Long Beach Reached Tentative Labor Agreement With Union

The deal covers 874 city employees and includes salary increases over a three-year contract term.

Updated on Sept. 30, 2026 in Unions

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of a geometric civic seal and structural architectural elements, representing municipal labor policy. — Long Beach officials and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers have ratified a three-year labor agreement, providing salary increases for 874 city employees. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Long Beach officials have secured a tentative labor agreement with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers following four months of bargaining. Union members ratified the new contract, which includes salary raises and a mandatory annual winter holiday closure.

Why it matters

The city aims to boost the recruitment and retention of skilled workers to address staffing shortages. This move is intended to help the municipal government maintain competitive labor standards within a difficult fiscal environment.

The agreement covers 874 city employees with salary increases of 2% in the first year and 3.5% in the second and third years. The city vacancy rate has dropped to 17% from 24% in November 2024, with an average hiring time of 90 days.

The players

Long Beach City Council

This body serves as the legislative branch of the city government responsible for voting on final municipal contracts.

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers

This labor union represents skilled electrical and utility workers across various sectors including municipal government.

The details

The contract allows employees to bank up to 120 hours of overtime and mandates that non-essential services close annually from Christmas Day through New Year's Day. Representatives reached these terms after holding four formal bargaining meetings that began in April 2026.

Bargaining meetings between the city and IBEW began in April 2026.
Union members ratified the agreement on September 1, 2026.
The contract term begins on October 1, 2026.
The City Council will consider the agreement on October 6, 2026.
The contract term is scheduled to end on September 30, 2029.

Political Context

Opposition leaders and fiscal conservatives often argue that such multi-year salary increases place an unsustainable burden on municipal taxpayers. This critique suggests that while recruitment is vital, the city must balance worker retention against broader budgetary constraints.

Residents should anticipate that non-essential city services will remain closed during the annual winter holiday period beginning on Christmas Day. The agreement serves as a regulatory step to stabilize city staffing levels, which may lead to more consistent service delivery throughout the year.

The takeaway

This agreement signals a shift toward structured recruitment incentives to combat municipal staffing vacancy rates. Employees now have clearer policies regarding overtime banking and holiday scheduling, which may improve long-term retention.