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SEIU workers urge Santa Ana council for fair bargaining, warn against outsourcing city jobs
Summary
SEIU members and union allies told the council that contract negotiations have stalled, raised concerns about executive pay increases and warned that the city is considering contracting out positions that SEIU represents.
At the June 16 council meeting, SEIU‑represented employees and labor allies pressed the City Council to pursue meaningful progress at the bargaining table and to resist contracting out work performed by frontline city employees.
Nancy Robles, speaking for SEIU, said the union has negotiated for more than a year with "meaningful progress" still elusive and contrasted recent executive compensation increases (noted in the public comment) with the lack of raises for SEIU staff. Robles warned that outsourcing historically in‑house functions would displace local workers and reduce direct accountability to the public.
Union leaders and allies in the room echoed the plea. Isaura Ramos told the council she stands with SEIU and urged the city to protect represented positions, saying contracting out “takes jobs from Santa Ana families” and often costs more in the long run. Kathy Canales of the Orange County Labor Federation spoke in solidarity with the SEIU members.
Council response: Mayor and several council members said staff will follow up; the mayor asked the city manager to ensure city staff address tenant and workplace concerns. No formal bargaining outcomes were announced at the meeting.
Why it matters: Labor negotiations affect city operations, service continuity and municipal employees’ livelihoods. Outsourcing of represented positions would be a policy and budget choice with direct consequences for workers and service delivery.
Provenance: SEIU remarks began at SEG 1148 and allied union speakers continued into the public comment block through SEG 1679.
