Countering the County

Union contests latest contract offer

Vacaville Reporter

By Danny Bernardini
Article Launched: 04/23/2008 05:59:20 AM PDT

If anyone near downtown Fairfield on Tuesday was unaware of the stalled negotiations between Solano County and the Service Employees International Union, they soon had good evidence.

A sea of purple and yellow filled Texas and Jefferson streets as hundreds of employees funneled into the Solano County Government Building courtyard. Their march and rally began the afternoon and most employees did not return to work as part of a walkout.

View the Reporter's photos of the event.

As the well-organized and orderly group marched through the closed streets, they were shadowed by a throng of law enforcement people, some in riot gear.

The union members were led by a decked-out flatbed truck full of boisterous union leaders armed with noise makers and bullhorns. An estimated 1,000 people carrying signs with threats like "Give us a new contract or we'll get a new board" took part in the event, according to Carlos Rivera, SEIU local 1021 spokesman.

Although the original aim of the rally was to get the county to return to the bargaining table, a date of May 2 for talks to resume already had been agreed upon by the time the demonstration started.

The county and SEIU haven't met at the bargaining table since March 13, but have met 78 times since May 14, 2007, to negotiate a new labor contract. The current contract expired Oct. 7, and in November a mediator was brought in.

While most union labor disputes hinge largely on monetary issues, that is not the case with SEIU . The two sticking points are:

•Limiting long-term sick leave for employees who have severe injuries or sicknesses to 12 weeks plus whatever that employee has accrued, and;

•Allowing some employees to work alternative schedules that differ from the 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. shifts and traditional five-day work weeks.

Rivera said the rally proved that the issues the bargaining team are holding out for are supported by members.

"I don't think (the county) believed we were speaking for the union. These two issues are very important to the people," Rivera said. "If that doesn't convince them, I don't know what it will take. What else do we have to show them?"

Rivera said SEIU members from Vallejo filled several buses and traveled to the rally. Also joining the throng from out of town were event organizers who helped keep order.

The rally was attended by a couple local government leaders and two candidates for office. Supervisor Barbara Kondylis, Suisun City Mayor Pete Sanchez and supervisor candidates Skip Thomson and Linda Seifert all climbed atop the flatbed truck and spoke to the crowd.

The street closures and police presence - including CHP, Fairfield Police, Vacaville Police and Benicia Police - came about after the union approached them warning of the march. Although the original plan was to have the group march down Texas Street, the majority were directed down Jefferson Street by police. In a compromise, about 40 people were allowed to take to the sidewalks of Texas Street instead.

Rivera said SEIU made it clear the rally would be peaceful. "The Fairfield Police were a little over exaggerated. What did they expect we were going to do?" he said. "We love police officers because they protect us, but today they were bullying us."

Fairfield Police Lt. Al Bagos said earlier in the day that the security was part of a normal response when large protest rallies are planned and the officers were only there to assure that matters remained orderly.