Sacramento County employees threaten strike as union negotiates wages, safety
County employees urged the Sacramento Board of Supervisors to improve working conditions and increase worker wages as unions entered negotiations on Tuesday morning. If their needs aren’t met, the union representative said they are ready to strike.
Employees flooded the Board of Supervisors’ public comment with allegations of dangerous working conditions, especially in the county’s Child Protective Services. Concerns ranged from the lack of frequency of raises to poor employee retention. Sarah Singleton, a county social worker, said the department is chronically understaffed and as a result, pressure is put on staff to take on a larger workload.
“CPS, social workers, family service workers and child development specialists regularly place themselves in harm’s way in order to assist children and families in need with their going unannounced into people’s homes,” said Singleton, who has worked for the county since 1999.
Ted Somera, the the executive director of United Public Employee, said county employees struggle to maintain a livable wage. Somera urged the Board of Supervisors to approve a contract which improves working conditions and increases pay for county employees.
“I’ve been coming up here for years talking about the working conditions, and now it’s hit the fan,” Somera said during the Board of Supervisors meeting. “We don’t want to strike, but we will.”
Sacramento County employs more than 13,600 workers, according to the county’s Personnel Services webpage. The employee organizations who will be affected by labor relations, as stated by the Board of Supervisors agenda, include United Public Employees, the Sacramento County Alliance of Law Enforcement, Sacramento Area Rescue Fire Fighters, Local 552 and the County of Sacramento Association of Professional Engineers.
Somera said his union represents one-third of the county’s employees and is scheduled to meet with the county on May 5. He said employees are seeking a 4% to 5% pay increase to catch up with increased costs. Due to inflation, cost of living has risen by 7%, and a pay increase would “keep the lights on and the rent paid” for county employees, Somera said.
“Our members, at the end of the day, they’re looking for a for the county to value them,” Somera said. “We had a fight for them to be essential workers. Now we’re fighting for (the county) to value them. They just want to be able to keep up with the cost of inflation.”
A spokesperson for Sacramento County’s Department of Child, Family, and Adult Services said the department is “aware that staff shared concerns” regarding working conditions. They did not comment on upcoming negotiations between the employee union and the county.
“The safety and well-being of both staff and clients remain a top priority for both the department and the county in general,” the statement read. “DCFAS is committed to listening to concerns from employees. In response to these concerns, the department has provided additional training focused on safety. In addition, leadership holds regular check-ins with staff to foster open communication, educate staff and address issues as they arise.”
Allegations of abuse
Other employers alleged incidents of physical assault on the job within the Department of Child, Family and Adult Services. Employee Priscilla Navarra said they’ve noticed an uptick in violence against workers.
“These events happened while they were just doing their jobs. We put ourselves on the line every single day while protecting the most vulnerable population, which is the children,” Navarra said. “We don’t have the luxury of having a weapon on our hips to protect us while we do it. At the absolute very least, we should be compensated for what we do, day in and day out.”
The Board of Supervisors reviewed negotiations between the county and its employee union during closed session in the afternoon. Chair Phil Serna said negotiations are not an item for open session, and the board is not legally authorized to discuss it publicly.
“Having said that, we do hear you, and it is of value,” Serna said. “I think, all of us, take into account your side of an issue as well as others.”
Kiki Bran, an employee of the Department of Human Assistance, urged the board to approve a right and fair contract. Bran said she took her job to help the community. During public comment, she told the board that this community is the “same constituents that voted (the board) in those seats and are the same ones that can vote (them out).”
“I hope you go back and tell your negotiator to go back to our negotiation table and bargain with dignity,” Bran said.
