6 days ago
Novato city workers go on strike, say better wages will help retain workforce
Municipal workers in Novato didn't show up for work Tuesday morning after contract negotiations with the city stalled.
The striking union members said they have the support of the public in this fight, and they point to information on the city's own website that says it has the money to pay them more.
The SEIU contract expired on June 30, and now, they're taking their case directly to the public, a public that recently taxed itself to support the very tasks that the union workers perform every day.
"That kind of support is what we've been looking for for a long time," said worker Paul Perryman.
It's not every day that residents applaud city workers for not being on the job. But in Novato, signs hang in the windows of many downtown businesses expressing support for the workers. In fact, voters approved Measure M in November to raise the sales tax to support everyday services. The campaign promised the annual $10 million would be spent on "potholes, parks and police."
"When they use the campaign as 'potholes, parks and police,' you know, the potholes don't get filled without our maintenance staff. The parks and medians and streets aren't cleaned without our maintenance staff," said Brett Walker, a city senior planner and member of SEIU's negotiating team.
Union workers in those units were on strike Tuesday, demanding higher wages that they say will help the city retain its workforce. The union said one out of five employees has been on the job for less than a year.
"I've had a few co-workers that have actually left to other jurisdictions, when they live here in the city! They've gone to neighboring jurisdictions because they pay higher," said city planner David Ayala, who has been on the job for about two and a half years. "I see the kind of rotating door all the time. And it's just, Novato, unfortunately, has kind of gained that reputation."
On Novato's website, it describes Measure M, saying, "The City will begin receiving funds in July 2025 to directly support community identified priorities such as public safety and emergency response, roadway repairs, and parks and facilities maintenance."
And in a statement, they said the sales tax money was being used for that purpose, offering 11% raises over three years for all SEIU employees. But Perryman, who works on street maintenance and is one of those guys filling potholes, said more needs to be spent to bolster the exhausted workforce.
"We're burnt. We're doing the best we can," he said. "The biggest problem is our staffing is less than it was in 2006. The streets crew specifically was over 14. The street crew right now is seven. And four of us are the ones doing the potholes."
No city is flush with cash these days, but the union said the voters were clear about how they wanted the Measure M money spent. And, they said, in this case it was to support the workers.
"This is the strongest we've had support from the community in a long time in Novato that I know of. That I can remember," Perryman said. "That feels good, really good. And it helps. Because I still enjoy my job. I like to drive over that pothole that I fixed. There's a satisfaction to that, you know, 'They can't complain about that one anymore!'"
The city said it was only notified about the strike on the previous evening, and it had not been told when the workers will be back. The union said they don't know how long it will last, and that decision will be made on a day-by-day basis.
