Novato city workers, represented by SEIU Local 1021, laid down their tools and vacated their posts at midnight yesterday, initiating an ongoing unfair labor practice strike. The strike includes a broad range of municipal employees, such as street maintenance workers, building inspectors, park recreation coordinators, and city planners, all seeking to challenge what they consider a staffing crisis and to obtain fair treatment from the city, as reported by SEIU 1021.
Paul Perryman, a lifelong Novato resident and senior maintenance worker, voiced his concerns, per SEIU 1021, expressing the city's growing pains, "The city’s getting older. As a lifelong resident of the city of Novato, I see the failing of the infrastructure of the city. The reduction of staff in maintenance has created a situation where things have to get done and we’re unable to meet those needs for the City of Novato." He highlighted the high turnover rate as workers seek better opportunities elsewhere. Perryman's statement intently focuses on the message this strike is meant to send to both the city hall and residents.
In the face of the strike, the City of Novato has communicated through its official statement that they have been in good faith negotiations with SEIU since early 2025. They offered an 11% raise over three years, with additional equity adjustments leading to raises to 24% for some employees. However, citizens are being advised to expect longer response times for city services and potential delays in parks and recreational programming as service-level impacts of the strike are felt.
Recreation supervisor Perry Siu told SEIU 1021, "We love our jobs. We don’t want to go on strike. But we have to hold the City of Novato accountable to the community, its employees, and its fiscal commitments to public services." The November 2024 election saw the passing of Measure M, promising an influx of $10 million in locally controlled revenue, intended to support key city functions. Despite this, workers feel the council is not living up to its commitments, a perception that has furnished this labor action with its moral momentum.
