**Primary Article: Baja California Bureaucrats Strike Over Unresolved Agreement**
The general secretary of the Union of Bureaucrats of Baja California, Guillermo Aldrete Casarín, announced that state governor Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda has backed out of signing an agreement with bureaucrats. The key agreement was supposed to guarantee that a reform to the state’s Issstecali Law would not raise the retirement age to 68.
On November 27, around 500 bureaucrats attended a weekly conference held by the governor to express their opposition to the proposed changes in the law. In response, Governor Ávila Olmeda postponed the conference and met with a commission from the bureaucratic union at the Rosarito Convention Center, which included Aldrete Casarín and other union officials. According to Aldrete, the governor promised not to advance the reform initiative without the union’s consensus and assured that retirement ages and pension systems would remain unchanged.
The expectation was that legal teams from both sides would draft a document capturing the agreements for the governor to sign. However, shortly after the meeting, Aldrete received a call from the governor stating that a video message, rather than a signed agreement, would suffice to inform the public of the resolution.
Aldrete described this as disrespectful, asserting that a written, signed agreement was necessary. As a result, the union decided to proceed with a planned strike at state revenue collection offices starting at 8:00 am on November 28. The strike was set to affect various offices across the seven municipalities of Baja California.
**Secondary Article: Continuing Tensions Over Issstecali Reform**
Despite assurances from the governor, tensions remain high regarding the proposed Issstecali reform. On November 25, as many as 200 bureaucrats disrupted a press conference to protest, demanding clear commitments from the government. The state’s treasury has warned that without reforms, pension payments could default by 2025 due to insufficient funding.
Governor Ávila has publicly addressed these concerns, emphasizing that discussions are still ongoing, and no final decisions have been made. However, the bureaucratic union insists on clear, written agreements to protect their members’ rights and conditions.
Throughout the negotiations, the bureaucratic union has maintained its stand, showcasing their essential role in everyday state operations. The potential reforms and the government’s back-and-forth responses have sparked considerable debate about the future of labor rights and pension systems in the region.