Salinas deems all city workers essential, orders everyone back to work on Monday.

Here's how to rile up a workforce.

First you comply with state and local shelter-in-place orders, shut down all but essential services and send everyone who isn't considered an essential employee home on paid administrative leave.

Then, when the Monterey County health officer orders shelter-in-place orders to be even more restrictive, you decide every full-time employee is in fact an essential worker, announce you're cutting off their administrative leave pay and tell them to report back to work.

And then, according to some of the employees who are being told to come back to work, you fail to communicate with them about plans to keep them safe once they're back in the office.

That's the contention of union representatives from the City of Salinas, which on April 3 sent an email from the human resources department announcing paid leave would end on April 10. The email also stated that while city offices, parks and libraries would still be closed to the public they should all come back to work and if they can't come back to work because they're caring for children at home or caring for someone who might be ill, they should file for the Family First Coronavirus Response Act, which allows for 80 hours of paid leave for workers whose jobs and ability to work has been impacted by the pandemic.

At a press conference held April 8, City Manager Ray Corpuz said 120 full-time workers are being brought back; no part-timers or temporary workers are included in the order. Employees were sent home on March 18 with the idea everyone would come back on April 7, but that date was selected before Health Officer Edward Moreno's more restrictive shelter-in-place order was enacted on April 4. 

"We made a decision to bring everyone back and I think that's important. The city is an essential service provider and we have many other things besides Covid that we need to address to make sure our citizens receive services," Corpuz says. "We need to make sure our employees are ready to respond to emergencies as quickly as possible." 

It's possible, Corpuz says, city employees can be pressed into service providing disaster relief. "Under their oath and what we've discussed with our city attorney and other legal advisories, we think that's appropriate." 

Employees who return to work on April 13 will either be doing their regular jobs, or providing disaster relief services. Workers will be advised about social distancing protocol, and Corpuz says the city has ordered sufficient personal protective equipment, or PPE, for its employees.

"Some people will decide to stay and shelter at home, and they can do that. Some people will want to work from home and they can telework. We have options for employees," he says. 

But city workers who hold positions with the SEIU say the city's communications of its plans have been woefully inadequate. 

"We were very surprised because this doesn't seem to be in line with the county's shelter-in-place order, and we know they're not prepared to have us back," says Daniela DeBaca, a code enforcement officer for the city and co-president of the Salinas Municipal Employees Association, or SMEA. "They have not been in communication with us since March 31 and at that time, the HR manager admitted they didn't have the PPE for even the employees they still had working. One department was sharing one mask, it was that bad."

DeBaca says the union has repeatedly asked Corpuz for a meeting—to get their questions answered and concerns addressed—but say they have received no response. 

"We had demanded to speak with him because HR was unable to provide all the information we asked for and we have not heard from him at all," she says. "We have had no communication and we would like open communication with the employees. We want the administrative leave extended until we know they can provide PPE, social distancing and make accommodations for some of us to work from home."

In an email sent out the afternoon of April 10, city HR director Marina Horta-Gallegos writes that "return to work may consist of performance of regular assigned duties at usual workstations/offices, telework or a combination of these, and possible rotation to ensure social distancing.

"Additionally, employees may be assigned disaster service activities, such as making masks or tutoring students remotely, to address the current pandemic."

Included with the email are four attachments: an explanation of employee rights via the Family First Coronavirus Response Act; the city's emergency order; social distancing protocols; and an explanation of what constitutes a critical infrastructure worker.

Julia Nix, SMEA co-president and an employee in the city's recreation department, says the city has financial reserves to cover situations like this, and that the union has sent Public Records Act requests as to what portions of the budget are being used during the pandemic and what remains untouched.

For those who remain on the job, "We've been asking for hazard pay and they say this doesn't qualify," Nix says. "The city's behavior has been irresponsible and it's not for the betterment or health of the employees."