More than 465 Orange County employees who maintain roads, run landfills and staff the regional parks and animal shelter say they will go on strike Tuesday, Oct. 13, if the county does not reach a deal on a new labor agreement, Teamsters Local 952 announced Thursday.
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The local represents employees across OC Public Works, OC Waste & Recycling and OC Community Resources, including heavy equipment operators, mechanics, waste workers, custodial staff and animal care workers.
“The county has shown that its priorities are not with the workers who keep Orange County running or the more than 3 million residents who depend on the services our members provide,” Eric Jimenez, secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 952 said in a statement. “We are giving the county every opportunity to come to the table and reach an agreement before Tuesday.”
The union’s previous three-year contract expired June 25. Bargaining team members said they approached the county in December to begin negotiations, but argue the county made no meaningful movement toward a deal until August.
On Aug. 20, members voted down the county’s one-year offer of a 3% raise with no retroactive pay, an offer workers said fell short of recognizing the value of their work. The union said it also filed an unfair labor practice complaint alleging the county has failed to bargain in good faith.
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“We respect the rights of our dedicated employees to engage in lawful strike activity under California law. Our priority remains ensuring the continuity of essential public services for our residents,” county spokesperson Molly Nicholson said Thursday. “We have contingency plans in place to minimize service disruptions.”
Details on the contingency plan were not immediately made available and the county did not provide additional information.
The union held a press conference before the OC Board of Supervisors’ last meeting in September to warn about the potential for a strike.
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