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• California State Workers Are About to Strike. What That Means for the DMV, EDD, Parks and More

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Dozens of state workers rallied in Eureka today. Humboldt County-based members of SEIU Local 1000 — which includes analysts, nurses, custodians and various office workers — are joining a one-day, statewide strike protesting what they say are unfair labor practices by the Newsom administration.

“We want to keep services running, but we also need to tell the administration; ‘Respect us. We matter. We care about the work we do,’” said James Koeppel, a union steward for SEIU Local 1000 and a Caltrans analyst.

“We have state workers sleeping in their cars because they can’t afford their rent,” he said.

The impetus for the strike is negotiation disputes.

The union argues that Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration has practiced bad-faith bargaining practices during labor agreement negotiations, aftere the union’s contract expired on June 30.

The union filed a complaint to the Public Employment Relations Board that the administration, through CalHR, delayed negotiations and rejected proposals outright. The Board concluded recently that CalHR “refused to meet and confer in good faith,” according to reporting from CalMatters.

The union voted overwhelmingly to go on strike to protest unlawful labor practices. CalHR attempted to stop the strike by reporting it to the Board as unlawful, but the Board sided with the union.

Maria Ramo poses with her sign.

It’s the first time the union has gone on strike. SEIU Local 1000 represents roughly 100,000 public workers statewide.

Koeppel said state workers don’t want to inconvenience the public, and the union took every avenue to avoid a strike.

“We love our state and we love the public we serve day in and day out. We’re doing this not really by choice but by necessity, and we’ve offered the state multiple ways to come to the table, and they are refusing,” he said.

Today, he said, people can expect impacts to EDD call centers and DMV lines (though some workers deemed essential will continue to work).

Central to what workers are seeking in negotiations is wage increases.

In July, state workers represented by the union saw an expected raise negated in exchange for personal leave, an effort by the Newsom administration to balance the state budget.

But with rising costs of living, workers there told the Outpost they’d prefer the wage increase.

“I just want my raise, because one day off is not going to pay for a gallon of gas,” said Maria Ramo, who works for the Department of Motor Vehicles.

The union wants a 20% pay raise over three years, changes to telework policies and reductions in healthcare costs, according to statewide news reports.

Jordan Adair, a research data specialist, who said he’s striking to support the union and get a fair contract.

State jobs are seen as stable, well paying positions, particularly in Humboldt County. But some locals have been excluded from working remotely due their location after a policy change by the Newsom administration.

And costs have risen more than wages, something that’s particularly impacted single-income households.

“[Striking is] a once in a lifetime opportunity, I hope,” said Stacie Edwards, an office technician for the Department of Rehabilitation who was on strike for the first time in her life.

“But if it’s not, they can be reassured that I will be right back out here for all the people who can’t be out here,” she said.

“[A lot of my coworkers] can’t afford to even take a single day off.”

Roughly 70 people were rallying Wednesday morning along Highway 101 at 4th and K streets, and Koeppel expected more to come throughout the day. Drivers honked at the strikers, who blew whistles and wore purple.

We aren’t sure how the strike has affected operations at state offices in Humboldt County. Our contact for Caltrans was on strike, and the DMV’s press line hadn’t immediately returned a call before publication time.