BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — A week removed from its one-day strike, we reached out to SEIU Local 521 and Kern County to see where things stand between them when it comes to negotiations.
- A spokesperson for SEIU Local 521 said they would update 23ABC on negotiations as information becomes available. We asked the spokesperson via text if they felt the strike was a success, if it had an impact on talks or if there are any plans for a future strike, they declined to comment.
- A spokesperson for Kern County said they continue to invite SEIU Local 521 to mediation talks, but there's little else they are able to share at this time.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Last week, members of the SEIU Local 521 Labor Union went on strike. Now, we're examining the impact of that strike and where negotiations stand at this moment. I'm Sam Hoyle, your neighborhood reporter, this coming after the union released a new scathing white letter on Thursday.
As 23ABC senior reporter Veronica Morley reported on Thursday, the union is arguing that wages for union-represented employees have stagnated and the county is refusing to spend hundreds of millions of dollars in state and federal funding, while the county is saying that at this point it needs to trim the budget and all money it takes in is spent responsibly to provide services for residents.
So where do things sit just over a week removed from the strike?
According to a spokesperson for SEIU Local 521, thousands of its over 5,000 workers participated in the one-day strike. We asked for a more clearly defined number, but a spokesperson for the SEIU was unable to provide that.
As far as negotiations? The county says they're still inviting SEIU into mediation to stymie further disruptions, but a spokesperson for the county, saying in a phone call that there's little they can share. SEIU saying they will provide updates on negotiations as they become available
So where does that leave us? At this moment, it's unclear, we've asked the SEIU if they view their one-day strike as a success and what it accomplished and we also asked if there are any plans for future strikes, but we were not given responses to those questions.
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