Table Talk
1021 Bargaining Wins - Dec. 14, 2007
Cities
CITY OF SAN ANSELMO workers settled a three-year agreement with a 5% raise the first year — retro to July 1, 2007 — with 2-5% more in 2008 and ’09. Members also won fully paid medical, a major reclassification in Public Works, and language to work with the town council to develop affordable housing options for members, who are expected to ratify the deal next week.
After a summer of bargaining and job actions, NAPA CITY employees settled a two-year contract with a 3.5% COLA instead of pay cuts and furloughs after millions in "missing" money was found. Problem now is that the city council refused to give the two employees back pay, despite that the snafu was the city's fault. "We fired them. We're hiring them. That's the process. Too bad," is basically how one council opponent of back pay put it.
On Nov. 21 the Napa City Council voted 5-0 to approve a $1.6 million budget adjustment that included reinstating "as soon as possible" two employees laid off over the summer due to a projected $8 million budget shortfall. Too bad the city actually ran a surplus, the "deficit" caused by managers who apparently can't even balance the city's checkbook.
CITY OF SAUSALITO employees ratified a three-year agreement after a series of contract campaign actions that included a purple t-shirted incursion into a City Council meeting. With such backing in the field, the 1021 bargaining team was able to get a 3-4-5 COLA retro to July 1, a wage study to bring the entire bargaining unit up to 100% of market median salaries, and innovative language that pays 5% for the first year of out-of-class work and 10% beginning the 13th month
"You guys covered our first rally when 1021 started. Now our efforts have paid off," is the word we received from the CITY OF HAYWARD, where, as in Sausalito, city employees took the podium at a City Council meeting back in May (http://seiuaction.org/ct/E7w2mn91Ccif/hayward). After two years of forgoing pay increases, the four-year deal doles out lots of large raises due to a salary study funded jointly by the union and the city.
Superior Courts
After many months of bargaining and a summer of rallies and actions, SEIU 1021 members at the SONOMA SUPERIOR COURT finally won a contract that 95 percent of the membership ratified. Highlights of the 2-year deal include: Status quo on healthcare, 4-3.5 COLA kicking in now and again next September, equity adjustments, and no layoffs due to automation like the introduction of electronic court reporting.
The only remaining issue, which is outside the scope of the contract, is that two shop stewards remain on administrative leave for their refusal to be intimidated during the campaign. Our victory at the table would not have been possible without their courageous leadership.
Schools
It took a board meeting action in June, a back-to-school rally in August, a countdown sticker action in September, and a strike vote in October, but our members in the SAN FRANCISCO COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT finally won and ratified a 3-1/2-year contract that includes a retroactive wage increase and a first-ever Step 8 for classified workers with 20 years of service.
In addition to a 3.5 percent wage increase effective July 1, members got improvements in dental benefits, public safety benefits, and a rise in total release time for union leave up to 88 hours per week for the bargaining unit.
The VACAVILLE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT bargaining team reached agreement on an economic reopener that gives members a 4.5% COLA retroactive to July 1, 2007. Members vote on December 5.
SANTA ROSA JUNIOR COLLEGE just reached a tentative agreement for 2007-2008. Members won a 4.05% COLA and fought off an increase in health premiums.
Special Districts
It's hard for employees of the CALAVERAS COUNTY WATER DISTRICT to attend district board meetings because they're held during the day, when workers are out in the field. That’s why the board recently got a collective earful of outrage from the workers' wives and a contingent of water district retirees over proposed cuts to retiree medical benefits. Three weeks later, 1021 members ratified — with 100% of the vote — a five-year contract that holds the line on medical benefits.
PNP
HUCKLEBERRY YOUTH PROGRAMS in San Francisco reached a tentative agreement (TA) that includes a 3% COLA across the board plus 3-6% increases for various wage steps.
Counties
CALAVERAS COUNTY employees won agency shop by a 3-1 margin in early October, just as they gear up for bargaining on a contract that expires November 30. Agency shop doubles the size of the bargaining unit and means that some 180 new fee-paying employees won't have to wait long to see what benefits collective action can bring.