The Abridged version:
- Members of California’s largest state worker union gave their leaders the authority to call a strike, after the union accused the Newsom administration of unfair bargaining.
- Of those who voted, about 96% supported authorizing a strike, SEIU Local 1000 said.
- Members have set a strike date of Oct. 21, according to a union release.
Members of California’s largest state worker union voted to authorize a strike and could walk off the job within a couple of weeks.
Just over 96% of Service Employees International Union Local 1000 members who voted were in favor of giving union leaders permission to call a strike over what the union calls unfair bargaining practices by Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration, said Local 1000 spokesperson Erica Noll.
Members plan to strike on Oct. 21 “if the State continues to fail to bargain fairly,” according to a union release.
The union won’t disclose how many members cast votes, but there was “record high turnout,” Noll said.
“This vote is a notice to the Newsom administration that if they continue to bargain in bad faith, we will take action,” Local 1000 President Anica Walls said in the union’s release.
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Why strike?
Tension between Local 1000 — which represents roughly 100,000 state workers — and the administration has been ratcheting up since the two sides started negotiating ahead of the expiration of the local’s prior contract in June.
During negotiations, the Newsom administration didn’t respond to union proposals until just before the existing contract expired, Local 1000 claimed.
The administration also rejected proposals without providing meaningful counteroffers, among other unfair practices, the union claimed.
As a result of these tactics, Local 1000 filed an unfair practice charge with California’s Public Employment Relations Board in July.
Last month, the union asked the board to declare that negotiations had reached an impasse, and the board did so last week, The Sacramento Bee reported. As a result, a mediator will step into the negotiations.
Local 1000 can’t say how long the late-October strike would last, Noll said. The union also won’t say how many workers it expects to strike, and in which units, she said.
“Plans are still being developed,” Noll said.
Among Local 1000’s main goals for the next contract are a 20% general salary increase over three years: 7% in 2026 and 2027, and 6% in 2028.
The union also wants the state to contribute more toward worker healthcare costs and adopt transparent telework policies “based on operational needs,” the release said.
