Healthcare workers at Santa Clara County (Calif.) hospitals and public health labs held a three-day strike March 24-27 as they seek a new labor contract, union and county spokespeople confirmed to Becker’s.
The strike involved nearly 200 members of Engineers and Scientists of California of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers Local 20. Among them are clinical lab scientists, microbiologists, medical laboratory technicians and other healthcare professionals.
Negotiations began in July 2024 and union members voted to authorize a strike in February 2025.
Union officials claimed the county has failed to bargain in good faith.
The union further contends that the county is failing to explain its proposals, asking the union to waive protected rights, including rights to negotiate over future changes to working conditions and take collective action to improve patient care.
“Throughout the COVID pandemic, we kept coming to work to take care of our patients, even when it meant risking our own safety and the safety of our families,” Daniel Biocini, a clinical lab scientist manager of phlebotomy and accessioning at San Jose-based Valley Medical Center, said in a union news release shared with Becker’s. “This is the first contract we’ve negotiated since the start of the pandemic, and instead of making sure we’re able to keep living in our area and coming to work, county negotiators want to strip us of our basic rights.”
The county shared the following statement with Becker’s:
“We are committed to finalizing a contract with ESC Local 20 that is fair for all involved, including our dedicated staff, the county, and the residents of Santa Clara County. Reaching a financially sustainable agreement is critical given the current financial challenges facing local governments. We continue to stand ready to resume negotiations with the union at any time. During the strike, Santa Clara Valley Healthcare made the necessary preparations to ensure that all critical lab work could proceed so that our patients would receive the compassionate and critical care that they need.”
