National City employees press council for stronger contract; council holds closed session on labor talks

National City city employees urged the City Council on Oct. 27, 2025, to support a "strong and fair" labor contract for municipal staff while the council met in a closed session to confer with labor negotiators under Government Code section 54957.6.

Carla Palotegui, chapter president representing Municipal Employees Association (SEIU Local 221), told the council, "We submitted 21 proposals for you to review." She said the proposals aim to promote equality and fairness across roughly 90 job classifications represented by the bargaining group. Andrew Del Sol Williamson, who identified himself as a public works employee, said, "I'm paying about a thousand dollars a month in medical insurance through the city," and asked for relief on health benefits.

The petitions came during the public comment period, when four employees and supervisors from city departments including Community Services and Public Works addressed the council. Recreation supervisor Ariana Delgado said she was speaking as a National City resident and city employee and asked the council to "please take into consideration the livelihood of all your dedicated and passionate boots on the ground team members." Juanita Castaneda, also from the Community Services Department, asked the council for a "fair contract." The speakers emphasized the variety of positions in the bargaining unit and said managers and directors were not present to speak in support.

Later in the meeting the council convened a closed session for "conference with labor negotiators," citing Government Code section 54957.6 and naming the employee organizations involved: the Municipal Employees Association, National City Firefighters Association, Police Officers Association, and several unrepresented groups (executive, confidential and management). After returning to open session, the city attorney reported, "The council has provided our labor negotiators with their instructions to move forward with the negotiations." No formal vote or contract adoption occurred during the public meeting.

A separate brief remark noted the general manager for Sweetwater Authority had performed a preliminary assessment of water facilities earlier in the day; the speaker said "all facilities appear to be fine after a preliminary assessment," but provided no further detail.

The council did not announce a timeline for next bargaining steps or release specifics of the 21 proposals the employees said they submitted. The closed session was the only listed executive-item on the agenda and no formal actions or votes were taken on the record related to contract terms during the meeting.