County Continues to Break Labor Laws, Shuts Down Negotiations

    
While the SEIU 1021 Bargaining Team continues to make every effort for an agreement, the County walked away from negotiations late Monday night.
     The County continues to break the law by bargaining in bad faith and disrespecting workers who want a settlement agreement.
    “Once more the County has demonstrated how truly it does not respect or value its lowest-paid workers,” said Patrick Ikeda, Chapter President of SEIU 1021.
     It appeared there was new progress at the table when the two parties traded and discussed proposals for hours. The Bargaining Team thought there would be an agreement that night.
     Although the Union showed up with a smaller group of Bargaining Team members to get down to business, no decision-makers from the County joined the discussion.
    Then at midnight, County negotiators came back into the room and said they completed their requirement to meet but that we are not at an agreement, and that impasse was never lifted. The Union will be filing more Unfair Labor Practices (ULP). Last week the Union filed legal action against the County because refusing to bargain when a party is not legitimately at impasse is a ULP.
    When done correctly, impasse means the employer and Union are too far apart to agree, and have nothing left to bargain over, so the County can impose their “Last, Best and Final Offer” on workers.
    But in reality, the Union has a lot to bargain, and the County continues to violate rules of bargaining. 
    The Bargaining Team did everything to reach an agreement, and still hopes one can be reached.
    “The actions of the County Monday night unequivocally say that they could not care less about whether their workers are able to maintain their homes, clothe and feed their children,” said Ikeda.
    The Board of Supervisors is set to consider imposing the terms and conditions of their choosing onto workers on Tuesday, Nov. 22.