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City employees and union speakers urge Palo Alto council to boost pay, restore health benefits and fill vacancies
Summary
Dozens of public speakers, many city employees and union representatives, told the council the city faces critical staffing shortages, health‑care gaps for part‑time workers and high turnover; union leaders urged the council to approve a stronger contract to retain essential services.
A series of public‑comment speakers at the Dec. 16 Palo Alto City Council meeting urged the council to invest more in its workforce to address staffing shortages, retention problems and limits on health benefits for part‑time employees.
Representatives from SEIU Local 521 and several city employees detailed operational strains across multiple departments, including public safety dispatch and the water quality control plant, and urged the council to prioritize contract commitments that would raise pay, expand health coverage and improve retention.
Union leader Rico Mendez, introducing several employee speakers, said the city’s proposals “have fallen on deaf ears” and urged council action. Mendez highlighted vacancies in…
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