The San Jose City Council on Tuesday approved a major pay raise for more than 4,000 city workers who were prepared to go on strike, but the mayor says it's too much and will put city services in jeopardy.
The council voted to give employees from two unions a pay raise of up to 15% over three years.
"I think it is a huge win for both of our unions, just collectively across the board," union representative Nick Rovetto said.
Those union members include people working at animal care services, the airport and libraries.
While Mayor Matt Mahan agrees the employees deserve a raise, he said giving that much of a pay increase will force the city to cut services to balance the budget down the road.
"What our working families will likely see because of this is higher taxes and service cuts such as library hours and 911 response times," he said. "While a majority of my colleagues support this deal, I cannot."
Representatives from the union disagree.
"I think we have a deal in play that's the best for the city, the administration, the employees and most importantly the residents of San Jose," David Nerhood said.
Union leaders also said with better pay, San Jose will likely be able to retain more qualified employees.
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Union members will now vote on whether to approve the contract. A final decision is expected in the next few days.
If city workers approve the agreement, the council will vote on whether to ratify it in September.
