Thousands of California State Workers Set to Strike Over Stalled Contract
Thousands of California state workers were set to strike on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, rallying outside government buildings in several cities over contract talks with the administration of Governor Gavin Newsom, according to The Guardian.
The workers belong to SEIU Local 1000, a union local of the Service Employees International Union, which represents roughly 100,000 public employees, including nurses and teachers. Its contract with the state expired on June 30, and the two sides are at an impasse, a deadlock in which neither has agreed to terms.
The union has been pressing for higher wages, flexible telework (working from home on some days instead of in the office), and affordable healthcare. According to union negotiators, the state rejected its proposals for a 20% salary increase over three years, higher state contributions to healthcare, and flexible telework.
The dispute sits alongside a separate policy change. The Associated Press reported that the walkout follows a Newsom order requiring state workers to return to the office four days a week by July 1.
The union has also filed a complaint with the Public Employment Relations Board, the state agency that handles labor disputes involving public workers. The complaint alleges that the state engaged in bad faith bargaining, meaning it did not negotiate genuinely toward an agreement. It cites the state waiting until June 30 to respond to some proposals and claiming there was "no money" for additional compensation.
The state has cited confidentiality in declining to publicly comment on the status of the negotiations. The California Department of Human Resources, known as CalHR, the state office that handles personnel matters for state employees, reportedly tried to block the strike. It argued that the union did not plan to exempt essential workers, and that this would compromise public health and safety.
According to the union, the labor board has determined a list of about 5,000 essential workers who will report to work during the strike. The union said more than 95,000 state workers should join the strike line, and described the walkout as a one-day strike. It also said October 21 would be the first time its members have gone on strike.
