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SEIU Local 1000 and the California Department of Human Resources are scheduled for mediation Thursday — six days before thousands of state workers are expected to go on strike. The development comes after an impasse was declared earlier this month.
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The last time SEIU Local 1000 threatened a strike was in 2016 when agreement was made at the eleventh hour to avoid the walkout.
When asked if the union wants a contract before the strike, SEIU Local 1000 Chief Negotiator Bobby Roy said it isn’t going to accept just any deal. Meanwhile, CalHR is pursuing a legal route with the Public Employment Relations Board to stop the strike. It accuses the union of not properly adhering to the impasse by pursuing a strike before avenues — like mediations — have faltered. SEIU Local 1000, in a PERB filing in response, said it’s following impasse protocols.
“We’re looking for a deal that would benefit our represented members in a way that they’re able to accept,” Roy said.
Official negotiations have been stalled since late July. State officials accused the union of refusing to return to the table unless there was a proposal addressing the governor’s four-day return-to-office mandate. Many state workers want more flexible telework options. Leading up to the impasse, the union said it awaited a good offer including a range of items — including raises — before it returned to the table.
CalHR, in a recent PERB filing, said during two-month lull there were sidebar conversations with union officials about economic proposals, potentially including raises.
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Roy, in an interview with The Sacramento Bee, confirmed there were talks but didn’t say what the result of those discussions were, citing the confidential nature of negotiations. He said because the conversations weren’t official, it was impossible for the union to share them with members as true offers.
“It handcuffs us from being able to float it (by our) membership,” Roy said.
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SEIU Local 1000 is asking for a 20% raise across three years. Roy told The Bee this isn’t an end-all-be-all number and the union is open to discussions. It also wants improved health benefits and stipends for those required to work in person.
The union’s contract expired at the end of June. Many of its proposals affecting the state’s budget were denied without a counterproposal. Nine of 16 such requests were rejected on the same day the previous agreement ended.
Roy, who has been part of negotiations since 2014, said he’s never seen denials like that before.
“We always had at least a proposal back from the state in 2016,” Roy said. “While we were not happy with Gov. (Jerry) Brown’s proposal at that time, there was a proposal from the state.”
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