Monterey County Contract Campaign Central

PERB has upheld the ALJ’s decision in our favor AND granted our request to clarify and adjust the remedial order!

Click here to download the entire decision!

The County is now ordered to:
✅ Rescind the unilateral reduction of rest breaks and restore them to 15 minutes
✅ Void all forms unilaterally created since January 1, 2023, and void any forms signed by SEIU-represented members
✅ Bargain in good faith over these issues
✅ Make SEIU-represented employees whole by providing backpay for:

• The extra 5 minutes of work for shortened breaks
• Waived meal/rest breaks (except for 12-hour employees waiving their second meal period)
• Labor Code 512.1 penalty payments + 7% interest
  ✅ Electronically and physically post the Notice to Employees

This is a win for our rights and a reminder that collective action works!

We ratified our contract!

SEIU 521 members showed up in record numbers with a huge 93% majority voting in favor! One of our largest member-vote turnouts ever! This victory was built on months of unity through rallies, work actions, and the power of our membership! Together, we fought, we rallied, and we won!

We’re excited to share that we’ve reached a Tentative Agreement (TA) with the County of Monterey. This breakthrough comes after a strong show of unity from our membership, who overwhelmingly rejected the County’s Last, Best, and Final Offer (LBFO) last week. Your participation in the vote and the powerful worksite actions over the past three months made it clear that we wouldn’t settle for less than we deserve.

Our collective efforts compelled the County to return to the negotiating table, leading to this agreement that averted a potential strike. Now, it’s time for us to take the next step. Voting on the TA is crucial—it’s your opportunity to review the terms and decide on the future of our contract. Click below for a TA Summary and a comprehensive detailed Tentative Agreement overview.

DOWNLOAD A DETAILED TENTATIVE AGREEMENT OVERVIEW

DOWNLOAD Health Insurance employer contribution chart

Make sure your voice is heard by participating in the upcoming vote to express support for our largest wage increase in over 20 years!

Starts: Thursday, September 5, 8 a.m.  

Closes: Monday September 9 at 5 p.m.

All active SEIU Local 521 union members will have a chance to vote on the TA using our online voting system, Election Buddy. Members may also visit worksite voting locations to cast their votes. 

Click here to download the Contract Education Events and In-person voting schedule.

IMPORTANT VOTE INSTRUCTIONS NOTE: To complete your online ballot correctly through our secure 3rd party vendor Election Buddy, please ensure you select an option, click submit then confirm your selection on the confirmation page. 

TA Vote – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

As of August 29, 2024

Question: When will the ratification vote begin?
Answer:

• Ratification Vote Timeline:
  • Starts: Thursday, September 5, 8 a.m. 
  • Ends: Monday September 9 at 5 p.m

All active SEIU Local 521 union members will have a chance to vote on the tentative agreement from [dates], using our online voting system, Election Buddy. Members may also visit worksite voting locations to cast their votes.

• • Only active SEIU 521 members are eligible to attend and vote. If you are not a member, activate your membership today by clicking here.
  • Attend in person or via Zoom, register below:

• Register for a Zoom meeting.

Question: How can I receive a ballot / who is eligible to vote?
Answer:

• Only members are eligible to vote on the ratification. Non-members must activate their membership before the close of voting to cast a valid vote. If you are not a member, activate your membership today or visit any worksite voting location to fill out a membership card.
• The vote will be conducted electronically via Election Buddy, members will also have the opportunity to cast their online votes at various worksite locations – see schedule. To ensure you receive a ballot the most important thing you can do is update your contact information if your unsure, click here to update your contact info in less than 2 minutes

There are two ways of obtaining your ballot to cast a vote if you did not receive one:

1. You may visit any worksite voting location, request your link, and cast a vote at the worksite voting location. 
2. Email communications@seiu521.org including your name and department and note that you did not receive an electronic ballot.

Question: How will the longevity payments work for qualified workers?
​​Answer: Qualified workers will see their longevity increase % to their base wage.

