The San José City Council on Tuesday approved agreements with two unions representing nearly 4,500 city workers, averting a historic strike that threatened to disrupt basic city services.
The vote follows the announcement of a deal reached late Monday, hours before a scheduled work stoppage that would have been the city’s largest in more than 40 years — potentially shuttering libraries and community centers and also delaying permitting and inspections. The council’s approval came despite objections from Mayor Matt Mahan, who blasted the pact as irresponsible and predicted it would lead to painful budget cuts.