The city said it needs the money to avoid a fiscal crisis. Those affected include clerical, maintenance, and animal control workers who earn between $50,000 and $78,000 a year.
The most recent cut is on top of a 12-percent pay and benefits cut agreed to in recent years.
At a rally Tuesday evening, the leader of one of Hayward's employee groups says the city's move to impose a contract on them is unnecessary.
"They declared impasse several months ago and they have refused to negotiate with us. We would like to get back to the table and begin negotiations again," SEIU Local 1021 Chapter President Linda Reid said.
SEIU Local 1021 represents 300 clerical, dispatch, maintenance, library and animal control workers in Hayward.
The average total compensation package salary, plus benefits for SEIU's workers in Hayward is about $106,000 per year.
"We have been working with all our labor groups," Assistant City Manager Kelly McAdoo said.
McAdoo says the SEIU is only being asked to do what other labor units have already done to help the city avoid a fiscal crisis.
"The city still has a structural deficit that we've been facing in our operating budget. Our expenses continue to rise. We're also not addressing a lot of our unfunded benefit liabilities," McAdoo said.
SEIU leaders said if the council imposes the latest cuts, some of their workers won't be able to afford to live where they work.
