Put families first

On July 26, 2025, people all across the nation came together to support working families in Service Employees International Union’s (SEIU) National Day of Action to demand care and not cuts from the government. In the city of Riverside, this culminated in SEIU Locals 721, 1000, 2015, 121RN and United Health Workers (UHW) coming together and rallying at Riverside City Hall to advocate for the needs of the community. 

The theme of the action: Put families first.

According to Juanita Salas, the political coordinator for SEIU Local 721, the purpose of the action is to connect the community in Riverside. She emphasizes, “We’re here to let our community know that we’re here to put families first.” Salas explains that the people gathered at the action are a coalition of working families, immigrants, parents, nurses, teachers, union members and community leaders, and that they are all rising up together to say, “Enough with the billionaire handouts. Enough with the cruelty. Enough with the corruption and enough with the division.”

Barbara Bondurant, a member of SEIU 2015 working in in-home support services was one of many who came out to support the action. Bondurant, a 78-year-old caregiver, currently cares for her 46-year-old son with down syndrome. She drove out to the Inland Empire from La Verne to advocate for her families’ needs. She expressed, “Action is what has brought us success in the past. Action is what has brought us living wages. It has brought better conditions for the nursing home section of our union.”

With the passing of President Donald J. Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” various concerns have sprouted up in Bondurant’s life. Her primary concern being the cuts to MediCare and MediCal. She shares, “Trump is trying to cut that and give money to corporations, and those corporations exist because of working people. [These corporations] need to respect working people.”

Over the course of an hour, various speakers from in-community, labor unions and community organizations shared words of support and encouragement to the crowd that gathered. To make it more accessible to the public, the action was supported by American Sign Language (ASL) and Spanish translators who would convey the speaker’s words.

The Executive Director of TODEC Legal Services, Luz Gallegos, was one of many speakers throughout the day. She took to the stage to share words from a member of the community who worked in the fields. Gallegos spoke about Maria who lives in Riverside County; as a single mother, Maria has worked harvesting fruits and vegetables for over 35 years to support her four children, three of whom are still alive. Maria’s eldest son committed suicide earlier in May at the age of 24. From the story told, Maria shares, “It is very difficult for me to share my story, because it burns, it hurts my heart, but I trust that my story will create a consciousness for those that have power and will better understand the cruel reality of what my family and many families like mine are suffering with the fear of being deported and separating from our kids.”

Maria’s son was a student at one of the local colleges and also worked in the fields. The story outlines how he had aspirations to go to law school and become an attorney to help others like his family against the injustices occurring. Like his mother, he is also undocumented, and due to that, “he had anxiety and depression because he wanted to have more opportunities to achieve big dreams.” 

Karen May, a political organizer for SEIU Local 1000, serving the Inland Empire and Orange County emphasized the importance of collective power at the end of the action. She highlights, “it only takes 3.5 percent of the population to make change.” May calls to action those in the area and states, “They want us to be isolated. They want us to be depressed and stuck in our wounds. And I am here to say that when we stand together, we can win.”