Today the CSU/PTRLA Berkeley Day Camp workers joined together and led an unfair labor practice strike! Workers say the City has refused to bargain in good faith over pressing recruitment and staff retention issues impacting beloved summer and sports camps across the City of Berkeley.
This is the first strike in Berkeley SEIU 1021’s history, and possibly the first at the City of Berkeley, and serves as a reminder for the rest of our bargaining unit of the power of collective action. It follows various collective actions taken by the legislative assistants and library workers over the past year.
The City tried to call in last minute scabs to run the camp, but the camp could not function normally. In solidarity, children and their parents cheered on the workers. The City cannot function without you–the workers!
Berkeley Day Camp is a summer camp for children 5-13 years old that takes place in Shorebird Park (Berkeley Waterfront/Berkeley Nature Center). Kids and parents all across Berkeley depend on this critical summertime community resource. When the City struggled to hire sufficient staff this year, instead of improving program competitiveness, the City requested that the union agree to allow the City to lower job experience requirements that could potentially endanger campers. The union declined and passed a counter proposal. The City then walked away from the table.
Cora Harte, a proud CSU/PTRLA member and Berkeley Day Camp worker, said: “We’re here for the kids and the last thing we want to do is have to go on a strike. That’s hard for us and for the families that depend on us. But if they can’t make it right then we have to stand up for what’s fair and for the kids and families.” You can read the workers’ full statement here.
Workers provided flyers to parents as they dropped off their kids and explained why the action was necessary. Parents expressed their solidarity and called the City Council to demand action.
Reporters from Berkeleyside and KTVU were present to document this historic day:
Your Coworkers on Strike Need Your Solidarity
Workers will reform the picket line today at 2:30pm at Shorebird Park (160 University Avenue) and plan to be back on strike again at 8:00 am on Friday.
If you are off work hours (e.g., lunch, a break, or after/before work) you can stop by and hold a sign and show your solidarity. CSU/PTRLA workers from the legislative aide, library, and public health divisions already showed up in solidarity this morning.
One of the most important ways you can help is to reply to this email and sign up to organize your co-workers around our contract fight! The bargaining team is standing by and ready to help connect you with your co-workers to assess strike readiness. The Bargaining Team wants to avoid a chapter-wide strike at all costs but also knows that we need to be prepared in case the City rejects our proposals. None of this will happen without your action.
Background
As of June 2024, Berkeley Day Camp workers are paid less per hour than the trainees that they supervise. This is because the trainees are given cost of living pay increases indexed to inflation, while lead counselors are not. Since the salary for lead counselors has stagnated as the price of living in the Bay Area increases, many are unable to return year to year. Day Camp is hurt by a lack of returning counselors who know the campers, programming, and more.
In response to the City unilaterally ending meet and confer negotiations in March and as part of our larger contract fight, workers are now on strike for two days to demand that the City bargain in good faith with workers to better support kids, parents, and the community. On Monday ahead of the strike, the CSU/PTRLA bargaining team passed a proposal to increase R-2 pay.
This strike highlights our broader workers’ experience that the City is failing to bargain in good faith with workers in other City departments. Approximately 700-800 Berkeley SEIU 1021 and AFSCME PEU Local One workers–nearly half the City’s workforce–have been working without a union contract since June 26. Despite apparent support from the City’s Mayor and Council for open and transparent bargaining, City Management has refused to meet openly and jointly with both unions since March. Both unions have held multiple strike schools.
The strike also occurs as the City’s Parks and Recreation Department goes to voters to seek a $3.7 million per year parcel tax to fund parks and recreation programs.
In solidarity,
Your CSU/PTRLA Bargaining Team