Posted on 07/14/2026 12:30:55 PM PDT by Libloather
State workers have completed their first full work week since California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered them to return to the office four days a week starting July 1 — and in addition to parking complaints, workers now claim they’re being forced to work in disease-plagued state offices.
Workers’ union Service Employees International Union Local 1000 claimed recently that “unsafe, or potentially unsafe working conditions” have been reported at government buildings, specifically at the Department of Industrial Relations Building in Lodi.
The union said Legionella bacteria was detected in the building last month, contaminating a line that connects to an icemaker.
The bacteria is capable of causing a severe type of pneumonia if infected water is consumed and often grows in “human-made water building systems,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Department of Industrial Relations indicated it’s trying to resolve the issue, such as potentially through flushing plumbing fixtures and the water system. It will notify staff members of any needed precautions, a spokesperson told the Sacramento Bee.
“DIR has shared these findings with property management for the leased building and is coordinating with them as they implement the necessary corrective actions,” said the spokesperson.
Apparently, state government buildings have had a history with the germ.
The union said it’s monitoring other buildings with past incidents, such as the offices for the California Public Employees’ Retirement System.
There are other issues, the union claims. There is a bedbug infestation at the California Department of Education discovered last month by employees. Department of General Services Assistant Deputy Director Fallon Okwuosa told the Bee it acted immediately.
“It is not true that there is an ‘infestation’ at the building, nor is it true that DGS has refused to treat the whole building,” said Okwuosa, who added they were...
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Dear FRiends,
We need your continuing support to keep FR funded. Your donations are our sole source of funding. No sugar daddies, no advertisers, no paid memberships, no commercial sales, no gimmicks, no tax subsidies. No spam, no pop-ups, no ad trackers.
If you enjoy using FR and agree it's a worthwhile endeavor, please consider making a contribution today:
Click here: to donate by Credit Card
Or here: to donate by PayPal
Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794
Thank you very much and God bless you,
Jim
When they came back to work, the buildings became infested?
In the ‘80s I worked in a building in midtown Manhattan. We had a mad crapper doing it in the elevators and offices. it was about a union feud.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.