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Teamsters Local 542 says county pay proposal insufficient, signals readiness to strike July 1
Summary
Teamsters Local 542 business agent Ruth Duarte told the board the county’s 2.5% counterproposal is inadequate and said members are prepared to strike on July 1 if negotiations do not produce a better offer.
Ruth Duarte, business agent for Teamsters Local 542, representing county craft labor and trades employees, told the Board of Supervisors on May 20 that the county’s most recent contract counterproposal of 2.5% would not keep pace with inflation and that union members are prepared to strike beginning July 1 if a “good faith” agreement is not reached.
Duarte said the union represents more than 1,000 county employees and described the proposed increase as the equivalent of “between 30¢ an hour to 50¢ an hour” for affected members. She said many represented employees hold advanced degrees yet earn less than $38 per hour, which she described as insufficient for a living wage in the county.
Duarte also raised concerns about the county’s handling of an employee complaint filed in February 2020 that she said only reached a result in 2025 and that the investigation produced no finding. She said the protracted timeline suggested poor use of investigative resources.
The board did not take formal action on the union’s remarks during public comment. Duarte said negotiations will continue and her delegation planned to meet with county negotiators on Thursday.
