the prison guards with producing key votes for Vargas by having its GOP members reregister so they could vote in the primary. He beat opponent Mary Salas by a handful of votes. A recount is underway.

Steve Mehlman, communications director for the United Domestic Workers Homecare Providers Union, says the California Correctional Peace Officers Association is being given too much credit for its role in the election.

‘I want to take issue with CalPEEK’s claim that CCPOA was the driving force behind the apparent defeat of Mary Salas,’ Mehlman writes in e-mail. He said his union ‘opposed Mary Salas from the beginning because of her lack of support (less than 40%) for homecare issues.’

Mehlman goes on: ‘Several days before the election, we sent [an] e-mail message to our more than 10,000 members in SD 40. We are certain this helped Juan Vargas win the race. ‘

Read the e-mail that UDW members were sent after the jump.

More Proof That Mary Salas Is No Friend of Homecare Workers

Dear ________________:

With the Democratic Primary coming up Tuesday, we wanted you to have more proof that Assembly Member Mary Salas is NO FRIEND of yours and the thousands of other homecare workers who live in the 40th Senate District.

Last week the State Assembly passed a bill sponsored by UDW that would require counties to recognize background checks on IHSS homecare providers conducted in other counties. The bill would prevent counties from making providers who move there or who work in more than one county pay for a second background check, which could cost anywhere from $50 to $100.

This bill: AB 1763, required a two-thirds vote to pass. That meant that we needed all Democrats plus three Republicans to vote YES in order for it to pass. Well, every Democrat did vote YES except one. That’s right: Mary Salas. When all the other Democrats were there to support us, Mary Salas was nowhere to be found. Fortunately, we were able to get enough Republicans to support the bill to make up for Mary Salas’ missing vote and get the bill passed.

Now it is obvious that Mary Salas refused to vote for our bill because UDW has endorsed her opponent -- Juan Vargas -- for the State Senate seat in the 40th District. But she failed to understand or to care that her vote didn’t hurt UDW; it hurt thousands of low-wage homecare providers like you all across the state.

There were a number of other Democrats in the Assembly that day who UDW also has not endorsed this year. But every one of them voted to support homecare providers -- everyone but Mary Salas.

This is not the first time that Mary Salas has voted against IHSS and against homecare workers. But it will hopefully be the last time.

On Tuesday, I hope you and your family and friends will vote for a candidate who has pledged to support IHSS and homecare workers -- Juan Vargas for State Senate.

In solidarity,

Doug Moore
UDW Executive Director

-- Evan Halper in Sacramento