As we prepare for our own contract negotiations in San Jose, we’re fighting for the same things these statewide candidates spoke about; fair pay that keeps up with the cost of living, affordable healthcare for our families, and a city that values the workers who keep it running.

AFSCME members showed in San Diego what solidarity looks like: public service workers standing together, demanding a California that works for everyone, not just the wealthy and well-connected.

Our fight here in San Jose is part of that larger movement. The road ahead will take all of us, united, to make sure our next contract reflects the respect and fairness city workers deserve…. (read more)

Frontline animal shelter workers have spoken with a clear and united voice: San José’s Animal Care and Services Center needs new leadership.

In a staff survey conducted this summer, the overwhelming majority of shelter employees called for the City to bring in a director from outside its current ranks. Their message is simple — it’s time for a fresh start. Workers want a leader who can rebuild trust, restore accountability, and set a new direction for a shelter that has been plagued for years by dysfunction, poor conditions, and low morale.

The results of that survey were recently covered in the Mercury News, where workers’ voices were front and center. The article highlights what staff have been saying for years: the culture inside the shelter cannot change if the same people who presided over past failures remain in charge. You can read the full Mercury News article here.

The stakes are high. A city audit last year exposed…

MEF has taken the City of San Jose to arbitration over its unilateral change to the Flexible Workplace Program. This change forces employees with existing flexible workplace agreements to be in the office at least four days per week instead of three, without negotiating with the Union.

This is a major fight for our members. Instead of handling the case through the City Attorney’s Office as they normally would, the City has hired an outside “special law firm,” the Renee Public Law Group. This firm is known for taking on high-profile fights for cities when the stakes are high or when their legal position is questionable. MEF has submitted an information request to determine how much of the public’s money the City plans to spend on these outside lawyers to take this right away from employees rather than working with us to find a solution.

The City’s first move was to challenge the arbitrability of our grievance, claiming the case does not even belong in arbitration. We view this as an absurd argument and a delay tactic. Our position is that the grievance is clearly covered by the arbitration procedure in our contract, and now the City has the burden of proving otherwise. Unfortunately, the City has developed a pattern of raising procedural technicalities when it wants to avoid addressing the merits of a case.

Here is the current schedule: (more inside)