City of Santa Maria Frontline Union Workers speak to City Council members for fair wages in the midst of inflation

SANTA MARIA, Calif. -- Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 620 Frontline union workers from the city of Santa Maria spoke to city council members for fair wages in the midst of high inflation.

Before Tuesday night's city council meeting, union workers rallied for a day of action. Various city employees spoke about their financial hardships, having multiple jobs, and difficulty providing for their families.

Amongst those speakers were firefighters, city engineers, and other city workers. They demanded that the City Council be "on the right side of history".

City employees also said they are overworked due to the amount of unfulfilled positions in the city and a high turnover rate. Many frontline workers say people are trained and leave quickly for higher-paying employers or nearby city entities.

Union workers pleaded to the City Council to keep wages up to beat increasing inflation and keep the city of Santa Maria thriving with appealing employment opportunities that it once had.

City workers are demanding action from the City Council so they can continue to perform at a high level of service for the community and respond to local emergencies.

According to SEIU Local 620, the city's general cost-of-living adjustments for employees is keeping an agreement from happening.

The General Unit's contract expired on Dec. 31 after a late start to negotiations due to significant vacancies in the city's Human Resources Department.

"Our Members' wages have not kept up with comparable local agencies or inflation for years, and things have reached a tipping point for our members," said Nicole Bryant, Field Representative for SEIU Local 620.

Negotiations are still underway.