California Budget: May Revision

California is facing a budget problem. The state is short on money and instead of finding other solutions, Governor Newsom’s new budget plan would cancel the 3% raise state workers were supposed to get in July even though it’s in our contract.

Every year, the Legislature has to approve funding for our contract. This year, the Governor is asking them not to fund our raise. That means if the Legislature goes along with his plan, state workers won’t see their 3% general salary increase (GSI) in their July paycheck.

The Governor is breaking our agreement— and SEIU Local 1000 is fighting back. We’re meeting with lawmakers, testifying at the Capitol, and making sure the people in charge hear from state workers. We’re also working with legal experts to protect what we won in our contract.

Click to read SEIU Local 1000 President Anica Wall's full statement

“The May Revise makes it clear that the state plans to include employee compensation in its budget solution – seeking savings from the very people who keep California running. With the threat of federal budget cuts on the horizon, California’s fiscal outlook could grow even more uncertain, but instead of investing in stability, the state is once again asking public workers to do more with less.

We’ve seen this before: frontline public workers step up during every crisis and are asked to pay the price after. The administration may be seeking savings, but our position is clear: we are not here to help the state cut our pay. We’ll fight to protect jobs, pay, and the services our communities rely on.”

Get involved and stay informed!

Learn how you can help fight Governor Newsom’s new budget plan by taking the actions below. Use your voice to tell legislators we won’t stand for cuts to our pay raises! Soothe any concerns by reviewing our FAQ! Help spread the word with our flyers, zoom backgrounds and picket signs!

Your Voice Matters!

The Governor can’t make these cuts alone – the Legislature must approve them. Now is the time to push back and show lawmakers that state workers are watching and ready to fight!

SEIU Local 1000 members across the state are contacting our elected officials to let them know we’re taking a stand. When hundreds of state workers speak up together, it shows we’re paying attention – and we’re ready to fight for what we’ve earned.

This is our moment to push back. If we put enough pressure on the Legislature, they may help stop these cuts before they happen. Your voice is your power—and this is the time to use it. Let’s flood their voicemails and inboxes!

Reach Out to Your Local Representatives

Call Your Local Legislators!

Fill out our quick and easy form to automatically make a call to your local legislator.

Email Your Local Legislators!

Click the form below to message your local legislators! It’s quick, easy and you can make it personal.

Get in Touch with Budget Committee Members 

Contact Information – Reach Out to Members of Our State’s Budget Committees!

As members of various budget committees discussing the Governor’s new budget plan, the following individuals play an important role in challenging the cancellation of our pay raises. Let them know loud and clear that we’re fighting back!

Name Phone Number Email
Dawn Addis, Assembly Member District 30 (916) 319-2030 Dawn Addis
Patrick Ahrens, Assembly Member District 26 (916) 319-2026 Patrick Ahrens
Juan Alanis, Assembly Member District 22 (916) 319-2022 Juan Alanis
David Alvarez, Assembly Member District 80 (916) 319-2080 David Alvarez
Steve Bennett, Assembly Member District 38 (916) 319-2038 Steve Bennett
Mia Bonta, Assembly Member District 18 (916) 319-2018 Mia Bonta
Damon Connolly, Assembly Member District 12 (916) 319-2012 Damon Connolly
Heath Flora, Assembly Member District 9 (916) 319-2009 Heath Flora
Jesse Gabriel, Assembly Member District 46 (916) 319-2046 Jesse Gabriel
Heather Hadwick, Assembly Member District 1 (916) 319-2001 Heather Hadwick
Gregg Hart, Assembly Member District 37 (916) 319-2037 Gregg Hart
Corey Jackson, Assembly Member District 60 (916) 319-2060 Corey Jackson
Tom Lackey, Assembly Member District 34 (916) 319-2034 Tom Lackey
Alex Lee, Assembly Member District 24 (916) 319-2024 Alex Lee
Josh Lowenthal, Assembly Member District 69 (916) 319-2069 Josh Lowenthal
Al Muratsuchi, Assembly Member District 66 (916) 319-2066 Al Muratsuchi
Darshana Patel, Assembly Member District 76 (916) 319-2076 Darshana Patel
Joe Patterson, Assembly Member District 5 (916) 319-2005 Joe Patterson
Cottie Petrie-Norris, Assembly Member District 73 (916) 319-2073 Cottie Petrie-Norris
James Ramos, Assembly Member District 45 (916) 319-2045 James Ramos
Chris Rogers, Assembly Member District 2 (916) 319-2002 Chris Rogers
Pilar Schiavo, Assembly Member District 40 (916) 319-2040 Pilar Schiavo
Nick Schultz, Assembly Member District 44 (916) 319-2044 Nick Schultz
LaShae Sharp-Collins, Assembly Member District 79 (916) 319-2079 LaShae Sharp-Collins
David Tangipa, Assembly Member District 8 (916) 319-2008 David Tangipa
Lori Wilson, Assembly Member District 11 (916) 319-2011 Lori Wilson
Benjamin Allen, Senator District 24 (916) 651-4024 Benjamin Allen
Catherine Blakespear, Senator District 38 (916) 651-4038 Catherine Blakespear
Steven Choi, Senator District 37 (916) 651-4037 Steven Choi
Shannon Grove, Senator District 12 (916) 651-4012 Shannon Grove
Caroline Menjivar, Senator District 20 (916) 651-4020 Caroline Menjivar
Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh, Senator District 19 (916) 651-4019 Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh
Sasha Renée Pérez, Senator District 25 (916) 651-4025 Sasha Renée Pérez
Akilah Weber Pierson, Senator District 39 (916) 651-4039 Akilah Weber Pierson
Scott Wiener, Senator District 11 (916) 651-4011 Scott Wiener
Phone Call Script – Make Your Voice Heard!

