911 dispatchers and health care workers rallied Thursday at the Santa Clara County Government Center. They're part of the county's largest union, which has been in labor negotiations since April. They say a shortage of workers is endangering public safety and putting the county at financial risk when it comes to health care reform.
"When our best and most skilled workers are leaving for better compensation elsewhere and we face challenges recruiting quality staff, our community suffers," said Luisa Blue from SEIU Local 521.
911 dispatchers say they're working mandatory overtime and claim the stress is posing a threat to public safety.
Santa Clara County issued a statement late on Thursday saying, "The new mandatory overtime policy was implemented to ensure the safety of the public and public safety personnel."
