By admin 
Thousands of California state workers are taking to the streets Wednesday, as they strike in hopes of a better contract. The walkout comes as SEIU Local 1000, the largest state worker union with about 100,000 members, has been without a contract since late June.
Read more Sacramento sheriff under fire for failing to adopt safeguards for autistic drivers
“There are no negotiations scheduled before tomorrow’s strike,” said SEIU Local 1000 President Anica Walls in a statement Tuesday. “We won’t sit down with the state again until after the strike, so our strike is moving forward.”
State and union officials didn’t get a last-minute deal and strike lines are set up across the state, ranging from San Diego to Eureka. There are five events in Sacramento.
Meanwhile, state agencies will work with a smaller staff. Some departments, such as the Department of Education, where a demonstration is planned that morning, are operating remotely.
“Superintendent (Tony) Thurmond is requesting that all CDE employees assigned to HQ who are planning to work tomorrow, Wednesday, Oct. 21, do so remotely, including those who have otherwise been at HQ due to operational necessity,” said CDE Chief of Staff David Schapira in an email to staffers Tuesday afternoon.
SEIU Local 1000 members range from medical staff at California’s prisons to custodians at office buildings. Of the roughly 100,000 members, about 4,4000 were deemed essential to public safety and excluded from the strike. This includes, but isn’t limited to, select medical staff at state prisons and hospitals as well as cooks.
The union’s top priorities include a 20% raise across three years, telework — which would include $25 commuting stipends for those required to work in-person — and health benefits to ensure accessibility to affordable medical services, according to previous Sacramento Bee reporting.
Read more Struggling Kansas searches for ‘magic potion’ vs. Baylor
SEIU Local 1000 has accused the state of bargaining in bad faith, in part, by rejecting nine proposals on June 30 — the same day the previous agreement expired.
“It was a tactic to try to weaponize time against us — to force us to rush — and when people rush, one of the unintended consequences is that people will tend to make mistakes,” said SEIU Local 1000 Chief Negotiator Bobby Roy in late July.
» The State Worker newsletter: The news state workers need to know
Where are Sacramento-area events?
SEIU Local 1000 announced it will have events at various state offices Wednesday from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. with sign-in starting at 6:30 a.m. Workers will then head to the California Department of Human Resources headquarters, 1810 16th Street in Sacramento, for a strike line, guest speakers and a march to the Capitol Annex Swing Space.
Here are the morning worksite strike line locations:
- Secretary of State, 1500 11th St.
- May Lee Complex, 651 Bannon St.
- Department of Motor Vehicles, 2415 First St.
- California Natural Resources Agency, 715 P St.
- California Department of Education, 1430 N St.
Food is available at most locations on a first come, first served basis. This includes breakfast and lunch.
Where are strike locations across the state?
There are 15 strike lines outside of Sacramento. Unless otherwise stated, these lined are expected to run from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Those attending can register on the union’s website.
Read more Panthers Linked to a Veteran Tight End With a Ton of Postseason Experience
- Oakland, 1515 Clay St.
- San Francisco, 505 Van Ness Ave.
- Fresno, 1085 P St.
- Los Angeles, 300 S Spring St.
- Norwalk, 11401 Bloomfield Ave.
- San Bernardino, 464 W Fourth St.
- San Diego, 7575 Metropolitan Drive
- Crescent City, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Cooper Avenue and Highway 101
- Eureka, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., K Street and Highway 101
- Redding, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Hilltop Drive and Cypress Avenue
- Susanville, 5:15 a.m. to 2 p.m., 2535 Main St.
- El Centro, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Main Street and North Imperial
- Blythe, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., 430 S. Broadway
- Lancaster, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., W Ave. L-6 & 10th Street W.
- Porterville, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., 1037 W. Henderson Ave.