Zoo Workers Resume Picket Over Wages

Animal care staff at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens returned to the picket line in Palm Desert over wages and a first union contract.

Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Unions

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Animal care workers returned to the picket line Saturday, October 31, at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert, California. The dispute centers on wages and the workers' first union contract, which negotiations have sought to resolve for more than three years.

Why it matters

The stalemate over a first contract shows how long bargaining can stretch after a union vote, with the workers' pay and the zoo's final offer still apart. Unfair labor practice claims and a mediation request place the dispute before the National Labor Relations Board.

The union has filed three unfair labor practice claims with the National Labor Relations Board, while its mediation request has gone unanswered. Negotiations have run more than three years since employees first voted to unionize in January 2023, and the status of the NLRB claims has not been disclosed.

The players

The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens

A zoo and botanical garden in Palm Desert, California, known for its desert wildlife and plant collections, which is the employer in this labor dispute.

National Labor Relations Board

The federal agency that enforces U.S. labor law, including handling unfair labor practice charges and union election disputes.

The details

Workers demonstrated outside the Palm Desert zoo calling for higher wages. The zoo presented the union with its "comprehensive last, best, and final proposal," which includes agreeing to the union's proposed wage scale, while The Living Desert has denied union-busting and retaliation allegations.

January 2023: Employees first voted to unionize.
May: Workers picketed, and some employees accused zoo management of union-busting and retaliation.
October 31: Workers returned to the picket line at the zoo in Palm Desert.

Political Context

The union's unfair labor practice claims and mediation request follow the process set by the National Labor Relations Act of 1935 for disputes over first contracts. Whether the zoo's final offer and the union's wage demands can be reconciled under that framework remains the central question.

Residents who visit the zoo may encounter picketing, and the outcome of the NLRB mediation request could affect future staffing and admission operations. The dispute is unresolved as workers and management remain apart on wages.

The takeaway

Long gaps between a union vote and a first contract can leave wage disputes unresolved for years, and formal channels like NLRB mediation often become the next step. Watching how the zoo responds to any union proposal will show whether the dispute moves toward a deal.