008 WELFARE NON-SUPERVISORY MEMBERS AUTHORIZE A STRIKE

On May 29, 2025, members of the 008 Bargaining Unit voted to authorize a strike. This gives your negotiations team the ability to call for a strike, if necessary. Our main objective, as it has always been since we commenced these negotiations, is to obtain a fair and livable contract for our membership.

Your negotiations team fully understands that a strike is not a goal for these negotiations.

However, after months of struggle at the bargaining table, your UPE bargaining teams now believe a job action (work stoppage) may be necessary soon to convince the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors to give new instructions to their negotiators so we can get a FAIR AND LIVABLE contract.

In an effort to avoid the need for job actions, your UPE 008 Bargaining Team will participate in required impasse mediation with a neutral state mediator on June 3rd and 9th.

Please read and think about the following information and suggestions:

• Be prepared—our initial job action may come with little advance warning.

• If you see a picket line at your worksite, join it! Don't go in to your workstation or worksite!

• If you work in the field or from home, please keep in touch with your coworkers by phone or text so you will know when and where to assemble with them for the job action. Pass on the word when you get it!

• If you get the word to walk out, please do so immediately. If you are dealing with a customer or client, please excuse yourself, lock your computer if applicable, grab your purse or other necessities and walk out. You will be told where to assemble.

• Pass the word to any coworker you may see in passing on your way out.

• Don't stop to argue or debate with a coworker, supervisor, or manager who tries to delay or persuade you not to participate. Just smile and keep walking.

• No, YOU WILL NOT BE PAID for the time you are participating in a work stoppage. In past work stoppages, county management has typically insisted on putting it down on your timesheets as "absent without leave," BUT THE COUNTY CANNOT LEGALLY FIRE YOU OR DISCIPLINE YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN A WORK STOPPAGE. THAT GOES FOR PROBATIONARY WORKERS TOO. Please note that your bargaining team will be taking the same temporary financial hit because we believe it is a necessary investment in our future.

• No, the county won't let you cover your absence with your accrued vacation, sick leave, CTO, or HIL time.

• How long will the job action 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. 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.