A back and forth battle between Santa Clara and its engineering union has reached a boiling point after the city placed a beloved employee on paid leave.
Engineers of the City of Santa Clara, which represents dozens of engineers, recently sent a letter to the City Council demanding fair treatment for all employees amid growing concerns over retaliation, retention and wages. The letter, signed by seven of the city’s 10 classified employee unions, cites Santa Clara’s proposed dismissal of longtime electrical engineer Julia Black, who was placed on paid administrative leave in September.
The letter said Black’s dismissal “raises serious questions” about whether the city’s disciplinary and investigatory processes “are being used impartially or as tools of retaliation.”
Black could not be reached for comment. Her leave prompted the union to file a legal unfair practice charge against Santa Clara with the California Public Employment Relations Board in September, claiming the city is violating labor laws. The charge alleges the city retaliated against Black for her extensive involvement in labor negotiations that have been ongoing since May, along with a report she filed against her manager for a hostile work environment.
Union workers, who have been working under an expired contract since July, want a 12% raise in the first year of the three-year contract, followed by 3% each consecutive year. The city’s best offer is 3.5% for the first year, followed by 3% each year after, according to union officials.
A union spokesperson, who asked for anonymity out of fear of retaliation, said existing wages are below average after many employees went without pay increases during the pandemic. The 2021-25 expired contract offered zero increase for two years for some employees, with a total of 8% in the third year for some civil engineers. They said morale is at an all-time low across the city’s unions, many of which are also facing hostile work environments involving human resources.
“There’s been a lot of stonewalling with information and not responding,” the spokesperson told San José Spotlight. “Everyone’s kind of fed up.”
The union also wants Black reinstated, as well as the city to pay interest it says it owes Black and other employees; a civil penalty of $1,000 for approximately all of its 42 employees after management pressed for inside union information; and assurance the city will stop the alleged retaliatory and discriminatory practices.
The charge argues one of the main reasons the city cited for Black’s leave — working overtime without approval — holds no weight because most employees work late to meet an increasing workload while understaffed. City engineers told San José Spotlight they are expected to complete numerous Measure I projects, funded by a $400 million infrastructure bond, on top of preparations for the 2026 Super Bowl, FIFA World Cup and the Silicon Valley Power expansion.
No other employee was disciplined for overtime, the charge said, adding Santa Clara went straight to placing Black on leave even though she has no previous disciplinary record in her 16 and a half years with the city.
City spokesperson Janine De la Vega said the city can’t discuss Black’s leave because it’s confidential personnel information. She said generally, overtime is subject to approval, adding the city values the importance of fair, consistent and meaningful implementation of its policies. She also said the city has hired six engineers since May to fill vacancies and added positions.
“Paid administrative leave is not a punitive action as the employee remains whole while on administrative leave, there is no loss of salary and/or seniority with the city,” De la Vega told San José Spotlight. “The city places great importance on its policies and procedures including its anti-retaliation policy and reiterates its commitment to providing a safe and protected working environment for its employees.”
The engineers union has the support of hundreds of separate unionized employees behind it, including Santa Clara Police Officers Association President Jeremy Schmidt. Schmidt said he wants assurance retaliatory measures won’t happen again.
“If anyone in the city leadership is under the impression that it’s acceptable to bully unions, all of the unions have to stand in solidarity against that,” he told San José Spotlight.
This isn’t the first time the city has gotten into a union scuffle. In 2022, union leaders supported former Councilmember Anthony Becker over Mayor Lisa Gillmor for the council’s top position after this news organization revealed Gillmor lobbied against prevailing wages.
The engineer union’s letter to councilmembers caught Gillmor’s attention. She said classified employees play a vital role in Santa Clara, adding while negotiations are confidential, the goal is a resolution that supports employees and serves residents.
“We respect their advocacy and remain focused on achieving a fair and sustainable resolution,” Gillmor told San José Spotlight. “We deeply value our staff and want every individual and every group to be treated fairly and with dignity.”
The union representative said they’re afraid to step up to fight this, but that it’s the right thing to do.
“I feel like I’m flying pretty close to the sun here,” they said. “But we got all the groups behind us because somebody’s got to stand up to this.”
Contact Annalise Freimarck at [email protected] or follow @annalise_ellen on X.