A breakdown down of longevity qualifications are here:
– 2.5% for workers at 10 years
– 3.5% for workers at 15 years
– 5.5% for workers at 20 years

[If you are at 12 years, you’ll qualify for the 10 year %]

Question: What do the TA health insurance county contributions look like?
Answer:
$0 monthly deduction for PERS Gold, dental, and vision for all tiers (employee only, employee + one, and employee + family) for 2025.
• 9% County flex contribution increase in 2026 and
• 9% County flex contribution increase in 2027

Note: County flex contributions for health insurance go up substantially in 2025 (over 17% for most plans), with additional increases for all plans of 9% per year in 2026 and 2027. This was a major improvement from the County’s Last, Best, and Final offer on August 22nd.

Question: What happens if we reject the Tentative Agreement?
Answer: Our elected bargaining committee is recommending a YES vote to accept the TA. Rejecting the TA means authorizing an indefinite strike.  The bargaining committee feels strongly that we should ratify the agreement and does not believe a strike would result in a better offer from the county.

We’re excited to announce that we secured excellent wins on health insurance rates in as part of our historic Tentative Agreement!

After hard-fought negotiations, our members will see more affordable healthcare options, ensuring better coverage without breaking the bank.

Click here to download 2025 Employee Health Contributions

These victories reflect our ongoing commitment to protecting all county workers and their families!

We are pleased to announce that we have reached a Tentative Agreement (TA) with the County of Monterey. Following the County’s proposed Last, Best, and Final Offer (LBFO) last week, our membership turned out in massive numbers to reject the LBFO over the last two days. This mass mobilization, including the worksite actions over the last three months, forced the County to request to continue negotiating this week to reach an agreement to avert a potential strike.

Today, our bargaining team negotiated rigorously throughout the day and reached a Tentative Agreement that will position our members to continue building their careers, increase staff recruitment and retention, and set a foundation for affordable healthcare options for our families.

This TA victory is the result of a member campaign that included hundreds of worksite meetings and actions, a bargaining survey that saw greater participation than in past years, workplace rallies, press actions, and a credible strike authorization vote.

Highlights of the 3-year Tentative Agreement Include: 

• 4% wage increase per year (12% total)
• Longevity Pay (in addition to annual wage increases)
  • 2.5% for workers at 10 years
  • 3.5% for workers at 15 years
  • 5.5% for workers at 20 years
• Cesar Chavez Holiday Addition (March 31)
• Healthcare
  • County contribution increase of 9% in 2026, and 9% in 2027 to health insurance flat rate contribution
    • Note: County flex contributions for health insurance go up substantially in 2025 (over 17% for most plans), with additional increases for all plans of 9% per year in 2026 and 2027. This was a major improvement from the County’s Last, Best, and Final offer.
• No changes to Article 18 – Classification Studies
• No takeaways

Note: The new TA officially cancels the Last, Best, and Final Offer (LBFO) and ULP strike authorization vote that was set to conclude on August 29)

Monterey County is running scared. Their “Take it or Leave it” proposal wages and health insurance does not meet our basic needs nor does it end the County’s ongoing Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) being foisted onto our workforce amidst the vacancy and healthcare crises.

*Read this entire update, it includes: 

• Why We’re Recommending a No Vote 

• Upcoming Educational Meetings 

• Updates to the Vote Schedule 

Monterey County is running scared. Their “Take it or Leave it” proposal for wages and health insurance does not meet our basic needs, nor does it end the County’s ongoing Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) being foisted onto our workforce amidst the vacancy and healthcare crises.   

The County’s Unfair Labor Practices (ULP) are Forcing Us to Strike  

Here are the key reasons that our bargaining committee is recommending that we vote to authorize an Unfair Labor Practice Strike:  

Instead of offering a fair contract, management is trying to break our union by interfering with our legal right to wear union t-shirts, by making unilateral changes in workload standards and working conditions and taking other illegal actions. We have the right to strike to stop these illegal tactics as well as to win a fair contract.  

