A union representing more than 100,000 state employees – including nurses, educators, and engineers – staged its first-ever strike on Wednesday, rallying for higher wages and accusing the state of unfair practices.
Tens of thousands of workers picketed across California, including in Fresno, where a state plan that could increase employees’ health care premiums was top of mind.
“Healthcare actually is one of the hardest-hit reasons why we’re here today…,” said Tommy Rico, the union’s Central Valley regional manager.
In July, the state announced changes to employee health care plans that could increase monthly premiums in 2027.
Rico, who has been a state employee for 17 years, works in the education department of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Now, he said, he expects his health care premiums to increase by $300 a month starting on Jan. 1, 2027.
To afford the increase, he said, he’s already planning for tough budget decisions at home, including how to stretch meals, whether to buy new shoes for his children’s sports activities, and maybe breaking out old DVDs to save on streaming services.
“ I’ve thought about it and thought about what we can cut out,” Rico said. “Three-hundred dollars a month is a big hit all at once.”
Part of the union’s concern involves the state’s decision to change employee health care plans from UnitedHealthcare to Sutter Health Plan after UnitedHealthcare said it would raise rates by more than 20%. The switch to Sutter Health meant just an 8% increase in monthly premiums for state employees.
But some union members in the Valley say Sutter Health has less of a presence in their regions than UnitedHealthcare. As a result, some members have opted for even more expensive plans than Sutter Health in order to have nearby access to care.
Kaiser Permanente offers plans at roughly the same rates as Sutter Health, but its facilities are located mostly in the Valley’s largest cities and are less accessible to residents of smaller towns and rural areas.
“ I’m 30 miles from the nearest Kaiser,” said Cloria “CJ” Knotts, a senior personnel specialist in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. “ That’s not even an option for me.”
Knotts lives in Kings County and said she will lose access to her medical providers because of the move away from UnitedHealthcare. She’s a mother of seven and said she’s facing a monthly increase of up to $500.
“ With the premiums going up, am I gonna be able to sustain my grocery bill?” she said. “And I’m just talking about feeding, let alone the rent and the power and the gas, the garbage….”
Knotts is a member of the bargaining team that has negotiated with the state since the union’s contract lapsed on June 30. She said she and other union members have been working without a contract since that time because the state has not been bargaining in good faith.
“ I just hope that the state of California…comes back to the table and recognizes us and gives us the dignity that we deserve and pay us and be able to allow us to have affordable healthcare, allow us to have a living wage,” she said.
Amber Rich, communications director at SEIU Local 1000, acknowledged that union members like Knotts are facing compounding financial pressures as a result of the contract dispute.
“It’s hard for folks in Central Valley and anywhere rural across the state,” she said. “They’re seeing additional costs in premiums and then also reduced pay.”
SEIU Local 1000 has accepted pay reductions several times over the last eight years as the state has struggled with budget deficits.
In a press release over the summer, the union said the state had asked workers to forgo raises this year, and to settle for a 3% increase in 2027. The union is asking for a 20% wage increase over the next three years.
In a statement to The Intersection, state officials said their representatives were “participating in good faith in mediation with SEIU with the goal of securing a fair and responsible agreement for California’s state workforce.”
According to the union, contract negotiations are set to continue before the end of the month. State officials said they cannot comment on ongoing negotiations.
Renée Bartlett-Webber is a California Local News Fellow covering health equity in the Central Valley across a spectrum of community issues. Contact her at renee@cvlocaljournalism.org.
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