City Employee Contract Negotiations

At a glance

Based on a speech-to-text transcript; names and numbers may be misheard.

What: labor negotiations between the city and its employee groups, including refuse operators and the Long Beach Association of Engineering Employees.
Where it stands: Unresolved as of October 20, 2026; speakers asked the council to give its negotiators more authority.

2026-10-20 - City Council - At general public comment a refuse operator said bargaining had run over 10 months and the contract expired September 30, and asked for safe staffing, equipment and fair pay. At closing comment a representative of the engineering employees' association said the city's own data showed a 21% vacancy rate and that 87% of the group's classifications were paid below market, and urged the council to give the city's negotiating team enough authority to settle. No council action.
2026-11-10 - City Council Special Meeting Closed Session - Closed session labor negotiations item (26-56726); city representative Thomas Modica, unions listed include SEIU 721, IBEW 47 and IAM 947.