Skyrocketing deductions for Our Healthcare 

Under the county’s LBFO, workers’ contributions for all plans other than CalPERS “Gold” will skyrocket if premiums continue to go up as they have been in the last few years.   The chart below explains what we will be paying IF premiums go up 10% a year.  This year premiums went up over 12% on average, so COSTS COULD BE MUCH WORSE AND WILL BE LEFT PAYING FOR ALL ADDITIONAL

INCREASES TO OUR HEALTHCARE COSTS.  

Management sent their information about their offer of a three-year contract and Longevity Pay. They fail to mention that their offer would mean huge increases in what we have to pay for plans other than Gold if premiums continue to go up the way they did this year. And they didn’t mention the huge out of pocket costs for families on the Gold plan.  

They omit how the health insurance costs will absorb all increases, but, instead have an impact of wage cuts for those choosing other insurances that are not PERSGold. 

 Inadequate Raises  

And the 10% in raises over 3 years that they are offering is not enough – especially when you keep in mind how much we have fallen behind other workers in the area over the last 3 years – and the fact that the county added $180,931,000 to their net worth in the most recent year reported – $508,731,000 – over half a billion dollars – in the last 3 years. 

The bottom line: Monterey CAN do better by workers and residents and offer a contract that will give employees a reason to stay instead of leaving.  That is why our bargaining committee is recommending that we REJECT the county’s “Last, Best, and Final Offer” and authorize a strike if that’s what it takes to stop the unfair labor practices and win a fair contract. 

Join Our Vote Education Meetings via ZOOM – August 26, 27 & 28 

Our bargaining team is hosting four educational meetings on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday for county workers to learn what the County’s LBFO means for them and why we’re recommending a NO vote. Monday, August 26 @ 12pm and 6pm; Tuesday, August 27 @ 12pm, and Wednesday, August 28 @ 12pm. 

Registration is required to attend; click here to register. 

LBFO & Strike Authorization Vote Schedule (8/27 – 8/29) 

Voting on the County’s Last, Best, and Final Offer (LBFO) will begin on Tuesday, August 27 at 8 am and close on Thursday, August 29at 5 pm. 

The vote will be conducted online through our third-party vendor Election Buddy. Ballots will be sent to your personal email and via text message if you are opted-in to receive union alerts. 

If you cannot locate your digital ballot starting on Tuesday, August 26, please email: communications@seiu521.org.  

After years of sacrifices to pay for health insurance AND the associated costs, exploding vacancies, pay inequity, and exhausting workloads, the County provided our team with their LBFO.  But our team held strong by beating back the County’s deal, because the offer holds our union members hostage to the unpredictability of the County’s health insurance costs!

Monterey County is running scared. Their “Take it or Leave it” proposal wages and health insurance does not meet our basic needs nor does it end the County’s ongoing Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) being foisted onto our workforce amidst the vacancy and healthcare crises.

The County’s Unfair Labor Practices (ULP) are Forcing Us to Strike    

Here are the key reasons that our bargaining committee is recommending that we vote to authorize an Unfair Labor Practice Strike:  Instead of offering a fair contract, management is trying to break our union by interfering with our legal right to wear union t-shirts, by making unilateral changes in workload standards and working conditions, and taking other illegal actions.  We have the right to strike to stop these illegal tactics as well as to win a fair contract. 

Skyrocketing deductions for Our Health care

Under the county’s Last, Best and Final Offer (LBFO), workers’ contributions for all plans other thanCalPERS “Gold” will skyrocket if premiums continue to go up as they have been in the last few years.

Below is a chart which explains what we will be paying IF premiums go up 10% a year.  This year premiums went up over 12% on average, so COSTS COULD BE MUCH WORSE AND WILL BE LEFT PAYING FOR ALL ADDITIONAL INCREASES TO OUR HEALTHCARE COSTS. 

Monterey County Management’s Health Insurance Proposal

We will have a vote on the Last Best Final Offer. YOUR BARGAINING TEAM IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDING A NO VOTE.

INFORMATION ABOUT THE VOTE

In-person and electronic, online voting on the County’s Last Best and Final Offer, and Strike Authorization

Vote will run from Monday August 26 8:00 am to August 29 at 5:00pm.

