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California union warns of mass exodus with Newsom’s return to office order
SF Gate ^ | June 21, 2026 | Ashley Zavala, KCRA

Posted on 06/22/2026 4:32:24 PM PDT by Red Badger

This story originally appeared on KCRA.

California state workers are challenging a new mandate requiring them to return to the office four days a week starting July 1, as lawmakers advance a bill to ensure telework options. A billboard off a Sacramento highway warns of future traffic jams caused by Gov. Gavin Newsom’s order. State workers argue they have been working efficiently under hybrid schedules since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Since COVID we have been working and doing the jobs and being efficient and doing the jobs to keep California running,” said Anica Walls, the president of SEIU Local 1000, which represents state workers in Sacramento. “This mandate as overarching as it does not give departments the space to bring back our workers as needed.”

It’s not clear which departments exactly are struggling with space and how the Newsom administration is handling it. A spokesman with California’s Government Operations Agency declined an interview request with California Politics 360.

At his budget presentation in May, Gov. Gavin Newsom acknowledged the challenges of returning to the office but emphasized the benefits of in-person work.

“Change is hard. I'm empathetic” he said. “Everyone has unique criteria, circumstance. We try to accommodate for that. I mean, four days a week, nice to see you again. I mean, would be nice to see you again, nice to see you again, nice to run into you in the hall, nice to develop a relationship, nice not feel so alone,” Newsom said.

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Government; Health/Medicine; Politics; Society
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1 posted on 06/22/2026 4:32:24 PM PDT by Red Badger
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To: Red Badger

Great, big win for the tax payers!


2 posted on 06/22/2026 4:35:11 PM PDT by Dave911
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To: Red Badger
State workers argue they have been working efficiently under hybrid schedules since the COVID-19 pandemic.


3 posted on 06/22/2026 4:35:51 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
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To: Red Badger

Great way to clear out some of the deadwood.


4 posted on 06/22/2026 4:39:41 PM PDT by AlaskaErik (There are three kinds of rats: Rats, Damned Rats, and DemocRats.)
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To: Red Badger
I suspect many of these "California state workers" have quietly moved out of state yet continue to collect California-sized paychecks.

Reporting back to the office four days a week might be a bit of a challenge.

5 posted on 06/22/2026 4:40:47 PM PDT by Drew68
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To: Red Badger

FIRE the Unions and everyone is a winner!


6 posted on 06/22/2026 4:42:32 PM PDT by eyeamok
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To: Drew68

This will put Newsom in a bit of a pickle.

If he lets them stay out he appears weak and caving to unions.

If he fires them he loses the unions support...........


7 posted on 06/22/2026 4:43:28 PM PDT by Red Badger (Iryna Zarutska, May 22, 2002 Kyiv, Ukraine – August 22, 2025 Charlotte, North Carolina Say her name)
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To: Red Badger

“Mass exodus” of government employees from their abundant feeding troughs? Not a chance in hell. PARASITES DON’T LEAVE THE HOST ON WHICH THEY’RE FEEDING!


8 posted on 06/22/2026 4:57:38 PM PDT by House Atreides (I’m now ULTRA-MAGA-PRO-MAX)
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To: Red Badger

What’s the downside?


9 posted on 06/22/2026 5:07:12 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Israel first!)
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To: Red Badger

A mass exodus of state employees? Go for it, barnacles!


10 posted on 06/22/2026 5:10:37 PM PDT by Schatze (It's better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

They will all see each other six years older and probably 15-20 pounds heavier than when they last came to ‘work’!.................


11 posted on 06/22/2026 5:10:52 PM PDT by Red Badger (Iryna Zarutska, May 22, 2002 Kyiv, Ukraine – August 22, 2025 Charlotte, North Carolina Say her name)
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To: Red Badger
“Since COVID we have been working and doing the jobs and being efficient and doing the jobs to keep California running,” into the ground.
12 posted on 06/22/2026 5:38:30 PM PDT by Carry_Okie (The tree of liberty needs a rope.)
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To: Red Badger
The State of California can have talent and pay them accordingly to live in some of the most expensive places in the world or they can have remote workers. But they can't have them both.

