Courage Campaign Success Stories
Helped delay and stop wage cuts to 200,000 state workers
When Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger used the California budget crisis to slash the wages of nearly 200,000 state workers to the federal minimum wage of $6.55 per hour, the Courage Campaign led a petition campaign — joined by True Majority and CREDO Mobile — that delivered 28,016 petition signatures to Arnold’s office. The Courage Campaign worked with SEIU 1000 (the local that represents state workers) and Assemblymember David Jones to deliver the petitions. Courage distributed two video shorts showing the irony of the governor’s lifestyle as well as interviews with SEIU members facing the cuts.
The Courage Campaign then held a statewide conference call with Controller Chiang, Rep. Hilda Solis and SEIU 1000 President Yvonne Walker and aired a member-funded TV ad featuring State Controller John Chiang, who heroically refused to to carry out the Governor’s Executive Order.
As a result of Controller Chiang’s action, enthusiastically supported by Courage Campaign members, the Governor was forced to delay any wage cuts until November at the earliest, pending a budget compromise. A budget compromised was eventually reached in September, 2008, saving 200,000 state workers from these wage cuts.
See the original petition to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Watch the petition delivery:
Watch the interviews with state workers facing the cuts:
Watch the TV ad with Controller John Chiang:
Listen to the Chiang/Solis/Walker Courage Campaign Conversation: