Big California state worker strike set to begin today

Perhaps today is not the best day to go to the DMV.

California state workers are planning a one-day strike today in multiple cities including Sacramento, San Francisco and Los Angeles. They’re protesting what they say are unfair labor practices by Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration. The work stoppage could affect services at the DMV, unemployment offices and other departments. 

SEIU Local 1000 represents about 100,000 workers employed in dozens of agencies across the state. They’re accountants, government analysts, nurses, IT workers, custodians and more.

The union has been negotiating a new labor agreement since its contract expired on June 30, and is demanding better pay, more affordable healthcare coverage and more flexibility to work from home. 

CalHR, the state agency that handles state labor negotiations, said it “remains focused on achieving a fair and responsible agreement and continues to be available at the bargaining table.”

With as many as 95,000 union members eligible to strike, you may experience some delays in government services. DMV offices might close early, according to a department spokesperson. State parks could be affected, too, though rangers are not represented by Local 1000. Hearst Castle in San Luis Obispo County, for example, adjusted its tour schedule to accommodate people who already have reservations.

This may not be ideal from a customer service standpoint, but union president Anica Walls urges Californians “to give our employees some grace.”

The union is taking a risk with the strike, noted former state Senate President pro Tem Don Perata. He supports labor and wants the union to get a good deal. 

• Perata: “Somebody ought to pay attention to them. The strike costs those people a lot more than anyone else.”

Read more.

More on the labor fight: Local 1000 was once in Newsom’s corner, kicking in $1 million to help him fight a recall campaign. CalMatters’ Adam Ashton has more on what led to today’s strike, including the wage cuts that Newsom demanded to get out of a budget jam. 

---

Join CalMatters, AAJA Sac, ABC 10 and The Sacramento Observer for a free VotingMatters event today in Sacramento. The event enables attendees to learn and discuss the upcoming election and focuses on the ballot propositions and insurance commissioner race. Register here to attend in person.

Other Stories You Should Know

---

Taxing the rich, but not just billionaires

The billionaire tax may be drawing the most attention on the ballot, but another tax-the-rich proposal will face voters in November too, reports CalMatters’ Carolyn Jones.

Proposition 3 would permanently extend an income tax on the wealthy to fund schools, healthcare and other state services. Voters first approved the tax in 2012, when it was first touted as a temporary measure, and then renewed it again in 2016. Now, supporters are asking voters to make it permanent before it expires in 2031.

The tax generates between $5 billion and $15 billion a year. In flush years, it makes up about 15% of the state’s overall K-12 education budget. If it doesn’t pass, school districts will be forced to lay off up to 50,000 teachers, according to the California Teachers Association.

But at 13.3%, California already has the highest personal income tax rate of any state. The Howard Jarvis Taxpayer Association, an anti-tax advocacy group, questioned whether schools need more money given their declining enrollment.

• Susan Shelley, the association’s vice president: “We have fewer and fewer students. Does this mean we need fewer teachers? Maybe it does.”

Read more.

Where lives depend on levees

A state audit has found that California water officials aren’t doing enough to make sure levees in the Central Valley are adequately maintained to protect against flooding. But water managers argue that stepping in to oversee more than a thousand miles of levees and flood control structures isn’t so simple, writes CalMatters’ Rachel Becker. 

The audit warns that nearly a third of agencies maintaining flood control levees on the tributaries of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers have been carrying out “unacceptable routine maintenance.” It also said the state’s Department of Water Resources has not taken over levee maintenance when local agencies fail to do so, despite it being required under state law.

But state water managers said it would take at least $165 million more per year than they or local agencies currently spend to fully address the issue. The department also told the auditor that levee risk depends on the threat, the levee’s performance, and what it protects — not just its maintenance.

Read more.

And lastly: Tell us your car crash story

This week, we brought you the latest installment in License to Kill, a series investigating the staggering rise of deaths on California’s roads. 

Our reporters are now hard at work on their next story, and they could use your help. 

If you have a story about someone being killed or badly hurt by a driver who wasn’t prosecuted, we want to hear from you. 

---

California Voices

CalMatters columnist Dan Walters: The federal government’s crackdown on voting by noncitizens aims to bolster President Donald Trump’s unproven claims of widespread voter fraud rather than combating serious crime.

The state’s mandate forcing a California school district to leave a Nevada high school athletic program because of Nevada’s exclusion of transgender athletes is loaded with logistical challenges, writes Xavier Jimenez, who helps manage a ski shop and lives in Truckee.

Other things worth your time:

Some stories may require a subscription to read.

---

CA fights Trump lawsuit to set aside 20,000 ballots // CalMatters (free)

68-year-old Sacramento man among Californians charged with voter fraud by feds // The Sacramento Bee (gift link)

US officials privately advise states fearing Trump election meddling // The Washington Post (gift link)

The CA workers who care for us can’t afford to get by // Capital & Main (free)

How many UC students fail introductory math classes? // EdSource (free)

CA Sen. Schiff raises alarm over SFO detention center // The San Francisco Standard (paywall)

Amid ICE surge, Fresno City Council to consider bringing back legal aid for immigrants // Fresnoland (free)

Use of FAIR Plan, CA’s last-resort fire insurance, rises sharply in Sacramento County // Abridged (free)

$125M settlement approved for Garden Grove chemical tank incident // LAist (free)