As Negotiations Stall, San Jose City Employees Prepare for Potential Strike

On July 29, hundreds of City workers who have signed a strike pledge, learned what it means to strike and the laws that protect their right to strike.

SAN JOSE, Calif., July 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- hundreds of San Jose city employees and members of IFPTE Local 21 and MEF-AFSCME Local 101 attended Strike School. Organization around Strike School comes after months of stalled negotiations between city workers and the City Administration. This was the second of two sessions, with the room reaching max capacity.

"As dedicated city employees, we demand that the City Administration and City Council show that they value workers' contributions to this community by fairly settling contracts to avert a strike. We are strongly considering a strike as a last resort to protect public services," said Michael Jun, Sr. Development Officer in the San Jose Housing Department and IFPTE Local 21 Bargaining Team Member. "A fair contract helps retain the staff we need to deliver critical services like affordable housing for our most vulnerable populations. The City's offer does not keep pace with the ever-increasing cost of living in Silicon Valley. We're preparing to strike if we have to, because we care about the well-being and future of our community."

"At Strike School, we made sure that our membership is informed, ready, and prepared for the fight ahead. As a coalition, we are united in our demands for stronger public services. We will continue to organize our members to sign our coalition's strike pledge, and we're actively preparing to call for a strike authorization vote if necessary," said Alyssa Grondahl, a MEF-AFSCME Local 101 Bargaining Team Member who works as an Analyst for San Jose Police Department. "When we can't recruit and retain staff here in San Jose, that directly impacts public services for our community. The City of San Jose must bargain in good faith with us."

"Over 4,500 workers are shedding light on how the City of San Jose is the most thinly staffed agency in the state and how the City's implementation of AI without any guardrails further jeopardizes quality public services," said Jean Cohen, Executive Officer of the South Bay Labor Council. "Workers are forced to do more with less across all city departments, and San Jose residents deserve better."

City workers maintain that the only thing standing between them and a deal is the City's willingness to put forward a fair contract that invests in public services and the working people who provide them.

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SOURCE IFPTE Local 21