Beginning Tuesday, January 13, SEIU 1021 members employed by Solano County, alongside a majority of public county employees represented by Solano County’s other labor unions, including IFPTE Local 21, IUOE Local 39, and UAPD, began a two-day strike in protest of the County’s unfair labor practices. 

After four months of negotiations, administrators have failed to bargain in good faith to address their demands to improve staffing and working conditions.

Elizabeth Harrison, SEIU 1021’s north central regional VP who works in Solano County’s Older and Disabled Adult Services, said “Solano County workers take this step with deep care for the communities we serve. Every day, public employees provide essential services under increasingly strained conditions. When workers are not adequately supported, public services suffer. This action is about ensuring Solano County can retain experienced staff and continue delivering the services residents depend on.”

“I will stand with Solano County workers on their strike lines. These workers provide critical mental health care, social services, and public safety, yet they are being forced to fight to protect the services they provide, their own healthcare, and their families’ futures,” said Lorena Gonzalez, president of the California Labor Federation (AFL-CIO). “The California Labor Federation, representing over 2.3 million union members, stands in solidarity with Solano County workers. It’s time for the County to do the right thing and return to the bargaining table.”

The strike begins at 7:00 AM each day, with a lunchtime rally at 12:00PM at 675 Texas Street, Fairfield, each day.

“Solano County’s Health and Social Services are severely understaffed and under-resourced, directly leading to delays. These delays can be life-or-death: the difference between housing and eviction, food and hunger. Therapists and mental-health clinicians remaining understaffed may result in the continued possibility of danger and violence on our streets,” said Christie Allan, an IFPTE Local 21 bargaining team member who works as a mental health clinical supervisor for Solano County. “The facts have not changed. The County still has an opportunity to come to the table and do the right thing.” 

“Our community deserves a strong workforce who can build their lives here and be a part of the larger community—workers who are able to invest more than a few months or a couple of years until a better offer comes by. Our residents deserve services provided by workers who are not constantly forced to leave for other jurisdictions with better working conditions. Our people deserve quality services that they can rely on now, not someday in the distant future,” said Jeffrey Eichenberger, an IUOE Local 39 bargaining team member who works as a stationary engineer in Solano County.

“As a child psychiatrist, I see firsthand the mental health crisis affecting our youngest patients—children who are experiencing anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, trauma, and neurodevelopmental disorders,” said Dr. Young Moon, UAPD bargaining team member who works as a child psychiatrist for Solano County. “These children can’t wait while the County plays games at the bargaining table. We’re striking because the County’s tactics jeopardize the stability of services our children need to survive.”