UNIONS BRING HOLIDAY CHEER TO OVER 500 WORKING FAMILIES IN NEED AT ANNUAL FOOD & TOY DRIVE

San Diego & Imperial Counties Labor Council Rallies Community Solidarity to Support Working Families Struggling to Make Ends Meet, Including Striking Workers

East County News Service

December 7, 2024 (San Diego) -- Today, more than 350 San Diego County families received a holiday meal and toys at the United Labor Center in San Diego,  thanks to the generosity of local union workers. Another 150 families in Imperial County will also be helped through the food and toy drive.

Teachers, firefighters, nurses, hotel workers, truck drivers, healthcare providers, janitors, government employees, construction workers, community partners, elected officials, and more are volunteering in solidarity to ensure no family goes without this holiday season.

For over three decades, the San Diego & Imperial Counties Labor Council has organized this annual Food & Toy Drive to support union families facing financial hardships, including many who are on the frontlines of ongoing fights for better wages and working conditions.

Though union workers average 18% higher wages than their non-union counterparts, they know firsthand the struggles of low wages, skyrocketing housing costs, and economic instability. This year’s drive highlights the resilience and solidarity of the union movement, as union families step up to support their own, demonstrating that unions care not just about work but also about the well-being of entire communities.

Thousands of local union workers donate monthly from their paychecks to fund this drive, showcasing the power of collective giving.

 Families of striking workers—fighting for fair wages and better conditions—are among this year’s recipients, including:

o UNITE-HERE Local 30 Hotel Workers – Won a historic contract after striking for 38 days.

o NUHW Kaiser Mental Healthcare Workers – Have been on an open-ended strike since October 21, fighting for a mental healthcare system that values patients and providers.

“This Food and Toy Drive means everything to my family during this tough time on strike. It’s not just about meals or toys—it’s about hope, solidarity, and knowing our union family always shows up for each other, no matter what,” says Eva Galvan, who has spent   11 years as a bilingual mental health therapist at Otay Mesa Kaiser Permanente,.  Her nieces, ages 9 and 11, were among the recipients at the toy drive.

This year’s drivel provides assistance to 350 families in San Diego County and 200 families in Imperial County. Dozens of volunteer union workers and allies  distributed donated food and toys to union families in need.

San Diego & Imperial Counties Labor Council is a community of more than 200,000 working families united to improve the lives of all workers. The Council represents  136 unions across diverse industries—from nurses and teachers to construction tradespeople, janitors, hotel workers, government and zoo employees—together we fight for living wages, affordable housing, quality healthcare, equal pay for equal work, and a secure retirement for everyone.

“Our strength lies in solidarity,” a statement from the Labor Council reads. “ Whether it's firefighters standing with home healthcare aides, or professors marching alongside grocery workers, we know that when workers stand together, we win. Together, we advocate for a voice on the job and in the halls of power to create a better future for all.”

Members from the following unions showed up to volunteer and to receive: SEIU 221 (county employees), OPEIU Local 30 (professional workers), UNITE HERE Local 30 (hotel workers), NUHW (Kaiser mental healthcare workers on strike since October 21), UDW Local 3930 (domestic workers), SDEA (teachers), IBEW 569 (electrical workers), CSEA Chapter 759, AFT Local 1931 (teachers, school support staff, and interns), UFCW 135 (grocery, cannabis, etc.), SMART Local 206 (sheet metal), Roofers & Waterproofers Local 45, Ironworkers Local 229, LCLAA, IATSE 122 (theatrical), San Diego Building Trades, Sweetwater Educators Association, CCPU (childcare), AFGE 12th District (federal workers), AFSCME 127, AFSCME 3299 (UC workers; on intermittent strike), ATU 1309, Cement Masons 500, CSEA OSS 724, CWA 9509, IAM & AW 1125, IBEW 465, IUPAT 1399 (finishing trades), IUPAT 831, LiUNA 89 (laborers), Roofers 45, SEIU 1000, SEIU USWW (service workers), Teamsters 2010, Teamsters 481, Teamsters 683, and United Farm Workers.

Community partners that showed up to volunteer: SDG&E and UCSD Labor Center

Elected officials who showed up to volunteer:

Alysson Snow – Current Councilmember and Mayor-Elect of Lemon Grove

Joe LaCava – San Diego City Council, D1

Raul Campillo – San Diego City Council, D7

Sean Elo-Rivera – San Diego City Council, D9 (Council President)

Matthew Leyba-Gonzalez – Imperial Beach City Council, D4

Roberto Alcantar – Southwestern College Governing Board Member

Kate Bishop – Chula Vista Elementary School Board Member

Henry L. Foster III – San Diego City Council, D4