The leaders of California's chapter of the Service Employees International Union were authorized to strike if necessary in a vote by union members Saturday. Although no strike is planned by the union as of yet, leaders hope to use the threat of a walk-off to pressure the state legislature to ratify a new contract signed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in February. In addition, SEIU officials hope to end state-imposed furloughs introduced by Schwarzenegger in the new state budget, in which state workers are forced to stay home without pay three days a month. Although the union's current contract prohibits strikes, the union says that the state forfeited the right to enforce the clause when the furloughs, which the SEIU considers illegal, were imposed.
See "Members of state workers union grant authorization for strike", Evan Halper, Los Angeles Times, August 2, 2009