Hundreds of union workers Thursday threatened to go on strike next week, potentially disrupting many essential government services for residents if a new contract agreement is not reached with Orange County.
Members of Teamsters Local 952 work across Orange County Public Works, Orange County Waste & Recycling, Orange County Community Resources and other county operations, and more than 465 County of Orange Teamsters members are set to strike Tuesday.
A strike is expected to cause delays to road and flood channel maintenance, landfill operations, parks and beach maintenance, repairs to county and first responder vehicles, and other public services, according to the union.
In response, Orange County officials said Thursday that contingency plans are in place to maintain essential services.
“We respect the rights of our dedicated employees to engage in lawful strike activity under California law,” the county said in a statement. “Our priority remains ensuring the continuity of essential public services for our residents. We have contingency plans in place to minimize service disruptions.”
Union officials, meanwhile, said they remain willing to negotiate with the county but are prepared to strike if an agreement cannot be reached.
“The county has shown that its priorities are not with the workers who keep Orange County running or the more than 3 million residents who depend on the services our members provide,” said Eric Jimenez, secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 952. “We are giving the county every opportunity to come to the table and reach an agreement before Tuesday. If they continue to refuse to deliver a fair contract that values our members and their work, we are prepared to strike.”
Teamsters officials said they called on the county to begin bargaining as early as December 2025, more than six months before the previous agreement expired. The union began submitting proposals in March, but alleges the county did not make meaningful movement toward an agreement until August.
The months of delays have already cost workers wages they will not recover because the county has refused to provide retroactive pay, according to the union.
The union also pointed out that the contract dispute comes months after the Orange County Board of Supervisors voted to increase supervisors’ salaries by 25%, an increase of approximately $49,000 per supervisor annually, bringing their annual salaries to more than $244,000.
The county’s statement did not address the union’s allegations regarding the pace of negotiations or retroactive pay.