State workers rallied at the State Capitol yesterday as Governor Gavin Newsom’s return to office mandate took effect.
As of Wednesday July 1st, state workers are required to be in person four days a week, up from the current two.
It’s safe to say many state workers oppose the mandate. SEIU Local 1000 is California’s largest state worker union and many members protested the order in front of the Capitol.
Anica Walls is president of SEIU Local 1000. She says the workers and the state benefited from telework.
"We were able to help with carbon emissions, less traffic," said Walls. "There was better work life balance and we see that we were able to be more productive even, more efficient."
The union’s filed an unfair labor practice complaint with the Public Employment Relations Board, arguing the administration refuses to bargain on remote work options. The union’s telework proposals were again rejected during bargaining this week.
In a statement to CapRadio, CalHR acknowledged the complaint, but said it does not speak on ongoing negotiations and will continue to bargain in good faith.
Governor Gavin Newsom has said in-person work would improve productivity and help downtown businesses bounce back after the pandemic.