“SEIU 521 Members should vote No on the Last Best Final Offer and authorize the Bargaining Team to call for a strike. We are committed to fight for a livable wage, affordable healthcare, and the respect we deserve for the work we perform every day. If not us, then who? If not now, then when will we act? Join thousands of Monterey County SEIU 521 members dedicated to ending the vacancy crisis for our community and workforce.” Araceli Flores, SEIU 521 Member and Monterey County Psychiatric Social Worker II

Strike Informational Meeting – Zoom

Join us for an informational meeting on Monday, August 26th, 6pm-7:30pm. Learn how we arrived at this

strike vote and get answers to any and all questions.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://seiu521-org.zoom.us/j/91206711680

Meeting ID: 912 0671 1680 Password: Passcode: 433160 | One tap mobile +1(669)444-9171

Management blundered their last economic offer and disrespected county workers. Instead of ending the vacancy crisis by investing in our community and public service needs, the County is deliberately proposing substandard as a compensation “package deal”.

The current package lumps together health care costs, cost of living adjustment (COLA), longevity pay, the Cesar Chavez holiday (March 31), and Winter Recess (eco days). Yet, this flagrant attempt to draw out negotiations which combine below-market raises and community resources into a “package deal” is disrespectful at best and insulting at worst. The offer amounts to reduced take-home pay amidst rising healthcare costs for our community.

Tell county management to get serious about negotiations and our community’s healthcare by filling out a strike commitment card and RSVPing to Strike School! 

When you sign your strike commitment card, you join over 1,000+ county workers taking bold action to end the vacancy crisis, click here to get started!

• To review a full list of our comprehensive proposals and their status click here
• To view what the County’s care proposals could mean for you and your family click here

If we’re going to win a contract that addresses the vacancy crisis and pays us what we deserve, we need to be strike ready!

Your engagement and commitment across worksites and departments is what drives the pressure for us at the bargaining table.  If you have yet to complete your strike commitment card, click here to get started.

RSVP NOW FOR STRIKE SCHOOL

Join an upcoming strike school with our union’s legal team to learn what it would mean to strike, understand our legal rights and protections, and take part in a Q & A session. Registration is required to attend either of the two upcoming strike school sessions:

Thursday, July 18 – 6 pm via Zoom 
Location: Online via Zoom
Registration here to attend (upon registering you’ll receive the log-in details) 

Saturday, July 27 – 10 am in person only
Location: Teamsters Hall – 207 N Sanborn Rd. Salinas, CA
Register here to reserve your spot

We will continue to provide updates as they become available.

Below is our latest negotiations update from last week in case you may have missed it:

Last week, our coworkers organized workplace rallies at County Facilities and Public Works. Our momentum is growing throughout Monterey County, as more and more workers sign onto our strike commitment card. Our growing movement just hit a milestone: we passed the 1,000-strike card commitment mark.

However, it’s going to take more of us to continue pressuring management to support our bargaining team at the negotiation table and secure a fair contract.

Strike School Via Zoom – Thursday, July 18

We know many of you have questions about what it would mean to strike if needed. We are hosting a virtual Strike School session on Thursday, July 18 via zoom starting at 6:00 pm. Registration is required to attend.Our union’s legal team will be giving a presentation and answering any questions you have regarding striking. Click here to register today!

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. (It’s recommended you add the Zoom meeting details to your calendar)

The Latest from Negotiations
On June 26, we finished an all-day negotiation session. Unfortunately, management did not counter to our economic proposal.

Management leaves our bargaining sessions early, stating they have a “hard stop” rather than negotiating all day to try to reach an agreement.

We will not accept Monterey County management’s attempt to stall negotiations over economics. Their offer amounts to reduced take-home pay and fails to recognize the value and hard work of our workforce and our community.

1,000+ of our county coworkers have shown their solidarity by completing their strike commitment cards. Our growing, strong response highlights the collective determination to fight for better wages and working conditions. But it’s going to take more of us to win!

