San Jose city workers say they're ready to strike if necessary
SAN JOSE- Frustration and uncertainty loom among the more than 4,000 City Employees who are prepared to go on strike if their unions fail to reach a contract agreement.
"Everything is very expensive here, and San Jose is constantly ranked among the top areas for expensive housing, food costs, and all sorts of things. I have to depend on somebody else to pay the rent, car insurance, and daily expenses," said Rachel Atkins, a veterinarian who has worked at the Happy Hollow Zoo for seven years.
The unions representing these employees are asking for a 7 percent salary increase for the 2023-24 fiscal year, followed by a 6 percent increase the following year and a 5 percent increase in the third year. They also seek eight weeks of family leave.
The city's counteroffer is a 5 percent increase in the first year, 4 percent in the second year, and 3 percent in the third year.
"They're unaware that they have a city who cares about filling our vacancies to the point that public services can get delivered again," explained John Tucker, a representative of MEF-AFSCME Local 101.
Mayor Matt Mahan acknowledged the situation, but insisted that the city's offer is reasonable.
"We're always figuring out how to pay our workers fairly and competitively without cutting city services. It doesn't do us any good if we give high wages but have to cut services. So we're constantly striving to find that balance," Mahan said.
However, Atkins believes it falls short of addressing the employees' concerns, and is prepared to go on strike if necessary.
"I'm ready for that, and of course, we would still be taking care of the animals here, but that wouldn't have everybody here to be able to take care of the animals at the level that we want to," Atkins explained.
Tucker revealed that MEF-AFSCME is already preparing its members for the possibility of a strike if they fail to reach an agreement with the ciyy by August 8th.