The unions in the dead city of San Fran are saying if they do not get their way, they will go on strike at the end of June and close the city. That may be a good thing. The city is facing a massive deficit. Instead of pay raises, they need pay cuts and fewer workers.
- “Polovina and city employees argue that San Francisco relies too heavily on contractors for essential city services and should instead prioritize staffing city departments with full-time employees.
- If the city was staffed appropriately, “we would not need to contract out as much as we do,” Polovina said.
Context: San Francisco had a nearly 14% vacancy rate for permanent city jobs from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023, according to a civil grand jury report.
- Currently, about 3,200 full-time positions in the city are vacant, according to Jack Hebb, a spokesperson for the Department of Human Resources.”
It may be a good thing if they strike. The city can not afford the extortion demands.
San Francisco workers consider strike
- Megan Rose Dickey, Axios San Francisco, 3/26/24 https://www.axios.com/local/san-francisco/2024/03/27/sf-city-worker-labor-negotiations-strike
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City workers, who arein labor negotiations with the city, saythey are not ruling out a strike.
Why it matters: Members of a coalition of unions that represents more than 25,000 San Francisco city workers say a strike may be necessary to ensure city departments are properly staffed and workers are supported.
- These workers are responsible for a variety of city operations, including health care, 911 dispatch and social work.
What they’re saying: “Any potential strike really is a last resort to protect public services,” Bianca Polovina, president of International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) Local 21, told Axios.
- Polovina and city employees argue that San Francisco relies too heavily on contractors for essential city services and should instead prioritize staffing city departments with full-time employees.
- If the city was staffed appropriately, “we would not need to contract out as much as we do,” Polovina said.
Context: San Francisco had a nearly 14% vacancy rate for permanent city jobs from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023, according to a civil grand jury report.
- Currently, about 3,200 full-time positions in the city are vacant, according to Jack Hebb, a spokesperson for the Department of Human Resources.
- That number has resulted in workers “pretty much doing two to three different jobs,” Alejandra Calderon, who’s worked for the city’s Human Services Agency for almost 13 years, told Axios.
- “It’s just not sustainable,” said Calderon, who’s part of Service Employees International Union 1021. “We are all really, completely burned out.”
Of note: Polovina said the city has already rejected IFPTE’s staffing proposal, which sought a commitment from San Francisco to invest in full-time, permanent jobs in city departments.
- The proposal, reviewed by Axios, sought several agreements from the city — including filling all budgeted vacancies to a targeted vacancy rate of 5% in the public health, public works and homelessness departments, as well as 911 dispatch by Jan. 1, 2025.
The other side: Hebb would not confirm or deny whether the city rejected IFPTE’s staffing proposal, telling Axios via email that the city doesn’t comment on ongoing negotiations.
Between the lines: San Francisco is facing a looming budget deficit over the next few years, and Mayor London Breed in December ordered mid-year budget cuts totaling $75 million and instructed departments to plan for 10% cuts in each of the next two years, the San Francisco Examiner reports.
What to watch: Many unions began negotiations with the city in January ahead of their current contracts expiring on June 30.
