Governor Newsom’s Return-to-Office Mandate

This filing is a direct challenge to an unlawful mandate that violates our members’ collective bargaining rights under the Dills Act and disregards our contract. The Governor imposed this order unilaterally, without negotiation, without consideration for its impact on state workers, and without following the law.

We’re demanding that PERB rescind this illegal order immediately and return decision-making on telework and return-to-office policies back to individual departments, where it belongs. Agencies should be making operational decisions based on business needs – not political mandates.

But this fight doesn’t stop with legal action. On March 12, we’re taking to the streets. Workers from across the state will be joining us for protests in Sacramento, Los Angeles, Fresno, and San Francisco to stand against this reckless policy.

We’re not alone – other unions are standing with us because this affects all state workers. We fought hard for telework options, and we won’t let them be taken away without a fight.

We invite all state workers to join us on March 12. Stand with us. Together, we’re making it clear: our rights aren’t optional, and we won’t back down.

We know that many of our represented workers – nurses, custodians, prison educators, and others – never had the option to work from home. Their dedication has been unwavering. But that doesn’t mean we should ignore the realities of modern work for those whose jobs can be done effectively in a hybrid setting. One-size-fits-all mandates don’t work.

Forcing workers back into the office hits them financially. Many will face higher costs for gas, parking, and commuting – expenses that telework helped avoid. At a time when inflation, housing costs, and gas prices are squeezing working families, this mandate only makes things harder.

California is the tech capital of the world, yet our own state government is clinging to outdated policies instead of embracing the modern workplace. Major industries have recognized that hybrid work attracts talent, improves efficiency, and saves money – so why is our state government moving backward? If California wants to lead, it needs to practice what it preaches.

We’ve also seen no data proving RTO has saved the state money. This is just another unsubstantiated mandate that ignores economic realities and the needs of state workers.

This isn’t about better service to Californians – it’s about political posturing at workers’ expense. This mandate ignores the realities of modern work and punishes workers for no good reason. It’s a short-sighted decision that disregards the success of hybrid work and the financial strain it will put on state employees. Governor Newsom has called himself a champion of progress, but now he’s rolling back telework, ignoring the data, and making life harder for working people.

SEIU Local 1000 will not stand by while state workers are treated as pawns in political games. We are calling on the Governor to reverse this reckless decision and work with us to develop policies that respect workers, strengthen public services, and reflect the future of work. We will continue fighting for dignity, respect, and flexibility – and we won’t back down.

Anica Walls
President, SEIU Local 1000