San Diego’s State Workers Demand Better Pay in Major Strike

October 26, 2026

California state workers represented by SEIU Local 1000 staged their union's first strike in 44 years, with hundreds rallying at locations including San Diego's Mission Valley State Building to demand contract negotiations resume. The union, representing over 100,000 state employees including nurses and DMV workers, has been without a contract since June 30 when the state ceased bargaining discussions. Workers are seeking a 20 percent wage increase over three years, enhanced healthcare coverage, and remote work options, citing rising living costs and stagnant wages after accepting pay reductions in multiple years under Governor Newsom.

Who is affected

SEIU Local 1000 members (more than 100,000 California state workers)
State nurses, DMV employees, and Employment Development Department workers
Kyeesha Lewis, a licensed vocational nurse at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility working two jobs
Dorrie Steadman, president of SEIU Local 1000 San Diego and registered nurse
Governor Gavin Newsom and his administration
California Department of Human Resources
State service recipients who depend on these workers

What action is being taken

Hundreds of state workers are gathering and striking in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Oakland, and Los Angeles
SEIU Local 1000 is conducting its first strike in the union's 44-year history
Workers are demanding the state resume contract negotiations
The California Department of Human Resources states it "continues to be available at the bargaining table"

Why it matters

This strike represents a breaking point for California's essential state workforce after years of wage concessions during budget difficulties. With workers having accepted pay cuts in three separate years under Governor Newsom, including a 3 percent reduction last year, employees are now struggling to afford basic living expenses as inflation drives up costs for housing, food, gas, and childcare. The work stoppage affects critical state services and demonstrates that frontline government workers—who provide essential services like healthcare in correctional facilities, DMV operations, and employment services—feel they can no longer subsidize the state budget through wage sacrifices despite California being the fourth largest economy globally.

What's next

Negotiations between the state and SEIU Local 1000 are scheduled to resume on October 30

Read full article from source: The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint