More than 2,000 Contra Costa County workers, including licensed vocational nurses and health services staff, voted overwhelmingly on Saturday, July 25, to authorize a strike if contract talks with the county fail.

The vote passed with more than 90% support, according to the Contra Costa County Teamsters, which represents the workers across what the union says are more than 250 county job classifications. No strike has been called. The authorization gives union leadership the power to call one if negotiations break down.

The next bargaining session between the union and the county is set for Tuesday, July 28, according to the Teamsters.

A strike could disrupt operations at Contra Costa Health's nine ambulatory care health centers across the county, which serve Medi-Cal and Contra Costa Health Plan members. Maintenance workers and other public-facing county employees are also among those who voted.

The workers' previous contract expired June 30. Negotiations to replace it have stretched over several months without a deal.

Matt Finnegan, the Teamsters' chief negotiator, said in a statement that the county has fallen behind on pay compared with surrounding agencies.

"Contra Costa County has consistently lagged behind neighboring jurisdictions when it comes to compensation," Finnegan said. "We are simply asking the county to implement a long-term plan to address these inequities to ensure that the best qualified employees can afford to continue to serve the public in the county they love."

The union has urged the county to adopt what it called a fair compensation structure that values workers providing critical public services.

The strike authorization comes roughly one year after a July 2025 Teamsters strike against Republic Services, the nation's second-largest waste hauler, disrupted trash collection in west Contra Costa County before service returned to normal.

Contra Costa County did not respond to a request for comment as of Saturday, according to Claycord, which first reported the vote.