To: CalSTRS Board of Directors, CalSTRS Board of Directors and Jack Ehnes, Executive Director
CALSTRS Must Invest In Workers!
Hello,
I’m an educator in the San Francisco Bay Area. I’m writing with concern over the actions of one of CALSTRS’s investment partners, CBRE Strategic Partners. CBRE owns the Pullman SF Bay Hotel in Redwood City, where workers are asking for a fair process to unionize.
On May 9th, Pullman workers spoke in front of the CALSTRS Board about continued targeting of union leaders and conditions in the hotel. Workers testified about the way that they feel targeted for supporting the union. In response to these statements, a CALSTRS staff person responded by saying that they “were not able to verify any of these claims” from “these people.” The staff implied that the direct testimony of workers on the ground at the Pullman was not believable.
I believe CALSTRS and their investment managers can do better. If staff refers to workers as simply “these people,” how can they take seriously the needs of union educators and our students?
Additionally, the Pullman hotel has failed to implement a neutrality agreement that would let workers organize without fear of retaliation. Our retirement savings shouldn’t facilitate this sort of behavior.
If CBRE can’t make a basic commitment to workers, we should look elsewhere for investment partners. Please insist that CBRE attend the next CALSTRS Board meeting to explain their lack of progress resolving this disturbing situation.
Sincerely
I’m an educator in the San Francisco Bay Area. I’m writing with concern over the actions of one of CALSTRS’s investment partners, CBRE Strategic Partners. CBRE owns the Pullman SF Bay Hotel in Redwood City, where workers are asking for a fair process to unionize.
On May 9th, Pullman workers spoke in front of the CALSTRS Board about continued targeting of union leaders and conditions in the hotel. Workers testified about the way that they feel targeted for supporting the union. In response to these statements, a CALSTRS staff person responded by saying that they “were not able to verify any of these claims” from “these people.” The staff implied that the direct testimony of workers on the ground at the Pullman was not believable.
I believe CALSTRS and their investment managers can do better. If staff refers to workers as simply “these people,” how can they take seriously the needs of union educators and our students?
Additionally, the Pullman hotel has failed to implement a neutrality agreement that would let workers organize without fear of retaliation. Our retirement savings shouldn’t facilitate this sort of behavior.
If CBRE can’t make a basic commitment to workers, we should look elsewhere for investment partners. Please insist that CBRE attend the next CALSTRS Board meeting to explain their lack of progress resolving this disturbing situation.
Sincerely
Why is this important?
Dear UESF educators,
We are writing with an action item to support local hotel workers and our working class students. For the last year, non-union workers at the Pullman hotel in Redwood City have been asking for a fair process agreement so that they can choose the union without fear of retaliation. CALSTRS, the pension fund for California educators, has invested $3 Billion of teacher retirement savings in the company that owns the Pullman hotel, CBRE.
On May 9, three brave workers drove to Sacramento to share their experiences of intimidation. In response, CALSTRS staff questioned the truth of their statements saying that they “were not able to verify any of these claims” from “these people.” See the recording here at 55:00. This is unacceptable behavior from a pension fund representing the interests of union employees.
We are asking you to send an email to the CALSTRS board calling out these statements. The board needs to hear from teachers about how low-paying jobs in our community affect students and families. Please take a minute to send an email to CALSTRS. Sample letter below, but please make it your own--add details of where you work, and how you feel about your pension being invested in a way that hurts workers.
Thank you!
We are writing with an action item to support local hotel workers and our working class students. For the last year, non-union workers at the Pullman hotel in Redwood City have been asking for a fair process agreement so that they can choose the union without fear of retaliation. CALSTRS, the pension fund for California educators, has invested $3 Billion of teacher retirement savings in the company that owns the Pullman hotel, CBRE.
On May 9, three brave workers drove to Sacramento to share their experiences of intimidation. In response, CALSTRS staff questioned the truth of their statements saying that they “were not able to verify any of these claims” from “these people.” See the recording here at 55:00. This is unacceptable behavior from a pension fund representing the interests of union employees.
We are asking you to send an email to the CALSTRS board calling out these statements. The board needs to hear from teachers about how low-paying jobs in our community affect students and families. Please take a minute to send an email to CALSTRS. Sample letter below, but please make it your own--add details of where you work, and how you feel about your pension being invested in a way that hurts workers.
Thank you!