More than 100,000 California state employees are set to stage a one-day strike on Wednesday as they pressure Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration to reach a new labour agreement covering salaries, healthcare and remote work.
SEIU Local 1000, the largest union representing California government workers, said its members would hold pickets in cities across the state. The action will be the union’s first statewide strike since it was founded in 2004.
The union’s members voted overwhelmingly earlier this month to authorise the strike, accusing the state government of failing to negotiate in good faith after their previous contract expired in June.
“We are going on strike because we know the Newsom administration can and must do better,” the union’s president, Anica Walls, said.
“They must return to the table and bargain in good faith toward a contract that allows state workers to afford groceries, childcare, rent and other necessities.”
The dispute comes amid a broader disagreement over Newsom’s return-to-office policy, which requires state employees to work from their offices four days a week from July 1.
Newsom has defended the policy, arguing that greater in-person interaction would strengthen collaboration and encourage innovation, ultimately improving government services.
Last month, however, he vetoed a union-backed bill that would have required state agencies to provide written explanations when ordering employees to work from the office.
SEIU Local 1000 has argued that remote work reduces government spending on office space while giving employees better work-life balance.
The union is also seeking a 20 per cent increase in workers’ salaries over three years, alongside a larger state contribution towards employees’ healthcare expenses.
The California Department of Human Resources said it was working with the union and state agencies to prepare for possible disruptions caused by the strike.
“The department remains focused on achieving a fair and responsible agreement and continues to be available at the bargaining table,” it said in a statement.
Newsom is due to leave office in January and has been linked to a potential 2028 presidential bid.