The only respite these workers have had from the ever-increasing costs of living was relocating to a less expensive area - especially if they have or intend to have children.

I know several supervisors in other states who had their staffs severely attrited when their governor tried the same thing in order to help with the failed fiscal situation in a blue inner city.

In addition to the remote workers they lost, the remaining staff was so overburdened that they headed for the exits as well.

13 posted on 06/22/2026 5:50:55 PM PDT by T.B. Yoits
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To: House Atreides
“Mass exodus” of government employees from their abundant feeding troughs? Not a chance in hell. PARASITES DON’T LEAVE THE HOST ON WHICH THEY’RE FEEDING!

These employees aren't "parasites". There may be some question of quantity or quality but there are plenty of them who are needed to keep things going.

Such mass exoduses happened in other states that tried it. And those states found out they couldn't just reach into private industry to find people with the ability and will to learn the operations from the government side.

I witnessed positions that required ten plus years of progressive experience get filled with recent college graduates. Most of them toughed it out for a year or two before departing themselves.

Add in retirements and the positions were emptying far faster than the agencies could fill them, even with such a mix of underqualified graduates looking for their first job.

And the downtown spending and property values that was the driver behind the "return to the office" didn't materialize anyway.

14 posted on 06/22/2026 5:59:26 PM PDT by T.B. Yoits
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To: T.B. Yoits
There is no "return to the office" for people who never worked there. We had people up to four states away who we would never have been able to hire if not for the remote work starting with the Scamdemic lockdowns.

And the remote workers ran circles around the locals. It wasn't even close.

15 posted on 06/22/2026 6:00:53 PM PDT by T.B. Yoits
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To: T.B. Yoits

Sorry, government employees aren’t special… they can return to the office. Since many of them are currently living “The Life of Riley” with current rules we all understand why they would like to keep on that gravy train. But there won’t be a “mass exodus” should they be ordered “back to the office”.


16 posted on 06/22/2026 6:42:22 PM PDT by House Atreides (I’m now ULTRA-MAGA-PRO-MAX)
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To: Red Badger

How many are ‘ghost’ workers?


17 posted on 06/22/2026 7:06:21 PM PDT by dynachrome (“They don’t kill you because you’re a Nazi; they call you a Nazi so they can kill you.”)
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To: House Atreides
Sorry, government employees aren’t special...

Special? They're doing what industry has been doing, even before the Scamdemic. Nothing special about it at all.

...they can return to the office.

Some of them were never in the office. I know several people hired at different agencies during the Scamdemic who never spent a day in the office. They're never going to "return to the office" they never worked at, especially since they lived several states away.

Since many of them are currently living “The Life of Riley”...

You have no idea what life they're living and are accusing them without any facts.

...they would like to keep on that gravy train.

Many of these government jobs aren't gravy trains and haven't been for years. These agencies have cut pensions, benefits, and staffing years ago. On the civilan side, we've hired employees we couldn't afford if we were paying local salaries which are grossly overinflated due to high costs of living. These government agencies are in the same situation.

But there won’t be a “mass exodus” should they be ordered “back to the office”.

Nice to know you're willing to take that risk for the people of California. Other states tried it and yes, there were mass exoduses. There were also mass retirements. (Which may be the intent of the governor here but that's not what they're selling it as).

18 posted on 06/22/2026 7:25:27 PM PDT by T.B. Yoits
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To: Red Badger

I cannot speak for California, but Arizona agencies have become much LESS efficient since closing offices and pushing people to ID.ME and on-line everything.


19 posted on 06/22/2026 7:35:49 PM PDT by Dr. Sivana ("Whatsoever he shall say to you, do ye." (John 2:5))
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To: Red Badger

FYI:

SEIU STARTED OUT AS A JANITOR UNION IN SO CALIF


20 posted on 06/22/2026 9:07:13 PM PDT by ridesthemiles (not giving up on TRUMP---EVER)
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