Nearly 4,500 San Jose city employees began voting on Tuesday on whether to authorize a strike. The two unions representing these employees, the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers Local 21 and the Municipal Employees’ Federation-American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 101, are protesting against what they perceive as chronic understaffing issues and inadequate pay for city workers. The unions represent a diverse workforce, including emergency dispatchers, code enforcement officers, librarians, airport staff, and engineers.
The workers’ contract with the city expired on June 30, and they have been working without a contract since then. The unions are demanding a pay increase of 7% for the 2023-24 fiscal year, while the city has countered with an offer of a 5% raise.
Scarlet Darmousseh, a radio dispatcher from the San Jose Fire Department, highlighted the problem of understaffing by noting that dispatch workers often work 8-14 hour shifts six days a week. She also stated that many city workers use San Jose as a “training ground” before moving on to cities that offer better wages.
John Tucker, a representative for MEF-AFSCME Local 101, echoed these concerns and added that there were 1,000 open positions in city government across departments at some point this year. He believes that a potential strike could significantly impact the city and its residents, possibly leading to disruptions in summer programs, temporary library and zoo closures, and major delays at the San Jose International Airport.
Working Partnerships USA, a think tank that works with city unions, has challenged claims that salary increases would necessitate service cuts. According to a recent study by the organization, the city’s budget does not fully account for funds that were allocated but not spent, such as salaries for vacant positions.
The voting period will conclude on Friday, and the results are expected to be announced on Monday. This situation underscores the importance of fair labor conditions and adequate staffing in the provision of city services.