Union protest pops at County Supervisors' meeting

<p>A quiet labor union demonstration Tuesday before Sonoma County supervisors turned unexpectedly loud when balloons brought in as props by union members burst during the meeting.</p><p>The disturbance involved several dozen members of the county's largest labor union, SEIU Local 1021, who had gathered in the board chambers to protest ongoing contract talks.</p><p>Carrying purple balloons emblazoned with the word “Enough,” union members took their seats quietly during a board presentation on county parks. As the meeting progressed, union members released more than two dozen balloons, which rose to rest on the room's 20-foot ceiling.</p><p>Several popped when they touched the light fixtures, startling members of the audience. The noise prompted board Chairwoman Shirlee Zane to interrupt the hearing and issue an unusual request: hold onto your balloons.</p><p>“The heat is going to make them pop,” she said. “Be respectful that we have other agenda items and presentations.”</p><p>After the meeting ended, Russell Mortensen, a county building mechanic, retrieved the balloons.</p><p>An SEIU Local 1021 representative could not be reached hours later for comment on the protest.</p>