BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Kern County SEIU workers are planning a second strike on June 3–4, demanding fair wages and accusing the county of underfunding essential public services.
- Kern County SEIU Local 521 workers are planning a second strike, scheduled for June 3rd and 4th, citing unfair labor practices.
- The union rejected the county’s offer of a 3% raise over the next two years, calling it inadequate given current staffing and service demands.
- SEIU accuses the Board of Supervisors of underfunding public services, while county officials argue the union’s financial analysis is misleading.
- Workers say the strike is not just about wages — it’s about protecting the quality of services delivered to the Kern County community.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Kern County workers who are part of SEIU Local 521 are planning another strike. This time, they say it's to address unfair labor practices on the job.
County workers represented by the Service Employees International Union, Local 521, say they’re going on strike for the second time this year. Among their demands: higher wages and improved working conditions.
The union claims county financial records show a pattern of underfunding public services — accusing the Board of Supervisors of systematically shortchanging both workers and taxpayers.
SEIU and the county have been in negotiations since May of last year. The union recently rejected the county’s last best offer — a 3% raise each of the next two years — calling it insufficient.
Mary Hernandez, is a Substance Use Disorder Specialist, with Kern Behavioral Health, I aked her
“What are you asking the Board of Supervisors? What would be the perfect answer from them?” She answered with, “to do the right thing. Stop hoarding the money they have. They can actually fix everything today by agreeing. They can fix it.”
County officials say SEIU’s financial analysis misrepresents Kern’s fiscal situation, and that the county cannot afford the increases the union is demanding.
Leticia Perez, Chairwoman, Kern County Board of Supervisors says, "It isn't just about a percentage raise — it's really a number of matters that involve negotiations between the 5,000 members of our workforce and, of course, the County of Kern. We would love to give huge, generous raises to our staff — I want to make that clear. They deserve it; they work hard. But the body is, of course, limited by the budget we have. We're limited by the revenue we can produce."
We asked local SEIU leaders why moving forward with a strike — despite ongoing mediation — still matters.
Alicia Aleman, is the local 521 Chapter President, SEIU, and a Social Worker, with Department of Human Services and she says, “For us, I realize it seems a little bit stretched out, but because they did call us back to the table and we are currently in mediation, we wanted to be able to do fair bargaining.”
The union says this strike is a message — not just to the county, but to the community they serve.
The strike is scheduled for June 3rd and 4th.
Stay in Touch with Us Anytime, Anywhere:
