State employees reported asbestos, bedbugs, waterborne bacteria and other “hazardous conditions” in government workplaces after returning to offices under Gov. Gavin Newsom’s mandate.
In a press release Thursday, Service Employees International Union Local 1000 said that workers reported “unsafe, or potentially unsafe working conditions” after the in-person work mandate took effect July 1.
Legionella bacteria concern in Lodi building
The statement details a recent discovery of Legionella bacteria in the Department of Industrial Relations Building in Lodi, which the union says was detected in June 2026. The bacteria has contaminated a line that connects to an icemaker used by employees, according to the statement.
The press release also mentions that the union is monitoring several other state buildings where Legionella had been discovered previously, such as the complex that houses the Department of Public Health in 2024 and the California Public Employees’ Retirement System offices in 2019…