008 Strike Frequently Asked Questions
- UPE
- Jun 18, 2025
- 2 min read
When are we going to strike?
- We will not be providing the exact date until the last possible moment. UPE is legally required to provide the County with notice of our intent to strike. UPE provided the County with a 10-day strike notice on June 10, 2025. This means a strike could occur any day after June 19, 2025.
How much notice will we get before the strike?
- Be prepared – our initial strike may come with little advance warning. If you see a picket line at your worksite, join it! Do not go inside to your desk.
If I telework and/or work in the field, what should I do?
- Do not work! If you are alerted to a strike, plan to participate at your assigned worksite unless instructed otherwise.
Will we get paid?
- No, you will not get paid. You are deliberately withholding your labor to demonstrate how important 008 members are to the County.
Can I use leave balances or call in sick?
- No, you cannot use vacation, sick leave, COT, or HIL. In the past, the County has designated time spent on a strike as “absence without leave.”
Can I get in trouble?
- The County cannot legally discipline or fire you for participating in a work stoppage. This includes probationary workers.
How can I prepare?
- Keep a red shirt with you. Start budgeting now for the possibility of going without pay. Work OT if it's offered. Make minimum payments on your bills. Start saving.
How long will a strike last?
- That’s hard to say in advance. The union will make every effort to keep you informed through your picket captains as the situation develops. If your UPE 008 Bargaining Team asks workers to strike, we need everyone to strike until the Bargaining Team calls them back to work.
I am scared.
- There's no need to be frightened by this situation. We're simply doing what millions of workers before us had to do. We benefit today from their efforts, and present- and future-day workers will benefit from ours.