When Governor Newsom and the State Legislature called unions back to the table to help address the state’s budget shortfall, SEIU Local 1000 members sent a clear message: We will not let the state balance the budget on our backs!
Thanks to months of tough negotiations and member action, we reached a side letter agreement that protects our pay, defends telework, and lays the groundwork for future bargaining.
The agreement secures the 3% general salary increase (GSI) we negotiated in our 2023 contract. That raise takes effect on July 1, 2025, for all SEIU Local 1000-represented employees. We also locked in another 3% raise for July 2026—deferred to July 2027, giving our members added economic security for the future.
But this agreement isn’t just about wages—it’s about protecting the quality of life we’ve fought for. The Governor’s Return-to-Office (RTO) mandate is paused through July 1, 2026. Departments must return to the telework agreements that existed before March 2, 2025, and they’re blocked from making new RTO policy changes for 90 days following the agreement. This is a huge step forward in our fight for flexible telework.
We also secured a two-year suspension of OPEB contributions starting in August 2025, meaning bigger paychecks to help offset the impact of the state’s temporary PLP. Read the full side letter at seiu1000.org/BudgetFight.
And most importantly, we retained the right to bargain again in 2026. This fight isn’t over—but together, we’ve proven that when we stand together, we win.
This Win Proves That There’s Power in Numbers
We didn’t sit back while the State tried to take away our raise and force us back to the office. We stood together — and we won. But the fight isn’t over. Membership is how we stay strong, stay united, and keep winning.