2026 Contract Campaign
We’re getting ready for one of the most important moments we face as state workers: negotiating our next contract in 2026. What we fight for and win will impact our pay, benefits, working conditions, telework, safety, and more.
This is our contract. Our voices matter. And we need every member standing together from the very beginning.
Master Table Updates
June 11, 2026
The fight for our next contract continues. As Master Table bargaining moves forward, our message to the State remains clear: state workers deserve Fair Pay, Affordable Healthcare, Secure Retirement, and Telework that Works.
The State continues to claim budget constraints, but the facts tell a different story. State revenues are now billions of dollars higher than expected, and California can, and should, invest in the workforce that keeps our state running. That’s why we are continuing to fight for fair pay, including our proposal for a 20% General Salary Increase (GSI) over the next three years: 7% in 2026, 7% in 2027 and 6% in 2028.
Since our last update, our bargaining team continued advancing proposals focused on improving working conditions and building a stronger contract for the nearly 100,000 state workers represented by SEIU Local 1000.
📹 Hear Updates Directly from Our Chief Negotiator
Protecting Workers
Last Thursday, our bargaining team advanced proposals aimed at protecting workers as state government changes and creating more opportunities for state workers to grow in their careers. One proposal focuses on protecting workers from the misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) and new technology. As the State increasingly uses automation and AI, our union is fighting to ensure new technology is used to support workers, not replace them. Workers deserve training, transparency, privacy protections and a real voice in how new technology is introduced in the workplace. The State provided a counter proposal on Tuesday and our bargaining team is preparing a response.
While our bargaining team continues fighting for Telework that Works and policies that modernize state government, the State is still maintaining its position on implementing a July 1 return-to-office mandate. The State also provided a counterproposal that would eliminate the telework stipend, shifting even more costs onto workers. Our bargaining team is pushing back because telework decisions should be based on operational need, taxpayer value and effective public service — not politics.
Additional proposals focused on recognizing and respecting call center workers, creating new wellness programs and addressing other day-to-day issues that impact state workers across California. The State provided a counterproposal on wellness programs and our bargaining team is reviewing it as we continue pushing for stronger support for workers’ health and well-being.
Fighting Against Mandatory Overtime
For over a decade, we’ve told the State many times that Mandatory Overtime is dangerous. That’s why existing laws limit the use of Mandatory Overtime for many private-sector healthcare workers, yet state healthcare workers are still being forced to fight for the same basic protections. This week, our bargaining team advanced proposals to reduce, and ultimately eliminate, Mandatory Overtime in state-run healthcare facilities.
While Mandatory Overtime directly impacts Units 17 and 20, this fight matters to all of us. Mandatory Overtime is not a long-term staffing solution. It strains workers, impacts patient care and fails to address the vacancies and staffing problems at the root of the issue.
When one group of state workers is forced to carry the burden of unsafe staffing, all of us have a responsibility to stand with them.
Read Past Updates Below:
Master Table Update: June 4, 2026
June 4, 2026 The fight for our next contract is underway. What happens at Master Table bargaining...
Are you ready to step up and get involved? Check out our Contract Action Center webpage for the latest news on all our upcoming actions. The Contract Action Center compiles key resources to stay informed and engaged from bargaining updates to upcoming CAT meetings to information on our last contract and more!
The Bargaining Survey Results Are In!
A record number of members across our union weighed in on what we should fight for in our next contract. Your participation makes one thing clear: we’re ready to fight for what we deserve!
Based on your feedback, we’ve identified the top priorities for our 2026 Contract Campaign.
Here are the key issues that we’ll be fighting for:
✓ Fair Pay
Wages that reflect the vital work we do and ensure every state employee can support their family as the cost of living rises.
✓ Secure Retirement
Safeguard reliable benefits that allow every state employee to retire with dignity.
✓ Affordable Healthcare
Accessible, quality healthcare that state employees and their families depend on.
✓ Telework That Works
Transparent telework policies that support both telework and on-site staff who don’t have the option to work remotely.
Bargaining Unit 1
Unit 1 encompasses a diverse range of professional roles, including accounting officers, auditors, and departmental analysts led by Bargaining Unit Chair, Susan Rodriguez.
Bargaining Unit 3
Bargaining Unit 3 includes professional educators and librarians, such as teachers, librarians, and education consultants led by Bargaining Unit Chair, Bob Holtz.
Bargaining Unit 4
Unit 4 comprises office and allied workers, including office assistants, secretaries, and data entry staff led by Bargaining Unit Chair, Karen Jefferies.
Bargaining Unit 11
Unit 11 comprises of engineering and scientific technicians led by Bargaining Unit Chair, Albert Manfredini.
Bargaining Unit 14
Unit 14 includes employees at the Office of State Publishing as well as printers and graphic artists throughout the state led by Bargaining Unit Chair, Robert Vega.
Bargaining Unit 15
Unit 15 includes civil service custodians, laundry workers, supervising cooks, and food services workers led by Bargaining Unit Chair, Eric Murray.
Bargaining Unit 17
Unit 17 comprises of registered nurses led by Bargaining Unit Chair, Vanessa Seastrong.
Bargaining Unit 20
Unit 20 comprises of medical and social services specialists led by Bargaining Unit Chair, Heather Markovich.
Bargaining Unit 21
Unit 21 comprises of educational consultants and librarians led by Bargaining Unit Chair, Bobby Roy.
Contract Action Team (CAT)
Our power at the bargaining table starts in our worksites. It’s going to take thousands of SEIU Local 1000 members taking collective action to win the raises and workplace improvements that we deserve. We can only make that happen with leaders at every worksite across CA!
By signing up for the Contract Action Team (CAT), you’re committing to attend monthly CAT meetings and help lead at your worksite throughout the contract campaign.
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