SB 357: We Are in the Fight of Our Lives – And We’re Not Backing Down

From the Desk of the Chief Steward

Brothers and Sisters,

Last night, our coalition of probation unions – AFSCME and SEIU – submitted a powerful letter to the Assembly Public Safety Committee exposing the truth behind SB 357 (Menjivar) and the County’s misleading claims. This is not just another bill. This is an existential threat to our profession, our safety, our due process rights – and the integrity of the juvenile justice system we’ve sworn to uphold.

📄 Read the full letter here.

Let’s not sugarcoat it: the Department is in turmoil. Morale is low. Resources are stretched. And the Board of Supervisors is actively working to civilianize our work, sideline sworn officers, and dismantle our union protections one bill at a time. SB 357 is their vehicle. It’s not about youth programming – it’s about power. And if it passes, they will have taken one step closer to erasing our jobs altogether.

But we are not going quietly.

We are fighting back – not just for ourselves, but for every victim whose safety depends on confidentiality. For every youth who needs structure, not chaos. For every community that deserves trained professionals, not unchecked political experiments.

SB 357 allows non-sworn, non-background-checked contractors access to confidential juvenile records – including information on victims, witnesses, and serious offenders. That alone should be a dealbreaker. But the deeper threat is what it represents: a coordinated attempt to legislate us out of existence, department by department, task by task.

This bill will be heard in committee on Tuesday, July 15, and I will be there in Sacramento to testify in force, standing shoulder to shoulder with our partners in probation, public safety, and AFSCME. We will make it unmistakably clear: we will not be erased.

Let this be clear: we are not opposing progress – we are opposing deception. The Board already has the power to run programs, contract with community partners, and expand services. They don’t need a new law. What they want is a new structure – one that cuts us out.

This moment demands strength, unity, and vigilance. We must continue to show Sacramento – and the public – that we are not the problem. We are the backbone of public safety and juvenile rehabilitation.

To everyone who has shown up, spoken out, or stood their ground: thank you.To those who are weary: know that you are not alone.To the Board: we see what you’re doing. And we won’t let you get away with it.

Hold the line. Reject SB 357.

In Solidarity,

Jonathan Byrd

Chief Steward, AFSCME Local 685