California state workers begin 1-day strike over return-to-office mandate, pay and healthcare

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California state workers began a one-day strike Wednesday, urging Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration to agree to a new contract that increases workers' pay, ensures affordable healthcare access and allows more flexibility for remote work.

SEIU Local 1000, the largest union for California government workers which represents more than 100,000 employees, including auditors, nurses and counselors, will picket in cities across the state for the first time since the union's founding in 2004. Members overwhelmingly voted to authorize the strike earlier this month, accusing the state of failing to bargain in good faith after their contract expired in June.

“We are going on strike because we know the Newsom administration can and must do better,” Anica Walls, the union's president, said in a statement. “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 strike follows an order by Newsom requiring state workers to return to the office four days a week by July 1. Newsom, who's preparing to leave office in January and eyeing a 2028 presidential run, argued that the mandate would improve workplace collaboration and innovation, which will help government better serve the public. He vetoed a bill backed by the union last month that would have required state agencies to provide a written justification for requiring workers to report to the office.

The California Department of Human Resources said it was coordinating with the union and with state departments, which have contingency plans in case government operations are disrupted 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.

The union argues that remote work saves the state money it would otherwise spend on office space and improves people's work-life balance.

The union is also pushing for the state to raise workers' salaries by 20% over the next three years and increase the state contribution toward employees' healthcare costs.