San Jose City Workers Ratify Historic Contracts

Thousands of San Jose city workers voted this week on whether or not to ratify, i.e. approve, the Tentative Agreements reached with the City of San Jose

SAN JOSE, Calif., Aug. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- This week, two unions representing roughly 4,500 San Jose city employees, IFPTE Local 21 and MEF-AFSCME Local 101, finished in-person voting to determine whether or not to ratify the historic Tentative Agreements (TA) reached with the City Administration last week. Votes were counted this morning, August 25, and a resounding 91% in IFPTE Local 21 and MEF-AFSCME Local 101 voted 'Yes' to ratify our Tentative Agreements.

"I voted 'Yes' to ratify our TA because I care deeply about my San Jose community. We know that the City has the resources to do better for residents and this agreement is the first of many important steps," said Julie Oborny, Senior Librarian, City of San Jose Libraries, and IFPTE Local 21 member.

"I am extremely proud of the Staff Up San Jose coalition campaign that we ran, along with our unprecedented organizing towards a credible strike threat. Together, we have won contracts that we can be proud of and build upon for the future. The work continues from here, and we feel more united than ever," said Nick Rovetto, Code Enforcement Inspector in the Planning, Building, and Code Enforcement Department, and MEF-AFSCME Local 101 Vice President.

Winning strong contracts with competitive wages and improved working conditions puts our membership and San Jose residents on a path to the fully staffed services we deserve. Before the new contracts take effect, the City Council has to vote to adopt them. Members from both unions will attend the city council meeting on Tuesday, September 12 to give public comment and to urge the council to vote to approve the TA without any cuts to city services.

BACKGROUND:
On Tuesday, August 15, the San Jose City Council voted in closed session to approve historic investments in staffing. Mayor Matt Mahan has openly shared that he cannot support the Tentative Agreements, citing claims that the city cannot afford it.

A recently published report by Working Partnerships USA shows that the city is more than capable of affording competitive wage increases for city employees. According to the special report, the City of San Jose has a long history of budget surpluses driven by general fund expenditure savings, and accurate accounting could create $13-$28 million in additional budget savings in the 2023-2024 adopted budget to be reinvested in making the city's wages more competitive.

SOURCE IFPTE 21