State employees on Wednesday protested Governor Gavin Newsom’s executive order requiring them to return to the office four days per week starting this July.
Four unions that represent state workers packed the block in front of the California Department of Human Resources in downtown Sacramento. That included the Service Employees International Union – or SEIU – Local 1000.
Nikolette Clavel with the Department of Fish and Wildlife came with a sign.
“It says ‘rain or shine, telework is fine’, and then on the back it says ‘good leaders listen,’” she said. “I think today is an example of collective action that disagrees with the governor’s executive order, which will greatly impact a lot of employees that work for state service.”
SEIU Local 1000 filed an Unfair Practice Charge last week with the Public Employment Relations Board.
Anica Walls — who serves as president of the union chapter and is an employee with the Department of Social Services — said the charge is another way for state workers to push back on Newsom’s order.
“It’s saying, you should’ve come to the table. You made a unilateral decision — our bargaining rights, our collective bargaining rights were – you messed with those,” she said. “Under the Dills Act, we should have a conversation when you issue mandates, like the one that he did.”
Newsom said in a statement last week that the order will help increase productivity, mentorship and accountability in state government. Last year, he mandated that state employees work from the office at least two days per week.
Yun Hwa Harper is on the board of the California Association of State Attorneys and Administrative Law Judges — or CASE — one of four unions at the protest. She has also been an attorney with the state for 18 years.
“I actually think productivity goes up because there’s more hours in the day, and at the end of the day, this saves taxpayers money, and state workers are more efficient from home,” she said.
CASE was joined by the Service Employees International Union Local 1000, the California Association of Professional Scientists and Professional Engineers in California Government.
Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty has said he supports the mandate and hopes that when state workers return to the office for more days, they’ll spend money and help revitalize downtown.
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