Burlingame City Workers Vote To Authorize Strike

BURLINGAME, CA — More than 100 Burlingame city employees could go on strike for the first time since 1981 after voting overwhelmingly to authorize the labor action this week.

According to AFSCME Local 829, which represents more than 150 city workers, 96 percent of its union membership voted to authorize a strike over unfair labor practices. The union counts park employees, water system operators, street sweepers, sewer operators, electricians, mechanics, maintenance workers, librarians, recreation staffers, building inspectors, parking enforcement officers and transportation workers among its ranks.

The union contends that city leaders have been hostile, violated labor law and ran afoul of workers' rights as they negotiated a new contract.

"Management has consistently tried to interfere with our members' First Amendment rights to try to advocate for a better shake from the city," Rich Stephens, a city employee of 17 years, said in a statement Wednesday. "Instead of correcting these managers' behavior, the city has seemingly done nothing to stop these violations, and it seems like more incidents keep happening in correlation with employees speaking out about our wages and working conditions.

A union spokesperson said the authorization vote lays the groundwork for a potential strike action in the next three weeks. The union said it is still working to reach an agreement with the city to avoid disruptions to essential public safety services in the event of a strike.