Published on December 10th 2011
The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors approved an 18-month contract with SEIU 1021 members this week, following a supermajority ratification vote among members the week before.
The votes happened only after long and contentious negotiations. Our bargaining team made significant movement at the table, but county negotiators stalled and instead marched towards imposition -- an anti-union tactic that SEIU1021 members have been confronting with increasing frequency all over the local.
"The county clearly had a goal of imposition in mind. We were able to avoid that fate, but it was a close call," said Patrick Ikeda, president of the San Joaquin County chapter.
Contract impositions have hit SEIU 1021 members like a plague epidemic. Our members bargained more than 100 contracts in 2011 -- more than half the local -- everywhere facing this strategic effort to attack collective bargaining and take back any gains that we and other unions have made throughout the years.
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