Thousands of California state workers go on strike — The Guardian

Thousands of state workers in California, US, went on strike on Wednesday, picketing outside government buildings in several cities. The reason was negotiations over a new contract that reached an impasse after the current agreement expired on June 30, The Guardian reports.

Union demands

The strike was organized by SEIU Local 1000, a union representing about 100,000 public employees, including nurses and teachers. Its representatives are seeking pay rises, flexible remote-work arrangements and more affordable health insurance.

Union negotiators say that state authorities rejected key demands: a 20% pay rise over three years, increased state contributions to health insurance and the option of flexible remote work. Governor Gavin Newsom required state employees to be in offices four days a week.

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Complaint over negotiations

Representatives of SEIU Local 1000 also filed a complaint with California’s Public Employment Relations Board. They claim that the state negotiated in bad faith: in particular, it allegedly responded to some proposals only on June 30 and said it had no funds for additional compensation.

California authorities did not publicly comment on the course of negotiations, citing their confidentiality. A representative of Newsom’s office also did not immediately comment on the work stoppage. Wednesday’s pickets were the first for this union.

As reported, California’s Department of Human Resources sought to block the strike, saying that the absence of a plan to exclude critical workers from the strike could threaten public health and safety. According to the union, the labor board identified about 5,000 workers as critical — they must continue working during the strike.