Protest outside Fresno County supervisors' homes leaves some residents shaken up

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- Dozens of cars with honking horns and flashing lights surrounded the homes of at least two Fresno County Board Supervisors Thursday night.

Julie Magsig says it was around 6:30 pm Thursday. She was getting ready to run an errand, but when she opened her garage door, dozens of cars were blocking her street and driveway.

"(I was) in my car wondering how I was actually going to back out because there were so many cars circling in the cul-de-sac," Magsig said.

The cars were part of a protest organized by the SEIU 2015 union. The union represents long-term care workers statewide, about 21,000 in Fresno County alone.

Union officials say the Fresno County Board of Supervisors wants to cut healthcare benefits for providers in a county program that subsidizes in-home care.

On Thursday, members gathered at the union's office in East Central Fresno before participating in a "car caravan" that targeted the homes of Nathan Magsig and Steve Brandau, two outspoken county supervisors.

You can see several cars in the video taken near Brandau's home.

The union says it was a "5-minute peaceful action," but Magsig disagrees.

"There was nothing peaceful about it," she said. "Clearly loud. Honking your horn, 15-20 cars in the cul-de-sac. (A) very small cul-de-sac at that."

The county sheriff's office told Action News that after learning about the protest, deputies conducted patrols around the homes of all five board supervisors.

But while the car caravan seemed to ruffle feathers, Action News legal analyst Tony Capozzi says union members have a right to peacefully protest on public roads.

"When you're in public office, you open yourself up to criticism, to protests like this," Capozzi said. "You asked for the job, you got the job, and now you got to bear the burden."

In a lengthy statement to Action News, union president Arnulfo De La Cruz said the group's members are "essential workers" who face low wages and often struggle to make ends meet.

"The Fresno Board of Supervisors threatens to completely eliminate healthcare coverage in order to bring their shockingly lowball offer of a 15 raise up to 85," the statement read, in part.

"The Supervisors are now refusing to speak or negotiate with our members-we have not heard from them in a month," Cruz said.

For news updates, follow Gabe Ferris on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.