Politics & Government
San Jose Leaders And Unions Close To Striking A Deal
"We are meeting with the city first thing tomorrow morning," the coalition wrote in a statement.
August 15, 2023
San Jose leaders are moving toward a resolution with union leaders in an attempt to stop the biggest planned strike of city workers in recent history. Two of the city’s largest unions may reach a deal by Monday morning — 24 hours before the three-day strike is set to begin on Aug. 15.
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Staff Up San Jose, a coalition of the two unions IFPTE Local 21 and MEF-AFSCME Local 101, announced on Sunday that the city’s newest offer moves “significantly toward our needs.” If a deal is reached, the strike will be called off. If not, around 4,500 workers — almost half the city’s workforce — will walk off their jobs and picket. The city’s latest offer has not been made public yet.
“We are meeting with the city first thing tomorrow morning,” the coalition wrote in a statement. “We remain hopeful to see enough movement to avert a strike.”
Find out what's happening in Campbellfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Last week on Aug. 7, the two unions voted in favor of a three-day strike because of stalled salary negotiations with the city. The following day, city council asked union leaders to come back to the table for continued mediation. Unions and city representatives met daily last week to discuss options that work for all negotiating parties involved. Still, city workers have been collecting a hardship fund, assembling picket signs and organizing membership to picket in case they can’t agree on a contract.
The union is asking for an 18% raise over the next three years: 7% this year, 6% for 2024-25 and 5% 2025-26. The city’s offer when the strike was called is a 12% raise over the next three years: 5% this fiscal year, followed by 4% and 3% the next two years.
Mayor Matt Mahan previously said he was disappointed that it was the unions, not the city, that initially walked away from the negotiating table, but remained optimistic that a compromise could be found.
Mahan was not immediately available for comment.
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