Statement on the Ongoing AFSCME 2795 Strike

10/19/2026

A strike is the last and loudest resort of the unheard. It’s the most powerful—and, if push comes to shove, the only—tool for them to be heard fairly.

Over 90% of our city workers’ union, AFSCME 2795, voted to strike starting October 14^th and ongoing as of this writing. Getting nine out of ten people who come from several walks of life to agree on something is quite a challenge. Nine out of ten people agreeing to go without pay for an unknown amount of time while putting their careers at risk is even more absurd. This should tell us that what’s going on is worth paying attention to.

From talking with those on the picket line, it’s been made clear to me that, from the union’s perspective, the city has not met with them for many months and have been flaky partners during the negotiation process. I do not know the entire perspective from the city’s side or what reasons they have for taking their current course of action, but this refusal to meet has made this conflict unavoidable.

When you are in conflict with someone else, refusing to communicate shuts down the only possible path toward solving the issue in a way that satisfies everyone, even if it does so imperfectly. Instead, it sows seeds of mistrust. The harvest is pain, hatred, and harm, and we are now seeing the first fruits.

The only way this strike will end and our city can return to normal is if both parties sit down and work together to come to a mutual agreement. By all accounts, the union is willing to meet. The roadblock, then, seems to be from the city. But why?

I am not privy to why this is the case, and so I am left to speculate. Perhaps this is the result of a directive from the Council. Perhaps the City Manager, who leads the city’s negotiations, is opposed to negotiating with the union for some reason. Perhaps the city believes the gain to be had from forcing the union’s hand is worth the pain. Perhaps the union dropped the ball somewhere. I do not know for certain.

What I do know, though, is that the current situation cannot continue indefinitely. To that end, here are my solutions, based upon the information I currently have as a member of the public, to move toward resolving the strike for everyone’s benefit: for management, for our city employees, and for our residents who depend on city services.

City Manager: make it known what conditions it would take to resume negotiations with the union. It need not be told publicly, but it does need to be told to the union.
City Council: if negotiations do not begin, or if the city’s team refuses to make known the conditions for resuming negotiation, do one the following, in order of desirability:
1. Make the motion or resolution to direct the City Manager to begin good-faith contract negotiations with AFSCME 2795, beginning the next day.
2. Make a motion or resolution to hold the pay of the city’s negotiation team until a contract is agreed upon.
3. Make a motion or resolution to replace members of the negotiation team until a contract is made.
City Council: to avoid a repeat of this incident in the future, include successful union contract negotiation as a criterion in evaluating the City Manager’s performance, if it is not already.

No one wants this strike to continue. Only those invested with the powers of the city can resolve this, and it is their duty to do so for everyone in our city’s sake.

Signed,