California state workers stage first strike in SEIU Local 1000 history over pay and office mandate

First strike for the state's largest public union

Tens of thousands of California state employees walked off the job on Wednesday in a one-day strike called by SEIU Local 1000, the largest union of state government workers, CBS News Bay Area reported. The union represents roughly 100,000 workers across state agencies, from nurses and custodians to analysts, accountants and IT staff. ^{[1] [3]}

It is the first strike in the union's history, according to CBS, CalMatters and The Associated Press. CBS reported that more than 96% of voting members backed the strike authorization earlier this month. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

Picket lines formed in cities including Oakland, Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Sacramento, CBS said. In the capital, workers gathered outside state office buildings downtown, and organizers planned a rally at the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) followed by a march toward lawmakers' offices near the Capitol, according to CBS and KVIE's Abridged. ^{[1] [4]}

Why searches for 'huelga' rose

Spanish-language outlets, including Univision carrying the AP report, covered the walkout on Wednesday under the word huelga, Spanish for strike. Google Trends data for the past day show U.S. search interest in the term was heavily concentrated in California, with every other state far behind. ^{[2] [5]}

Pay, health costs and the office mandate

The union is seeking a 20% raise spread over three years, a larger state contribution to employee health premiums, and telework rules tied to operational need, according to CBS and the AP. The previous three-year contract expired at the end of June, CalMatters reported, and talks have dragged on since. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

Remote work is the sharpest point of friction. Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered state employees back to the office four days a week starting July 1, and in September he vetoed AB 1729, a bipartisan bill that would have let each agency set its own telework policy, CBS reported. ^{[1] [2]}

Union president Anica Walls said the administration "can and must do better," according to CBS and the AP. CalHR said in a statement quoted by CBS that the state will "continue to bargain in good faith to reach an agreement" and will weigh options to protect critical services. ^{[1] [2]}

Legal fight before the walkout

The dispute has already gone through the Public Employment Relations Board. CalMatters reported that the board ruled last month that CalHR had refused to meet and confer in good faith, after a union complaint filed in July. CalHR then filed its own charge arguing the strike was unlawful because essential workers had not been identified in time; the board declined last week to seek a court order blocking the walkout, according to CalMatters and Abridged. ^{[3] [4]}

Which services were exempt

About 5,000 union members designated essential stayed on the job, mostly in health care and public safety, CBS and CalMatters reported. CBS listed the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Correctional Health Care Services, the Department of Veterans Affairs and Caltrans among the agencies where essential staff remained at work. ^{[1] [3]}

Ahead of the strike, CalMatters warned of possible delays or early closures at DMV offices and slower service at the Employment Development Department and for CalFresh food aid. State Parks adjusted tour schedules at Hearst Castle, the outlet said. Statewide turnout figures and the actual extent of service disruptions had not been reported as of Wednesday afternoon Pacific time. ^[3]

What comes next

The two sides are scheduled to meet with a mediator on Oct. 30, CalMatters reported, and Walls has said the union could file another labor board complaint and consider further strikes if talks stall. The contract fight is the union's last with Newsom, who leaves office in January, so any deal or continued standoff will shape bargaining for his successor, according to Abridged and the AP. ^{[2] [3] [4]}