SF City Workers Denounce Layoffs, Call for "Fair Solutions that Stand Up to Trump"

SAN FRANCISCO, April 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Mayor Lurie's administration issued layoff notices to San Francisco city workers, some of which are represented by IFPTE Local 21, and froze thousands of positions. Donald Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" (H.R. 1) last year has had a major impact on the City's budget, but there are local solutions that don't require cutting staff and programs that residents rely on.

"Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' is a massive giveaway to the super rich and corporations at our expense," said Bianca Polovina, San Francisco resident and IFPTE Local 21 President. "City leaders must support fair solutions that stand up to Trump and his corporate backers in our budget."

The full extent of today's announcement is still being determined. What we know so far is that the cuts are drastic, and are going to be felt in every corner of San Francisco. City workers are deeply concerned that these cuts will further strain already understaffed departments that keep San Francisco clean, safe, and livable.

"The city has come a long way since the pandemic, but cutting public services now would be a huge step backward we can't afford to take," said Brittany Hewett, a registered nurse at San Francisco General Hospital and San Francisco resident. "Clean streets, strong hospitals, and green transit are just a few of the essential services that our recovery relies on, and those don't happen without city staff to do them."

"In one of the richest cities in the world, cuts like this are a choice, not a necessity." said Mark Leach, Teamsters 856 Representative and San Francisco Resident. "Large corporations are cashing in on Trump's tax breaks, but we can make them pay their fair share in San Francisco by passing Prop D in June."

City workers are bringing forward fair solutions that would help the city avoid these deep service cuts. City workers are calling on City leadership to:

1. Support Prop D, the Overpaid CEO Act. New revenue is necessary to offset the loss of funding from federal cuts. San Franciscans have placed Prop D, the Overpaid CEO Act, on the June 2 ballot. Prop D will raise roughly $300 million annually for the city by asking only the largest corporations to contribute a little more.
2. Use reserves designed to help us in times like this. The city has over $1.4 billion in reserves, including nearly $750 million in non-emergency reserves that can be tapped into until new revenue is raised.

SOURCE IFPTE Local 21