County frontline workers warn of strike as contract talks with Sacramento County stall

Dozens of frontline county employees and union negotiators told the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors on June 10 that contract negotiations with the county remain stalled and that the union has issued a 10‑day strike declaration.

The comments came during the off‑agenda public comment period. Speakers representing United Public Employees (UPE) said bargaining began in December 2024, the parties have met roughly 15 times, and a mediation session and a “last‑ditch negotiation” were held the day before the June 10 meeting. "We remain very far apart. We do not have an agreement," said Seth Alexander, a business agent and co‑chief negotiator for UPE. "Our contract is expired."

The union speakers pressed several recurring complaints. They criticized a recent board action to approve up to $25,000 in relocation expenses for certain executive hires as evidence, they said, that the county values senior management over frontline workers. "Managers aren't the ones that are removing children from abusive homes … It's our workers," Alexander said. Tezra Sledge, a UPE co‑chief negotiator, asked, "How do you negotiate a monetary contract, mostly monetary contract, based on philosophy?" She said bargaining should be grounded in budget and pay data rather than an asserted county philosophy.

Why it matters: UPE members said their jobs provide core human‑services functions—child welfare, elder abuse investigations, transport for foster children, refugee assistance and homeless services—and that continued staff shortages and contract impasse are harming service delivery. The union’s representatives said vacancies in the bargaining unit are in “double digits,” and they argued county leadership has chosen not to prioritize raises or retention for frontline staff.

Speakers described specific bargaining disputes. Several speakers said the county proposed limits on bereavement leave; Stephanie McCall, a human services specialist and chair of UPE Local 8’s governing board, said she was told by the county’s negotiator that the contract cycle “was driven by the county's philosophy and not about budget or money,” and that the county’s proposal would have limited bereavement to three days in McCall’s case. McCall also said the county offered a $5 per‑paycheck contribution toward a health savings account—about $138 a year—and described that as insufficient. "This is a philosophy of exploitation," said Eric Booker, a CPS social worker who described the bereavement restriction as the first major issue raised at the table.

Union leadership reiterated their bargaining posture. "You received our declaration to strike. 10 days notice," said Ted Samara, UPE executive director, recounting the filing. Samara and others said members had taken vacation time to appear at the board meeting to speak about working conditions, pay and the pace of negotiations.

Board staff and supervisors did not adopt policy or take action on the bargaining matter during the meeting; public comment is recorded in the meeting minutes. Several supervisors and county officials present later acknowledged the remarks from the speakers and thanked staff and the union representatives for bringing concerns to the board’s attention.

Ending: The union speakers asked the board and county negotiators to return to the table and produce a monetary offer tied to cost‑of‑living realities and retention needs. No vote or formal board direction on the contract was recorded in the June 10 public record.