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Civics & Democracy

Hundreds of Orange County workers plan to strike next week. Here's what services it could disrupt

Men walk in front of county buildings holding signs that say, "Fighting for a fair contract."
Hundreds of Orange County workers from the Teamsters Local 952 are planning to strike next Tuesday, Oct. 13.
(
Photo courtesy of Teamsters Local 952
)

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Topline:

More than 465 Orange County workers from the Teamsters Local 952 are planning to walk off the job next Tuesday, Oct. 13, potentially disrupting county services like road maintenance, landfill operations and other public services.

What we know: The union employees are from OC Public Works, OC Waste & Recycling, OC Community Resources and other county departments. Members include heavy equipment operators, waste workers, custodial workers and more.

How did we get here? Union officials said they asked the county to begin bargaining in 2025 and claim months went by with no “meaningful movement” until August. The previous agreement between the union and county expired in September. “The months of delays have already cost workers wages they will not recover because the county has refused to provide retroactive pay,” officials said. A county spokesperson did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.

What are workers saying? Travis Molina, power equipment operator for OC Public Works, said in a statement that no one wants to strike. “We want to be at work serving our communities,” Molina said. “We want to maintain the roads and repair our channels in preparation for storm season, and do the work Orange County residents count on us to do. But we also deserve to be valued for that work.”

What’s next? The next bargaining date has not been scheduled, according to union officials.

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