Update: Berkeley workers won’t strike this week after union, city reach agreement

Update, Nov. 19: The union chapter that represents hundreds of Berkeley workers who were poised to strike Wednesday and Thursday has called the work stoppage off after reaching a tentative contract agreement with the city.

Representatives from the city and the Community Services and Part-Time Recreation Leaders Chapter of Service Employees International Union Local 1021 confirmed the tentative agreement Tuesday, but did not share details of what it entailed.

Original story, Nov. 14: The union chapter that represents more than 500 city of Berkeley workers says its members will launch a two-day strike next week.

The work stoppage planned for Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 20 and 21, could still be called off if the Community Services and Part-Time Recreation Leaders Chapter of Service Employees International Union Local 1021 makes progress in contract negotiations with city administrators, a union official said. The City Council has scheduled a closed-session meeting Friday to discuss negotiations with the chapter.

But if it goes forward, the work stoppage could cause significant disruptions. The chapter is made up of a wide range of Berkeley employees, including librarians and workers at recreation and senior centers, as well as many staff within City Hall, such as certain employees in the Planning Department, building inspectors and information technology staff.

City spokesman Matthai Chakko did not respond to questions from Berkeleyside about whether any city facilities or services would be affected by the planned strike. Instead, he provided a brief statement by email that read, “The City is committed to bargaining in good faith. We have no further comment.”

The chapter’s members voted to authorize the strike last month amid long-running contract negotiations with the city. Counselors at Berkeley Day Camp, who are part of the chapter, staged a two-day strike to draw attention to those negotiations in August.

Librarian Nico Ledwith said workers’ pay remains a major sticking point in negotiations, with the union calling for the city to tie members’ wages to increases in the cost of living. The chapter is also seeking vision coverage, which Ledwith said members do not currently receive, as well as better dental plans. And the union has filed several unfair labor practice claims against the city during the bargaining process.

“We’re ready to meet at any time, we want to get this done,” Ledwith said. “If we can get to a deal that our members are happy with, we could avert the strike — but as of right now it’s still going forward.”