The Abridged version:
- California’s largest state worker union is sounding the alarm over alleged workplace hazards in state offices spanning Legionella bacteria in tap water, leaking roofs, bedbugs and rats.
- The union said that state authorities were monitoring Legionella outbreaks in three office buildings in Sacramento and an office in Lodi. State departments have denied the outbreaks.
- The allegations arrived as SEIU Local 1000’s members are protesting a return-to-office mandate that recently went into effect and negotiating for a new contract with the state.
More than a week into a divisive return-to-office order, one union is alleging that workers are being exposed to unsafe water, bedbugs and fears of roof collapse in state office buildings.
SEIU Local 1000 on Thursday morning issued an expansive list of health and safety concerns at state office buildings across Sacramento and Lodi. The union represents 96,000 state workers, and is currently undergoing negotiations for a new contract after their previous contract expired July 1.
July 1 also marked the beginning of a much-anticipated and contentious return-to-office mandate. Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order calling workers back into state offices four days a week. Among state workers, the mandate has prompted multiple protests and calls to boycott spending downtown.
Multiple state departments have denied the union allegations of unsafe drinking water and other workplace hazards.
The alleged health concerns include reports that Legionella was detected in the tap water of multiple office buildings. Legionella can spread from water pipes and faucets where water has been stagnant. The bacteria can also cause a serious type of pneumonia known as Legionnaires’ disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Public health officials with Sacramento County are not currently concerned over upticks in Legionella or Legionnaire’s disease, according to spokesperson Casey Camacho.
“Sacramento County Public Health has not identified any unusual increase in reported Legionnaires’ disease cases and has not received any new reports within the past week,” Camacho said in a statement.
City of Sacramento representatives also confirmed that they are not concerned with risks to the city’s broader water infrastructure.
The city disinfects municipal water, said city spokesperson Carlos Eliason, but stagnant water can create an environment where bacteria like Legionella can grow.
Legionella found at three downtown offices, union says
State authorities are monitoring three office buildings in Sacramento and an office in Lodi for potential Legionella bacteria in the buildings’ tap water, according to the union.
The locations where Legionella was allegedly detected in Sacramento include:
- California Department of Public Health, 1616 Capitol Ave.
- Department of Healthcare Services, 1501 Capitol Ave.
- California Public Employees Retirment System, 400 Q St.
The union also stated that the Department of Industrial Relations office in Lodi had tap water that tested positive for Legionella in June.
Representatives for the union did not confirm when Legionella was detected in each office, but claimed the cases were more recent than 2024.
Legionella was detected in multiple office buildings in 2024, as state workers prepared to shift from fully remote work to two days per week in the office. At the time, state authorities had discovered Legionella in 37 buildings, CalMatters reported.
The Department of Healthcare Services denied the reports, and released a statement that it “has not had a positive test” for Legionella.
CalPERS also denied the allegations of unsafe levels of Legionella. In a statement, the agency said it has quarertly testing through a third-party company.
Representatives for The Department of Industrial Relations confirmed that Legionella was detected in its office in Lodi. The department said it was currently flushing its plumbing fixtures in that building.
Representatives for the Department of General Services, which oversees maintenance at many state offices, said there is no Legionella outbreak at the California Department of Public Health and Department of Healthcare Services buildings.
SEIU Local 1000 decried the potential Legionella exposure as causing “unsafe worksites” and causing “unexpected costs.”
“Exposure to bedbugs at the office could force workers to replace their belongings or fumigate their own homes out of pocket,” said Anica Walls, president of SEIU Local 1000, in a statement. “State workers keep California working, and they never should have been forced into offices with unsafe or unsanitary conditions in the first place.”
Bedbugs, roof damage and rats also alleged
Rainwater leaking through the ceiling of the Department of Motor Vehicles call center in South Sacramento posed concern, according to the union. Workers also reported “fears of a roof collapse or electrical fire,” according to the union.
Workers were also continuing to voice concern about asbestos exposure at the Caltrans transportation lab at 5900 Folsom Blvd. in East Sacramento.
Caltrans shuttered three buildings in December 2024 after discovering asbestos in its laboratory campus, according to spokesperson Chris Clark. Two of the buildings are still closed to staff, Clark said in a written statement, and the third building underwent a “comprehensive asbestos management plan.”
Clark added that remediation efforts are still underway for the asbestos, with an estimated completion date of 2027.
The Victim Compensation Board denied the union’s claims that the board was continuing to monitor for rats in its building at 400 R St. after an infestation that occurred in 2024. In a statement, the board said it has not had any confirmed reports of rodents incidents in “several years.”
Bedbug concerns are also ongoing at the California Department of Education building at 1430 N St.
Tony Thurmond, the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, sent an urgent message on June 23 telling employees to work remotely after suspected bedbugs were once again discovered in building.
Felicia Alvarez is a reporter for Abridged by PBS KVIE covering accountability. She’s called Sacramento home since 2015 and has reported on government, healthcare and breaking news topics for both local and national news outlets.