**MEDIA ADVISORY FOR TUES. 2/28**

Contact: Jennie Smith-Camejo, (510) 710-0201, jennie.smith-camejo@seiu1021.org

Since October, the largest union of Sonoma County workers, SEIU Local 1021, have been negotiating in good faith with the County administration to settle a contract that will make real strides to address the County’s staffing crisis, which is damaging the services county residents receive. But the current contract expires Tuesday, Feb. 28, and with the County still insisting on takeaways that would completely absorb or even eclipse the cost-of-living adjustment for many workers, a deal remains elusive. 

Inadequate staffing has enormous consequences, including for public safety. The county faces $15 million worth of damage to its roads from winter storms and flooding but currently has fewer than 30 full-time road workers for nearly 3,000 miles of roads. 

According to road maintenance worker Mike Woodbury, who has worked on county roads for 35 years, the lack of staffing has left them scrambling to keep up with resident complaints and unable to perform basic road maintenance – which can lead to dangerous situations. In 2020, the County agreed to pay out a $1.3 million settlement to a cyclist who fell into a large pothole and suffered grievous injuries as a result.

County workers will again flood the administration building during Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting to make their voices heard and signal their intention to escalate.

What: Rally at Sonoma County Board of Supervisors meeting
When: Tuesday, Feb. 27, 12 PM
Where: 575 Administration Dr., Santa Rosa
Visuals: Hundreds of County workers marching, chanting, holding signs

“Unfortunately, County administration doesn’t seem to feel the same urgency as we do to protect and improve county services,” said SEIU 1021 Sonoma County Chapter President Jana Blunt. “Despite acknowledging that they need to do more to retain workers, who are leaving in alarming numbers, so far they have continued to play games in negotiations, trying to offset small improvements in pay by taking away existing employee benefits and demanding higher retirement contributions that decimate the value of the COLAs they are offering. 

“Our contract negotiations team is laser-focused on retention and recruitment so that we can make sure that county roads and infrastructure are safe; that our at-risk children, seniors, low-income families, and people with disabilities are protected and have the services they need; that the permits businesses and individuals need are processed in a timely way; and that the County’s revenue-generating departments are able to accurately and timely collect the taxes and fees the County is owed.

“And they are doing this despite being in a very solid economic position by their own calculations and projections. The county’s economy is strong. By insisting, against all available evidence, that they can’t do better to hold onto the workers they still have and recruit new ones, the administration is shrugging its shoulders at the churn and burn in its workforce, even as its most vulnerable residents suffer the consequences. 

“But those of us who spend our days providing the services that keep our county running are not about to give up. We are asking the Board of Supervisors to assert their authority and hold their administration accountable for doing more and better for our communities.”

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SEIU Local 1021 represents nearly 60,000 employees in local governments, non-profit agencies, health care programs, and schools throughout Northern California, including seven private colleges and numerous community colleges. SEIU Local 1021 is a diverse, member-driven organization with members who work to make our cities, schools, colleges, counties, and special districts safe and healthy places to live and raise our families.