An Imposing Task: SEIU 1021 fights back against epidemic of contract impositions

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.

The City of San Ramon had a contract imposed this summer. In November, after months of fruitless negotiations, Mendocino County workers were forced into imposition that included a 12.5 percent wage cut. Now Mendocino Superior Court workers are facing the prospect of imposition and developing a response.

Imposition is not bargaining

The management strategy for imposition goes like this: Give a last, best and final offer, declare impasse, endure mediation with no intent to settle, and then impose. Imposition creates a climate for employers to behave in an anti-union, anti-worker manner. All they have to do is ignore our proposals until bargaining breaks down; then they simply impose the terms and conditions they want on workers, who live under imposition in limbo, without a contract or job security. It repeals collective bargaining not by law, but through administrative pig-headedness.

San Joaquin supervisors set a deadline of Nov. 23 -- the day before Thanksgiving -- for declaring imposition; but a strong effort by the bargaining team and a tough weekend of negotiations resulted in a tentative agreement on Nov. 20.

The TA included significant takeaways, but members knew that such a contract was better than none at all and living under the uncertainty of imposition. That meant months of frustrating bargaining sessions, where the employer barely moved at the table while telling us we weren't moving far enough. But really, it meant SEIU 1021 members wouldn't accept their bad proposals.

"These are concessionary times, and these cuts are less deep than what would have been imposed upon us by the county," Ikeda said.

While concession bargaining in 2010 included furloughs and layoffs, the anti-worker sentiment that comes with imposition means employers will continue to use it in 2012 as scores more contracts are set to expire throughout the local.

A ray of hope

Our San Joaquin members staved off imposition for one simple reason: They fought back hard.

They launched a successful public campaign, including a high-profile press campaign to hold management accountable in local newspapers and on TV for wasteful spending, taking them to task on the so-called Cafeteria Plan and other unfair perks and bad policies.

Ikeda said having a public campaign was key to fighting their imposition. "We just hammered them in the press," he said.

Members also offered solutions to the county on ways to save money -- from health care and pension reform to curbing wasteful management spending. But the county stalled for months nonetheless, not wanting to hear creative solutions.

Imposing victory

Sometimes we prevent imposition, and these victories can teach and inspire us in the future. In addition to San Joaquin, management tried but failed to impose in the cities of Fremont and Emeryville; and in Solano County after members voted last week to ratify their TA, which included significant takeaways.

"With the tough contract vote behind us, we look ahead to our next challenge. We must remain true to our resolution to fight for fair shared sacrifices from county leaders," said Solano chapter President Jennifer LaRiviere. "For the benefit of not only our members, but for all Solano County residents, we must continue to work together."

In response to the imposition crisis, the SEIU 1021 Education & Training Department is offering a new training on dealing with impositions; visit www.1021training.info in the coming weeks to find out when and where. In addition, members can take contract campaign and bargaining workshops at the 1021 Convention in February.

San Joaquin County members mapped out a strong contract campaign, with hundreds of engaged members attending CAT meetings and holding rallies and other events. They are also prepared to continue the fight for a better contract and a more livable San Joaquin County.

"Ultimately we need to remember that this contract expires on June 30, 2013," said Ikeda." We have one-and-a-half years to work, to prepare, and to organize in order to win our successor contract. Preparation has already begun."