Tens of thousands of California state workers walked off the job Wednesday in an unprecedented one-day strike that threatened to disrupt DMV offices and other government services across the state.
SEIU Local 1000, the union representing 100,000 government employees, staged the walkout after 96.2% of voting members backed the job action. Union president Anica Walls announced the move in a video message, framing it as a direct response to stalled contract negotiations with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration before he leaves office in January.
“State workers have spoken loud and clear,” Walls said in her video message. The union added that the strike was “in response to the state’s alleged bad-faith bargaining.”
The labor action follows months of deadlock over wages, benefits and remote work policies. Newsom’s administration has refused to retreat from a return-to-office order that triggered fierce opposition from state unions. The prior contract covering these workers expired June 30 and remains unreplaced.
Walls urged Californians to prepare for disruptions at multiple agencies. Residents should expect potential service delays at the DMV and the state’s unemployment and disability insurance offices, she warned.
“If you happen to go to the DMV office and the services are limited, make an appointment for another day,” Walls said.
The strike marked a historic first for the massive union, which had never before carried out a work stoppage despite prior threats. The organization last held a strike vote in 2016, but reached a labor agreement days before the scheduled walkout.
Demonstrations unfolded at government buildings throughout the state. In Sacramento, workers gathered outside the California Department of Human Resources, the Secretary of State building, the Department of Education May Lee Complex, the DMV headquarters and the Resources Building. Additional strike lines formed in Oakland, Fresno, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Norwalk and San Bernardino, according to the union’s website.
About 5,000 workers were legally barred from participating because their absence “would create an imminent and substantial threat to public health or safety,” the union noted.
The California Department of Human Resources pushed back against the union’s framing while expressing openness to continued talks. A CalHR spokesperson told the California Post that “CalHR remains ready to sit down anytime with the union to negotiate a fair and responsible agreement.”
“The state remains focused on protecting the critical and essential services that Californians rely on,” the department added.
Walls asked for public patience as workers pressed their demands. “Give our employees some grace,” she said.
The two sides are scheduled to meet for mediation Oct. 30.