Hayward City Workers Strike for Justice

2013-08-16 "Hayward City Workers Strike for Justice"
from "California Labor Federation Spotlight" V.1, N.287:
This week, hundreds of workers employed by the city of Hayward launched a three-day strike, after the city management declared an impasse, refused to negotiate and ended contract talks. The workers, who were forced into a strike by the city’s bad-faith bargaining tactics at the table, are now urging elected city officials to come back to the table for productive negotiations.
“Since July 1, the City of Oakland has done a one-day strike, the BART workers did a four-day strike, and now Hayward workers are doing a three-day strike,” SEIU 1021’s Pete Castelli told striking workers at a Tuesday noontime rally. “There’s something going on here. Workers are standing up and saying we’re not going to watch you hide money in your budget, hire managers, and put in it other places, and then dictate to us, ‘more austerity, more concessions, more cutbacks’ while refusing to negotiate.”


2013-08-13 "SEIU 1021 Members Strike in Hayward"
by "SEIU 1021" [seiu1021.org/2013/08/13/hayward-strikes/]:

City of Hayward workers began a three-day Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike on Tuesday after the City subjected them to seven months of delays, surface bargaining and intimidation. In response, workers have filed almost a dozen ULPs against the City and voted in June to authorize a strike. The city declared impasse on July 26, refusing to negotiate and ending contract talks.
“Since July 1, the City of Oakland has done a one-day strike, the BART workers did a four-day strike, and now Hayward workers are doing a three-day strike,” SEIU 1021 Lead Director Pete Castelli told striking workers at a Tuesday noontime rally joined by BART workers from Local 1021 and ATU 1555. “There’s something going on here. Workers are standing up and saying we’re not going to watch you hide money in your budget, hire managers, and put in it other places, and then dictate to us, ‘more austerity, more concessions, more cutbacks’ while refusing to negotiate.”
SEIU 1021 represents more than 350 full-time and part-time Hayward workers who fix roads and sewers, trim trees, find homes for stray animals, read to children at libraries and safeguard our neighborhoods. They feel they were forced into a strike by the city’s bad-faith bargaining tactics at the table, and now they are urging the city’s elected officials to return to the table for productive negotiations. SEIU 1021 members will continue to provide essential services like 911 dispatch, animal control and services at the wastewater treatment plant.
Workers’ incomes have been stripped away since 2010. First, it was furlough days. Then it was a 12 percent cut in take-home pay. Now the city is demanding five percent more — a total of 17 percent. City of Hayward workers gave up over $4 million in the last contract and over $7 million over the last four years. Since 2010, the City has eliminated over 43 positions Citywide, saving approximately $5.8 million over that period.
“We have drawn the line. This is the line,” Senior Utility Leader Daryl Lockhart told the Tuesday crowd. “No more concessions, no more bullying. It’s time to stand up. It’s time to let them know we are part of this city just like anybody else. Our back is against the wall. We come out swinging.”