For the first time in its history, California's largest state worker union is going on strike. SEIU Local 1000, which represents roughly 100,000 state employees, says its members will walk off the job for one day on Wednesday, Oct. 21.
The union said 96.2% of members who voted backed the strike authorization. Voting ran from Sept. 9 and closed Wednesday, Oct. 7, and the result was announced the next morning.
What the fight is about
The union's contract expired at the end of June. It wants a bigger raise and better benefits than Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration has offered, more affordable health coverage, and what it calls "telework that works," meaning more flexibility to keep working from home after the state's push to bring employees back to offices. The union argues the state can afford more, pointing to a $20 billion increase in general fund spending over the past two years.
It also accuses CalHR, the agency that bargains for the state, of negotiating in bad faith. In late September the state's Public Employment Relations Board sided with the union and found that CalHR had refused to meet and confer in good faith. A CalHR spokesperson told CalMatters the state remains open to negotiation and is ready to move into mediation.
Why it's a big deal
The groups that merged into Local 1000 have never held a statewide walkout in their 44-year history. The union came close in 2016, but a last-minute deal with then-Gov. Jerry Brown headed it off. This one is billed as an "unfair practice strike," meant to push the state back to the bargaining table rather than an open-ended walkout.
Local 1000's members include cooks, custodians, nurses and office staff, working in state offices, hospitals, schools and libraries, including many in the Bay Area. Members who strike will not report to work that day. In Sacramento, the union plans picket lines at worksites in the morning, then a rally and march from CalHR's headquarters on 16th Street toward the Capitol.
What's next
Newsom leaves office in January, and union president Anica Walls has said members will hold firm whether a deal comes from him or his successor. If you have business with a state office on Oct. 21, expect possible delays.