Tia Orr helped SEIU California ‘re-write the rules’ in 2023

By any accounting, SEIU California had a very good year. Some might say a monster year.

In 2023, the executive director of SEIU California has led the 700,000-member labor organization to a series of notable victories in the California Legislature. Among the bills she helped shepherd to the governor’s desk were:

• SB 525, by Sen. Maria Elena Durazo, D-Los Angeles, which would establish the nation’s first statewide healthcare worker minimum wage of $25 per hour.
• SB 497, by Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, D-Los Angeles, which bars workers from retaliation for reporting unequal pay, wage theft and/or health and safety violations.
• AB 1228, by Assemblyman Chris Holden, D-Pasadena, which not only establishes a $20 minimum wage for fast food workers but also was specifically negotiated to end the looming referendum to overturn last year’s big fast food labor bill, AB 257.
• AB 1484, by Assemblyman Rick Chavez Zbur, D-West Hollywood, which would allow temporary workers for local governments to be included in the same bargaining units as permanent employees who perform equivalent jobs.
• SB 616, by Sen. Lena Gonzalez, which increases the number of paid sick days guaranteed to California workers each year from three to five.
• SB 799, by Sen. Anthony Portantino, D-La Cañada Flintridge, which would have allowed union members on strike for at least two weeks to qualify for unemployment benefits
• SB 686, by Durazo, which would’ve applied health and safety laws intended to protect workers from injury and abuse to domestic workers.

Taken as a whole, SEUI California said in a statement, the measures would effectively “rewrite the rules in California, saying workers “are on the verge of a significant transformation of their lives and our economy, sending to Governor Newsom’s desk a raft of legislation borne out of working peoples’ demands for higher wages, a voice on the job, and an end to exploitation.”

That all remains to be seen, but if it comes to fruition then Orr – No. 25 on Capitol Weekly’s Top 100 list this year – deserves a lot of the credit for helping to rewrite those rules.

Simply put, she gets stuff done.

“She’s really talented and really smart,” said Ana Matosantos, who is now working as a consultant after serving as a cabinet secretary for Gov. Gavin Newsom and previously working as the Director of Finance for both Govs. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jerry Brown.

By any accounting, SEIU California had a very good year. Some might say a monster year.

Matosantos, who said she’s known Orr for most of her time in Sacramento, praised the SEIU leader for her tenacity and thoughtfulness and unique blend of “smarts and heart,” which she said has allowed Orr to rack up a long list of wins over the years.

Orr is the first African American and just the second Latina to lead California’s largest labor union. Orr got her start in California politics as an aide to the late Mervyn M. Dymally, then worked for SEIU California for about 16 years, mostly as government relations director.

In 2021, she rose to the head of SEIU California when the former executive director, Alma Hernandez, stepped down after being charged with tax fraud and embezzlement.

Orr’s fans, of which there are many, complain that noting the circumstances of her rise to power undercuts her perceived worthiness for the job. Perhaps to some, but it’s also hard to truly appreciate her success without putting into context the uncertain situation she inherited.

Under the best circumstances, the head of SEIU California is a tough, demanding job, balancing brutal, nuanced internal and external politics. Orr, however, walked into an even more complex situation – and, by all accounts, has knocked it out of the park.

How has she done it? Angie Wei, Orr’s friend and Newsom’s former legislative affairs secretary, said Orr’s success stems from the way she combines persistence with strategy. She compared Orr to the San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel: she slips tackles over and over and over again, stretches out and never gives up, no matter the circumstances.

But Orr doesn’t just apply the same strategy over and over again. Wei said her friend is much savvier than that. Orr is known to possess a wide and varied interpersonal skillset, knowing when to play the heavy and when to use a velvet touch.

“She’s got a deep passion for the working class,” Wei said. “She’s got a problem-solving mentality.”

Like Matosantos said: “smarts and heart.”

Dustin Corcoran, CEO of the California Medical Association, said he’s known Orr for years and is not at all surprised by the success she’s achieving. fact, if anything, he expects this to be just the beginning for Orr, who he described as an “exceptionally good advocate” and for whom politics is “not just a job.”

“She’s a tireless and fearless advocate for labor and her members,” Corcoran said, adding that her “passion” for her work is evident in all that she does.

Under the best circumstances, the head of SEIU California is a tough, demanding job, balancing brutal, nuanced internal and external politics. Orr, however, walked into an even more complex situation – and, by all accounts, has knocked it out of the park.

Orr is quick to credit the entire SEIU California team and the workers they represent for this year’s accomplishments.

“It’s a team effort,” says Orr, whose mom was a state worker and who even in a short phone conversation gets fired up when talking about helping workers feed their families and making the world a more equitable place.

“I attribute the victory to workers who were energized,” she said, referring to the how the pandemic years revealed an equity gap for many.

She repeatedly mentioned how personal her work is to her and how fortunate she feels to be paid to advocate for workers. Orr said as a child she was inspired by the women in her lives – her mom and her aunts – who were compassionate and acted as caretakers to those in need.

Then, as she grew older, she also came to appreciate how her mom’s state job provided benefits and stability for her family.

“It gave me a clear picture of what unions can provide,” Orr said.

SEIU California undoubtedly showed its might in 2023, but even in the labor-friendly Golden State the union didn’t win all its policy battles.

But even in labor-friendly California, nothing is a sure thing. In late September, Newsom vetoed SB 799 and SB 686. As of this writing, he has signed AB 1228, SB 497, SB 616 and AB 1484, and has until October 14th to act on SB 525.

Orr said the issues addressed by the bills Newsom vetoed – or might yet veto – aren’t going away and workers aren’t afraid to fight for what they believe in.

“One million workers and their families are on a path to a better life thanks to the courage and relentless fight of workers and the victories they led this year,” she said. “We didn’t win on every demand workers put in front of the legislature this year but make no mistake about it, workers are resilient, determined and unstoppable when we stand together fighting for respect, power and justice.”