Photo Credit: SEIU Local 1000 / Union President Anica Walls
(OPGOV GLOBAL) – As Labor Day highlighted the role of workers across the country, California state workers represented by SEIU Local 1000 prepared for a potentially significant escalation in their 2026 contract campaign.
The union announced that members will begin voting September 9 on whether to authorize an Unfair Practice Strike, citing what it described as the State’s failure to bargain in good faith. The union says the proposed strike authorization “demands that the State bargain fairly” over a contract covering compensation, benefits, working conditions, telework protections, retirement security and safety for nearly 100,000 state workers statewide.
SEIU Local 1000 President Anica Walls summarized the union’s position in June: “We are fighting for what we deserve.”
The vote follows an Unfair Practice Charge filed by SEIU Local 1000 on July 22. The union alleges that the State failed to bargain fairly over wages, benefits and working conditions. Local 1000 said its bargaining team proposed changes addressing compensation, healthcare, telework and other workplace concerns. According to a union flyer, the State “delayed meaningful negotiations, rejected proposals in bulk, [and] maintained a predetermined bargaining position.”
The union is also challenging the State’s claim that budget constraints prevent improvements to pay and benefits. Local 1000 pointed to “billions of dollars” included in the 2026 state budget for “future spending” and criticized the State for “outsourcing civil service work to contractors.” The union argues that these actions demonstrate that the State “never intended to bargain fairly.” This information is also available as a flyer.
Photo Credit: SEIU Local 1000 / Informational flyer regarding the strike vote.
SEIU Local 1000 said the charge is focused on what it considers the State’s failure to meet its bargaining responsibilities, rather than on requiring the State to agree to the union’s demands. The union says the State should engage with its proposals and provide substantive responses during negotiations. “Our members came to the table ready to bargain,” the union stated. “We expect the State to do the same.”
Although the union is preparing for possible collective action, no strike has been called. The current contract “includes a no-strike clause,” meaning workers are generally prohibited from striking during the term of the agreement. However, according to the union, workers may have a “legal right to strike in certain circumstances including when the State commits an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) like refusing to bargain in good faith.” The union said the proposed action is intended to address its allegations about the State’s conduct during negotiations, rather than serve as a traditional strike over contract terms.
Members will vote from September 9 through October 7. According to the union, authorization alone would not be enough to result in a strike; additional union procedures and majority support from members in the “affected group” would be required before any work stoppage could proceed.
As the September 9 vote approaches, SEIU Local 1000 is urging members to participate and remain engaged. The union said the vote is an important step toward strengthening its position at the bargaining table and securing what it considers a fair contract for California’s state workforce.
*Underlining appears in the original statement.
To add to or correct any information in this report, please contact me at robert.m@lead4earth.org or leave a comment below with your thoughts.
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