Clock Ticking on San Jose Worker Contracts as City Council Eyes July Recess

SAN JOSE, Calif., June 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Several months of tense negotiations between the San Jose City Administration and thousands of dedicated City of San Jose workers have now resulted in two of the City's largest worker contracts set to expire - just as the San Jose City Council leaves for their July recess. On Thursday, June 18, after receiving the City's Last, Best, and Final Offer (LBFO) and working to reach a deal before contract expiration, San Jose workers represented by IFPTE Local 21 and MEF-AFSCME Local 101 have called for mediation in order to reach a fair agreement.

Last Wednesday, June 10, workers rallied at San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC) to call on the San Jose City Administration to secure a contract that will allow the City of San Jose to retain and recruit excellent public workers. While negotiations continued after the rally, the City's LBFO remains one that does not invest in city services and one that will not retain the city's skilled workforce.

Members of both unions are concerned that the upcoming budget has proposed staffing cuts to several departments, including the Library, Public Works, and the Housing Department. Instead of investing in our community, city officials have elected to spend taxpayer money on corporate giveaways through massive contracts with ineffective AI companies and an outrageous $351 million subsidy towards hockey arena renovations. The City could develop a strategy that ensures corporations pay their fair share from benefitting directly from city services. Instead, San Jose insists on cutting taxes for some of the largest corporations that occupy the city, while residents and working families pay more.

"We are the workers who keep San Jose running every day. We've shown up at the bargaining table ready to negotiate a fair contract every week. It's time for the City to turn things around in order to retain workers. San Jose workers and the residents we serve deserve better," said Carlos Murillo, an Associate Engineer at SJC, and IFPTE Local 21 Bargaining Team Member. "It's time to invest in our city services. It's time to put San Jose first."

"San Jose remains already one of the most thinly staffed major cities in California. The City has a real opportunity. With San Jose being a World Cup host city, we have seen our community come together. San Jose has the potential to highlight the amazing public services our city has to offer and the hard-working people who make those services happen," said MEF Local 101 Chief Steward Heidi Mendiola, a Police Data Specialist.

San Jose workers haven't gone on strike in two decades. Three years ago, San Jose workers organized a city-wide strike vote that shed light on the city's dangerous understaffing and retention issues. Workers are disheartened to know that instead of working on revenue, this administration has instead continued to remain one of the few cities to cap its business license tax on large businesses, with its largest only paying $185,532 in taxes. This includes massive Fortune 500 companies, such as Cisco Systems, which reported $56 billion in revenue and $10 billion in profits for Fiscal Year 2025; PayPal Holdings, which reported $33 billion in revenue and $5.2 billion in profits; and Adobe Inc., which reported $23 billion in revenue and $7.1 billion in profits.

SOURCE IFPTE Local 21