Novato City Workers Strike Over Staffing Shortages and City Investment

Novato city workers walked off the job on Tuesday over what they believe are unfair labor practices and a deepening staffing crisis.

Employees skipped scheduled shifts at the Novato Gymnastics Center and Margaret Todd Senior Center, maintenance crews didn’t report to job sites and building inspections weren’t completed, according to Service Employees International Union Local 1021, which represents the striking workers.

Instead, dozens of the employees gathered at city hall, donning the union’s purple shirts and protesting the city’s lack of investment in its departments, which they say are sorely understaffed and underresourced.

“We love our jobs. We don’t want to go on strike. But we have to hold the City of Novato accountable to the community, its employees and its fiscal commitments to public services,” said Perry Siu, who works as a recreation supervisor.

In November, the city in northern Marin County approved Measure M — a 0.75% sales tax increase to generate about $10 million in additional city-controlled revenue each year — meant to offset a growing budget deficit and boost funding for public safety, infrastructure repairs and maintenance at parks and other public facilities.

The city also said it would invest the cash in roles previously eliminated due to budget constraints during the pandemic and into salary increases to improve employee retention. Currently, one in five city workers has been employed for less than a year.

Retailers implemented the new sales tax rate in April, and revenue became available to the city this month, but despite these changes, the union said promised improvements to their wages and city infrastructure aren’t being implemented.

“We just aren’t seeing that at the bargaining table,” Tiffany Porter, a recreation and aquatics supervisor with the Parks, Recreation & Community Services Department, told KQED from the picket line on Tuesday.

That “is extremely frustrating when we spent our nights and weekends out there educating the community about Measure M, and it did pass,” she continued. Porter said she and other SEIU employees canvassed in the lead up to November’s election, rallying support for the measure that ultimately passed with more than 57% of the vote.

Last month, the Novato City Council approved new labor agreements with four of its employee groups reflecting promises made in Measure M, including an 11% salary increase over three years and greater discounts for employees on city park and recreation programming. Those agreements affect about 31% of staff, but negotiations with the city’s other three unions — SEIU 1021 and Novato Police and Police Managers’ associations — are ongoing.

SEIU spokesperson Ian Lee said in a statement on Monday that 98% of the union’s bargaining unit voted in favor of the strike last week since the City Council was “refusing to follow through on their promise.”

The City Council said in a statement midday Tuesday that it has offered all SEIU employees 11% raises over the next three years, and some even larger increases.

“Despite multiple attempts to meet with SEIU over the past month, SEIU has chosen to prematurely strike instead of lawfully continuing negotiations,” the statement said. “We urge SEIU to return to the table in good faith so we can reach a fair and competitive agreement for Novato employees and stay focused on delivering high-quality services to the Novato community.”

The City Council said it is working with staff to ensure there are minimal disruptions to city services.