San Jose City Workers Ratify Historic Contracts, Now Approved by San Jose City Council

Thousands of San Jose city workers who have been working without a contract since June 30, 2023, finally have a new contract that was approved by San Jose City Council 

SAN JOSE, Calif., Sept. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the two unions representing roughly 4,500 San Jose city employees, IFPTE Local 21 and MEF-AFSCME Local 101, are pleased that the San Jose City Council has voted to approve the unions' historic contracts by a 9-1 vote, with a majority voting in favor. This event comes after half a year of contract negotiations and an averted city-wide strike. 

"The proposed amendments from council members Jimenez, Foley, and Cohen prove that current service levels to residents will not be impacted in order to fund investments in the recruitment and retention of staff," said Shelsy Bass, Senior Development Officer in the Housing Department and IFPTE Local 21 Member. 

The San Jose city council voted to improve services by giving us the tools city workers need to recruit for hundreds of positions and retain committed staff. These wage increases mean that we can start to fill: 

• Over 110 vacant positions in Parks, Recreation & Neighborhood Services
• Over 100 vacant positions in Public Works
• Over 160 vacant positions in the police department
• And almost 500 other vacancies across the City of San Jose.

Contrary to any political grandstanding, this contract will be transformative for city services.  

BACKGROUND:
On Tuesday, August 15, 2023, the San Jose City Council voted in closed session to approve historic investments in staffing. Mayor Matt Mahan had openly shared that he would not support the Tentative Agreements.

Union members finished in-person voting on August 24, to determine whether or not to ratify the historic Tentative Agreements (TA) reached with the City Administration. Votes were counted, with a resounding 91% in IFPTE Local 21 and MEF-AFSCME Local 101 voted 'Yes' to ratify our Tentative Agreements.

SOURCE IFPTE 21