# California state workers complete one-day SEIU Local 1000 strike

Thousands walked off the job Oct. 21 over pay, health costs and telework rules; the union and state had not announced a contract agreement in reports after the walkout.

By The Signal Edition | News / Labor
Published: 2026-10-21T22:15:43Z
Updated: 2026-10-22T04:35:23Z
Canonical: https://www.thesignaledition.com/article/california-state-workers-strike-seiu-local-1000-1q30or9
Image: https://www.thesignaledition.com/media/9eaf11facdc58e8de9ba78e7e5f81550.webp (Striking California state workers march on a sidewalk carrying purple and yellow SEIU Local 1000 picket signs during the one-day strike; credit: Source: CBS News Bay Area)

## Summary
- SEIU Local 1000 held its planned one-day statewide strike on Wednesday, Oct. 21; tens of thousands of state workers walked off their jobs, according to KQED.
- The union represents about 100,000 California state employees; fewer than 5,000 workers designated essential were exempted and required to work.
- The union is seeking 20% raises over three years, higher state contributions to health care and department-level telework policies.
- The walkout concluded as a one-day action, but reports after the strike did not announce a new contract agreement; CalHR said it remained available at the bargaining table.

## One-day walkout takes place statewide

Tens of thousands of California civil service employees walked off their jobs Wednesday, Oct. 21, for a one-day strike organized by SEIU Local 1000, according to KQED. Picket lines were reported in Sacramento, San Francisco, Fresno, Los Angeles and other cities. The union represents about 100,000 public employees, while fewer than 5,000 state workers designated essential were exempted from the walkout and required to work, KQED reported. The union’s own strike information described the action as a single-day event, and the strike took place as scheduled. [1](https://www.seiu1000.org/2026contract/) [5](https://www.kqed.org/news/12105368/californias-largest-state-employee-union-starts-one-day-strike)

The contract dispute continued after the walkout. The previous memorandum of understanding between California and SEIU Local 1000 covered July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2026, according to the state’s official contract record. In reporting published on strike day, the Associated Press said the contract had expired in June and quoted the California Department of Human Resources as saying it remained available at the bargaining table. The accounts reviewed after the one-day action did not report a new agreement. [3](https://eservices.calhr.ca.gov/enterprisehrpublic/mou/OfficialMOU?moucontentid=18) [4](https://apnews.com/article/california-state-workers-strike-newsom-a3a4f547a612a68360e75e7feaaffb96) [5](https://www.kqed.org/news/12105368/californias-largest-state-employee-union-starts-one-day-strike)

## Pay, health care and telework at issue

The union’s stated economic proposal is a 20% general salary increase over three years, divided into 7% in 2026, 7% in 2027 and 6% in 2028. SEIU Local 1000 says it is also seeking more affordable health care, retirement security and telework protections. In its June bargaining update, the union said departments should make telework decisions based on operational needs and pressed for workers to have a voice in implementing the governor’s return-to-office policy. These are union proposals, not agreed contract terms. [2](https://www.seiu1000.org/master-table-update-june-18-2026/) [5](https://www.kqed.org/news/12105368/californias-largest-state-employee-union-starts-one-day-strike)

The Newsom administration’s return-to-office order required state workers to be in the office four days a week by July 1, the AP reported. The union has argued for more flexibility and higher state contributions to employee health costs. CalHR’s public position, as reported by KQED and the AP, was that it remained focused on a fair agreement and available to negotiate. The two sides’ competing accounts of bargaining are distinct: SEIU characterized the walkout as an unfair-practice strike over alleged bad-faith bargaining, while the state said it would continue bargaining in good faith. [1](https://www.seiu1000.org/2026contract/) [4](https://apnews.com/article/california-state-workers-strike-newsom-a3a4f547a612a68360e75e7feaaffb96) [5](https://www.kqed.org/news/12105368/californias-largest-state-employee-union-starts-one-day-strike)

## Strike action ends; negotiations remain open

SEIU Local 1000 called the strike its first in the union’s history, and AP described the Oct. 21 picket lines as the first since the union was founded in 2004. KQED reported that the walkout affected workers across state departments, including analysts, paralegals, health educators and custodians. Its report also said essential employees in agencies including Corrections and Rehabilitation, Transportation and State Hospitals continued working. The strike was limited to one day; it did not itself resolve the separate contract negotiations. [1](https://www.seiu1000.org/2026contract/) [4](https://apnews.com/article/california-state-workers-strike-newsom-a3a4f547a612a68360e75e7feaaffb96) [5](https://www.kqed.org/news/12105368/californias-largest-state-employee-union-starts-one-day-strike)

The union said its purpose was to press the state to return to negotiations and bargain toward a new contract. State officials said they remained at the table, but no tentative agreement or ratified contract was reported in the coverage of the strike. The immediate action is therefore complete, while the underlying bargaining dispute remains unresolved in the reporting available after Wednesday’s walkout. Any further labor action would depend on future union decisions and negotiations; none is asserted here as scheduled. [1](https://www.seiu1000.org/2026contract/) [4](https://apnews.com/article/california-state-workers-strike-newsom-a3a4f547a612a68360e75e7feaaffb96) [5](https://www.kqed.org/news/12105368/californias-largest-state-employee-union-starts-one-day-strike) [6](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/21/california-nurses-teachers-strike)

## Reporting sources
1. [SEIU Local 1000: Strike Frequently Asked Questions and 2026 Contract Campaign](https://www.seiu1000.org/2026contract/) (2026-10-21)
2. [SEIU Local 1000: Master Table Update: June 18, 2026](https://www.seiu1000.org/master-table-update-june-18-2026/) (2026-06-25)
3. [California Department of Human Resources (CalHR): Official Memorandum of Understanding, SEIU Local 1000](https://eservices.calhr.ca.gov/enterprisehrpublic/mou/OfficialMOU?moucontentid=18) (2023-07-01)
4. [Associated Press: California state workers begin 1-day strike over return-to-office mandate, pay and healthcare](https://apnews.com/article/california-state-workers-strike-newsom-a3a4f547a612a68360e75e7feaaffb96) (2026-10-21T04:01:16Z)
5. [KQED: California’s Largest State Employee Union Holds 1-Day Strike](https://www.kqed.org/news/12105368/californias-largest-state-employee-union-starts-one-day-strike) (2026-10-21)
6. [The Guardian: Thousands of California public employees begin strike over contract](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/21/california-nurses-teachers-strike) (2026-10-21T18:37:24Z)