(MANTECA, Calif.) -- Blue collar workers employed by the City of Manteca are taking action to get paid fair and livable wages as they face delays in getting their expired contract renewed.
Photo Credit: Operating Engineers Local 3
The city employees taking action belong to the Operating Engineers Local 3 union, specifically the General Services Unit and Technical and Services Support Association Unit. The memorandum of understanding had gone into effect in July of 2023, and recently expired on June 30, 2026.
“Right now, too many of us are struggling to make ends meet in the same city that we serve,” Joseph, a city employee, said during a City Council meeting on September 1. He mentioned that housing, gas, and utility needs have risen faster than their wages have increased.
“We are asking to be paid what comparable cities pay for the same work; work this council's own compensation study shows is behind the market,” he added. The compensation study referred to was done by Gallagher Benefit Services, an employee benefits and human resources consulting firm.
Photo Credit: Operating Engineers Local 3
Based on data collected through a comparative study in surrounding cities, Gallagher Benefit Services found that the City of Manteca’s base salaries sit at 12% below the market median, while at the same time, the city’s total compensation overall sits at 9.67% below the market median.
OpGov.News reached out to the Operating Engineers Local 3 union for a statement on the issue and received an informational flyer to raise awareness.
"These workers, represented by the Operating Engineers Local 3, are at an impasse with the city and have been trying to get a fair and equitable contract for months,” the flyer states.
On August 19, 2026, the City of Manteca issued its Last, Best, and Final offer to the O.E.3 workers. In the document, it states that for Year 1 of the contract, workers would be given an additional 1% salary adjustment equating to a new minimum of 3% and a maximum of 8% bump.
Additionally, for years 2 and 3, O.E.3 employees will be able to opt in to convert their wellness for a salary increase. Subsequently, the offer states “therefore, the new minimum would be 6% to a maximum of 11%, if OE3 chose to convert all wellness leave in one year.”
Photo credit: Manteca.gov
In the same document, the City of Manteca noted that several water operators did receive a substantial salary at the time in 2024, one that well exceeded the median household. The document noted that top earners at the time were making upwards of $238,000, which exceeded the aforementioned median income of $97,055.
The offer, with regards to the conversion of wellness hours into a higher salary states, “The wellness leave hours provided to OE3 members each fiscal year are equivalent to a 4% base salary, however were not included in the total compensation study by Gallagher; had these been included, several job classifications are even closer to the median of market.”
As of this publication, the City of Manteca and the Local 3 union are still in negotiations regarding the contract.
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