Kern County’s largest labor union has agreed to more contract talks with the County.

A one-day strike following months of negotiations dating back to May 2024 have yielded no results, and members of the Service Employees International Union Local 521 announced Friday the two parties will return to the bargaining table with a mediator to settle what the union calls “unfair labor practices.”

The union’s some 5,200-plus members say non-competitive wages have led to low staffing, high turnover and diminished services to county residents.

Officials say the county can’t sustain the union’s wage demands but have offered several increases in the past several years.