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California state workers are watching the 2026 governor’s race to see if the result could bring an end to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s push to bring state workers back to the office four days a week.
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“There are no guarantees, but the path forward is perhaps turning the page on this administration and move to the next administration,” said Professional Engineers in California Government Executive Director Ted Toppin previously.
But as the election nears, neither candidate has pledged to guarantee 100% telework.
Here is what they’ve said:
- Republican Steve Hilton previously said he hasn’t made up his mind on telework. He previously said he plans to cut the state’s workforce by 10%.
- Democrat Xavier Becerra called telework “an important element of the 21st century workplace” but fell short of promising to make it the primary mode of work for the state’s workforce.
- The next governor could reset the fight after Newsom vetoed Assembly Bill 1729, which would have encouraged but not required telework. The bill’s author, Assemblymember Alex Lee, D-San Jose, said he hopes the next governor treats civil servants “like they are the backbone of the entire state government.”
Lee said union negotiations could also determine RTO’s fate. The largest state worker union, SEIU Local 1000, is currently in negotiations, which was stalled for more than two months before an impasse was declared last week.
SEIU Local 1000 announced Thursday its members had supported a strike authorization and it is calling a one-day walkout on Oct. 21.
Telework is a point of contention in negotiations, according to the California Department of Human Resources. The agency accused the union of refusing to negotiate unless there was movement away from Newsom’s mandate.
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“SEIU, however, has taken the position that it will not return to the bargaining table unless the state shows movement away from the four-day-per-week in-office mandate,” the agency said.
The union representing state-employed lawyers is asking for the California Department of Justice’s telework policy to be implemented unilaterally across state agencies for its members, putting it on managers to determine work-from-home policies.
But if union negotiations don’t open up remote work, the new governor would be a likely next step for those opposed to Newsom’s return-to-office mandate.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.
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