By Daniel Schwartz, TME

On March 5, 2025, Kern county workers at a variety of public agencies participated in a one-day strike, in protest of severe understaffing across county departments. SEIU Local 521 (SEIU), a union representing “53k+ public, nonprofit & private-sector workers across Central & Northern California” is organizing the strike. Ana Cabrera, a Human Service Technician for 16 years with the Lamont District Office and SEIU member participating in the strike, estimated roughly 1,000 striking employees were picketing on Truxtun Avenue in Bakersfield. Per Cabrera, smaller showings of solidarity / picketing occurred in Lamont and Mojave.

SEIU issued a statement on March 3 by Alicia Aleman, County Social Worker and SEIU Local 521 Kern County Chapter President, saying, “Every day county workers endure severe understaffing across all departments—from critically short-staffed 9-1-1 call centers to overwhelmed child protective services struggling to support families, and behavioral and mental health services who don’t have the staff they need to curb rising homelessness and overdoses. Kern County is in crisis, and frontline workers are striking to demand change…(please see below to view full stories and photographs)

Photo captions:

Above and right: SEIU strikers

Above: A group of striking picketers in Lamont

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This is part of the March 7, 2025 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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