4,500 SJ city employees begin vote on whether to strike. Here's a look at service impacts, demands

AUTHORIZE A STRIKE. AMANDA DEL CASTILLO HE ADJOINS US WITH THE DETAILS ON THE WORKER'S DEMANDS AND THE IMPACTS TO THE CITY SERVICES. BUT -- THE CLOCK IS NOW TICKING. REPORTER: YES. HERE WE ARE OUTSIDE OF SAN JOSE CITY HALL. THIS IS ONE OF SEVERAL LOCATIONS ACROSS THE CITY WHERE WORKERS CAN COME AND VOTE ON THAT MAST STRAIGHT. UNION MEMBERS HAVE UNTIL FRIDAY TO DO SO. READY TO STRIKE FOR OUR SERVICES. BETWEEN TWO UNIONS, 4500 CITY OF SAN JOSE EMPLOYEES ARE MARKING DAY ONE OF A MONUMENTAL STRIKE VOTE. IF AUTHORIZED, THE LOOMING THREE-DAY STRIKE WOULD BE THE LARGEST SAN JOSE HAS SEEN IN 40 YEARS. >> WE ARE LOSING VALUABLE EMPLOYEES, EMPLOYEES THAT REALLY BRING YEARS IF NOT DECADES OF INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE, TO THE CITY. BECAUSE THEY CAN GO AND THEY CAN FIND BETTER WAGES, BETTER BENEFITS, A BETTER WORKLIFE BALANCE, AND A LOWER WORKLOAD. AMANDA: RAFFETTO HAS SPENT EIGHT YEARS WITH THE CITY, FIRST AS A COMMUNITY SERVICE OFFICER, NOW AN INSPECTOR BUT THE CITY'S PLANNING, BUILDING AND CODE ENFORCEMENT DIVISION. HE SAYS THE SUMMER, THE CITY STRUGGLED WITH MORE THAN 1000 VACANCIES ACROSS THE BOARD. >> THERE ARE ABOUT 800 APPROXIMATE VACANCIES IN THE CITY. AND THAT IS CITYWIDE THROUGHOUT VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS. AMANDA: PART OF THE PUSH FROM THOSE WORKING AT THE AIRPORT WITHIN THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, CITY LIBRARIES AND ELSEWHERE ARE LIVABLE WAGES. THE CITY IS OFFERING A 5% RAISE NEXT YEAR, THEN A 4% AND 3% RAISE IN THE YEARS FOLLOWING. RAFFETTO AND OTHERS SAY THAT IS NOT ENOUGH TO SURVIVE IN SAN JOSE. >> I KNOW SAN JOSE EMPLOYEES THAT ARE HOMELESS, I KNOW CITY OF SAN JOSE EMPLOYEES LIVING IN THEIR CARS, I KNOW OTHERS THAT CHOOSE TO COMMUTE TO SAN JOSE, LIVE IN THEIR CAR OVERNIGHT FOR A COUPLE DAYS, BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO COMMUTE BACK AND FORTH. AMANDA: SPOKE WITH THE MAYOR AHEAD OF THE STRIKE VOTE. HE SAYS CITY COUNCIL IS EXPECTED TO HAVE A CLOSED SESSION TODAY TO DISCUSS ANY MOVEMENT POSSIBLE. >> I DO NOT WANT THE CITY TO BE IN A POSITION WHERE WE OVEREXTEND OURSELVES AND HAVE TO DO LAYOFFS AND CUT SERVICES LATER. IT IS NOT FAIR TO WORKERS, RESIDENTS. AMANDA: SAYS IT SAN JOSE RESIDENTS WOULD BE SURE TO FEEL THE IMPACT IF 4500 CITY WORKERS DECIDED TO STRIKE. VOTING STARTED EARLIER THIS MORNING AND WILL LAST THROUGH FRIDAY. UNION REPRESENTATIVES SAY THEY WILL ANNOUNCE THE RESULTS MONDAY MORNING RIGHT HERE AT SAN JOSE CITY

Channel: ABC7 News Bay Area

Views: 1,731

Keywords: news, abc, abc7news, san jose strike, sj union strike vote, mayor matt mahan, MEF-AFSCME Local 101, IFPTE Local 21, san jose airport, san jose libraries, san jose housing, San José Mineta International Airport

Id: qcHhIjfDSMI

Length: 2min 40sec (160 seconds)

Published: Tue Aug 01 2023