Politics & Government
Despite Strike, Most Santa Clara Co. Facilities Stay Open
The Service Employees union strike Wednesday involves a claim of unfair labor practices relating to the county Family Resource Center.
SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CA — Santa Clara County officials said most county facilities have stayed open Wednesday to provide services amid a strike by county workers with Service Employees International Union Local 521.
Workers have been picketing at several locations, including the Social Services Agency's San Jose Family Resource Center, which is closed Wednesday as a result of the work stoppage.
According to the county, Roads Department services such as current pavement repair may be limited or temporarily delayed, and Child Support Services return calls and in-person customer service response times might be longer.
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A full list of services affected by the strike can be found at www.sccgov.org/strikeupdate.
SEIU members make up about half of the county's 22,000 employees, and the union has accused the county of unfair labor practices, such as restructuring of the Department of Family and Children's Services without bargaining with employees.
Find out what's happening in Campbellfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Valerie Pickering, a union negotiator and social worker with the department for 19 years, said the reorganization was rolled out in a chaotic manner and additional management without more on the ground help.
"I feel like it's had a negative impact on services we're able to provide the community," she said.
Pickering said the culture of the county has shifted in which workers lack "dignity and respect" for the jobs they do.
The two sides have been at the bargaining table for six months and still is staring at an impasse.
SEIU Local 521's contract with Santa Clara County expired on June 16 and the union said there is no end date currently announced for the strike, which brought out an estimated 700 workers to the streets.
The county said it has offered union employees a proposal that includes a 3 percent general wage increase each year for five years.
County Executive Jeffrey Smith said in a news release Wednesday that the two sides have "a difference of opinion" on the projection of revenue in the future.
"The union has focused on recent revenue trends that were stronger, but future revenues are not expected to be nearly as strong," Smith said.
—Bay City News; Sue Wood, Patch contributed to this report.
