Environmentalism

California Public Sector Union Threatens Environmental Lawsuit Over Gavin Newsom's Return-to-Office Policy

Unionized state workers say agencies need to study the additional emissions that would be caused by requiring employees to come into the office four days a week.

Christian Britschgi | 5.28.2026 4:45 PM

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(Illustration: Bureau of Reclamation/Wikimedia Commons/Radomianin/Wikimedia Commons)

California's onerous and easily exploitable environmental review law is being pushed to new levels of absurdity by unionized state workers who are threatening to use it to block Gov. Gavin Newsom's return-to-office mandate. 

Since early last year, Newsom's administration has been in the process of winding down COVID-era telework arrangements for state workers. Earlier this month, the governor's office issued memos to state agencies telling them to implement a four-day, in-office requirement by July 1. 

State employee unions have actively opposed Newsom's return-to-office policies by filing unfair labor complaints with state........

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