Call the offices of our elected officials to tell them why you and all state workers across California deserve their negotiated pay raises instead of watching the state waste taxpayer dollars on the unnecessary RTO mandate. Use the script below as a guide.

“Hello, my name is [Your Name], and I’m a state worker and a proud member of SEIU Local 1000.

I’m calling today to express my strong opposition to the proposed $767 million in payroll cuts to state workers in the May Revision of the state budget. Denying us our general salary increase while also urging us back to the office as the cost of living continues to rise is unacceptable.

We have stepped up through every crisis from wildfires and a pandemic to budget cuts and staffing shortages. We show up, we do the work, and we deliver for the people of California. Don’t be complicit in Governor Newsom’s attempt to balance the budget on the backs of the state workers who keep California running.

At the same time, I’m concerned about hundreds of millions of dollars being wasted on the unnecessary Return-to-Office mandate—a policy that wastes public funds while we are denied what we’ve earned.

Thank you for your time.”

Email Template – Leave a Comment!

Use the message below to tell the members of the budget committees why you oppose the current budget proposal. Just copy the template and paste it into an email message.

Dear [Name of Elected Official],

My name is [Your Name], and I’m a proud California state worker and SEIU Local 1000 member. I’m writing to urge you to oppose the latest budget proposal that slashes state worker wages. Every day, we show up and keep California running.

Here’s just one example of the work I do:
[Insert a short personal story here—highlighting how your work serves Californians.]

We deserve just compensation—and if the state can afford hundreds of millions of dollars for an unnecessary Return-to-Office mandate, it can afford to invest in the workers who deliver real results. Don't be complicit in Governor Newsom's attempt to balance the budget on the backs of the state workers who keep California running.

Thank you for your time and leadership.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can they suspend the 3% GSI if it’s in our contract?

We have a three-year contract, but the Legislature has to approve funding for the contract every year. The State can try to undo our contractual salary increase by taking away the funding for it in the budget. In this year’s budget plan, the Governor is asking them not to fund the raise. That means if the Legislature goes along with his plan, we won’t see the 3% general salary increase (GSI) in our July paycheck. This is why making our voices heard with the state legislature is so important. We’re fighting this change in every way we can.

When will we know if our raise is included in the final budget?

The budget is currently in a subcommittee. Once it’s voted out of that subcommittee, it goes to the full Budget Committee. After the Budget Committee votes on the budget (including any revisions and amendments) it will go back to the full legislature. The Legislature must vote on the budget by June 15. The Governor signs the final budget by June 30. However, with the impending federal funding cuts, the Legislature will likely have to resume after summer recess to make additional modifications to the budget. We’ll be fighting for our 3% at every stage, along with fighting against the wasteful changes caused by the return-to-office (RTO) mandate.

What can we do if we want to strike on this or another issue?

The no-strike clause in our contract doesn’t mean we can never strike. It just means there are specific legal conditions we have to meet in order to strike without risking legal challenges.

Virtually all unions today have a no-strike clause in their contract. And it hasn’t stopped them from striking when it truly matters.

In our case, under California’s Dills Act, contract provisions (including the no-strike clause) continue even after the contract expires. This is sometimes called an “evergreen” provision. That means the contract provisions including the no-strike clause do not automatically expire with the contract.  They remain in effect until the parties reach impasse in bargaining when other legal standards must be met.

So until impasse is declared, the no-strike clause continues to legally bind us, just as if the contract were still in place. However, as we have seen in the UC system, there are still situations where striking may be legal — even before impasse. If the state commits what’s called an unfair labor practice (ULP) — such as refusing to bargain or committing other unlawful acts — labor law experts say we can legally strike as long as the strike is in response to the unfair labor practice and is not to gain leverage for better economic terms in bargaining.  Ultimately, the validity of the Union’s strike would likely be challenged by the State and adjudicated by the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB).

We’ve seen a number of legal strikes recently in the public sector. When LA teachers went on strike in 2019, it was after their contract expired and after bargaining reached impasse. When workers at the University of California struck over unfair practices, those were legal ULP strikes.

 The bottom line: A no-strike clause doesn’t take away our right to strike. It just defines when we can legally do it. So don’t be misled — a no-strike clause doesn’t mean we’re powerless. We can still fight back and strike when it counts.

Why isn’t SEIU Local 1000 fighting return-to-office (RTO)?

SEIU Local 1000 Leadership is committed to fighting for Telework. Our union is actively working in coalition with other state employee unions to continue to put pressure at the department level and with the state legislature while pursuing all legal options. We believe that RTO wastes taxpayers dollars at a time when the state is hurting economically. 

Spread The Word!

Download and print our flyer to distribute to your coworkers! We’re stronger when we’re informed!
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Print our downloadable picket signs to display at your desk or use at the next rally: