Community Voices Union Support As Alton Public Works Strike Continues
Union representative says striking workers are “not backing down” after months without a contract and sudden loss of health insurance.
Alton City Council Hears Data Center Opposition, Union Concerns and Approves Public Comment Changes
ALTON – Calls are growing for Alton leaders to bring Public Works employees back to work by negotiating a fair contract for all Teamsters Local 525 union members.
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During public comments at the Oct. 28, 2026 Alton City Council meeting, several community members expressed support for union members who have been negotiating a new contract for nearly a year.
Jay Steinhauer, business agent for Teamsters Local 525, spoke on behalf of union members “who keep the City of Alton running.” The union represents the city’s Public Works Department, which includes the Street Department, Animal Control, Storm Water Maintenance, Forestry Division and more.
“We began our negotiations for this contract 343 days ago today,” Steinhauer said. “We have come to the table in good faith looking for a fair and reasonable agreement – yet after nearly one year, we’re still staring at critical, unacceptable gaps in two of the most basic necessities for working families: fair wages and affordable health insurance.”
Public Works employees are requesting a 16% pay raise by the end of the next contract term in 2029. This could amount to a 4% raise each year for four years or a 0% raise in 2026 with higher raises to follow. The city has previously offered annual wage increases of 3% through 2030.
Since the strike began on Sept. 25, 2026, Steinhauer said Alton has already lost two Public Works employees to departments elsewhere offering better wages and benefits.
“These guys are not asking for handouts or extravagant packages, they are asking for fair wages that reflect the rising cost of living and the essential nature of their work,” Steinhauer said. “They are asking for affordable healthcare that doesn’t force them to choose between taking a family member to the doctor or paying a utility bill.”
Steinhauer urged City Council members to get involved as stewards of the city’s budget and priorities to reach an agreement, as the strike shows no signs of stopping.
“If anyone in City Hall is banking on the idea that dragging his process out will wear us down, let me be perfectly clear. We are just one month into this strike, and our members are standing together stronger than ever,” he said. “There is zero indication of anyone backing down – our resolve is only growing stronger because we know what our work is worth and we know what our families deserve.”
Lifelong Alton resident Victoria Sutton, a wife and mother of three, reminded council members that “behind every single city employee is a family.” She said her husband is “not trying to become wealthy; he wants to be treated fairly and respected.”
Sutton also criticized the city’s decision to cut health insurance for striking employees, despite employees repeatedly asking city officials if and when their insurance would be cut. She added that she and her children could suffer life-threatening consequences without access to their medications.
Steinhauer previously confirmed the city abruptly cut union members’ health insurance on Oct. 3, 2026, since they worked less than 30 hours over a previous pay period during the strike. Members were notified their insurance had been cut six days later in an Oct. 9, 2026 email from the city’s Human Resources department.
Lashod Robinson, who plans to run for Mayor of Alton in the April 2029 elections, said union members are already being “stretched thin” by rising grocery and utility costs, aside from dealing with a sudden loss of health insurance.
“There are workers out here fighting because they want to put food on their tables. Their insurance is being taken and their premiums just went up last year – now they have to pay for it themselves?” Robinson said. “You guys are working at the expense of us while we struggle every day. Our lives start with our local government … our people deserve more now.”
A recording of the Oct. 28, 2026 Alton City Council meeting is available at the top of this story or on Riverbender.com/video.
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