Tell management to get serious about negotiations! 

Sign the strike commitment card and join the growing majority of county workers taking bold action, click here to get started.

Your participation is crucial at this stage of the contract campaign! If you have questions about the strike commitment card reply or email: Carolynne.Roderick@seiu521.org.

Last week, our coworkers organized workplace rallies at County Facilities and Public Works.  

Our momentum is growing throughout Monterey County, as more and more workers sign onto our strike commitment card. Our growing movement just hit a milestone: we passed the 1,000-strike card commitment mark. However, it’s going to take more of us to continue pressuring management to support our bargaining team at the negotiation table and secure a fair contract.  

Complete your strike commitment card :

STRIKE SCHOOL

Strike School Via Zoom – Thursday, July 18  @ 6PM via Zoom – Register Now by Using the Link Below!

We know many of you have questions about what it would mean to strike if needed. We are hosting a virtual Strike School session on Thursday, July 18 via zoom starting at 6:00 pm.

Registration is required to attend. Our union’s legal team will be giving a presentation and answering any questions you have regarding striking: Click here to register today!

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. (We recommend to add the Zoom meeting details to your calendar!) 

The Latest from Negotiations

On June 26, we finished an all-day negotiation session. Unfortunately, management did not counter to our economic proposal.   

Management leaves our bargaining sessions early, stating they have a “hard stop” rather than negotiating all day to try to reach an agreement.  We will not accept Monterey County management’s attempt to stall negotiations over economics. Their offer amounts to reduced take-home pay and fails to recognize the value and hard work of our workforce and our community. 

For a full list of our bargaining proposals to management click this link.

Management’s proposals would mean increases in what we pay for healthcare.

County management refuses to address the vacancy crisis! Management’s proposals would mean huge increases in health care for all of us. 

At last week’s bargaining session, County management rejected our Union proposals that would address the serious workload issues stemming from the widespread vacancy crisis. 

 Monterey county workers are falling behind living standards and experienced workers are leaving our workforce.  

Since the pandemic, county employees received lower raises than neighboring county workers. We used this strategy in part because the county historically agreed to pick up a significant part of the rise in health care costs. 

Now, Monterey County management is trying to force us to pay so much more for health care that most workers would take home LESS pay…even AFTER proposed wage increases. 

They are trying to cut costs while Natividad – the County’s public hospital – makes high profits from the high prices driving up health costs for all Monterey County residents. – 

 The chart below highlights the plans that most county workers use for their primary health insurance. For 720 SEIU workers who cover their families under the PERS Gold, monthly deductions would increase from $31.35/month to $222.76/month on January 1, 2025, under the package management proposed on May 15.  

 For a full-time worker, the increased deduction for PERS Gold is the equivalent of a pay cut of $1.10/hour.  

That’s MORE than the 2% raise the county is offering for anyone who earns less than $55.22 per hour.  And for those on other plans, the county’s proposal is even worse! 

Our co-workers are making our message clear— we are ready to fight.  

We will not ACCEPT Monterey County’s proposed economic package, to force a LOWER take-home pay onto workers.  

To date, 809+ of our county coworkers have completed their strike commitment card. If you have yet to complete yours, click here to get started.  

We will continue to provide updates as they become available

County management is fixating on dismissing the root cause of their widespread vacancy crisis which exacerbates staffing shortages, recruitment and retention challenges. Their economic proposals do little to alleviate the financial strains members and our community of working families face due to inflation. Instead, management’s solution is to force county workers to pay more for healthcare if healthcare costs continue to rise, as they have in the past.

The County’s current wage proposal as of this week remains unchanged:

Year #1 – 2%, Year #2 – 2%, Year #3 – 2% = 6%

We know their current proposals are unacceptable.

Why We Need to Be Strike-Ready 

Our contract is set to expire in less than 30 days. We must be ready to demonstrate that we are united in our demands for a contract that addresses our priorities.

Last week’s showing of 100+ SEIU 521 members at the Board of Supervisors Budget Hearing demonstrated our momentum while our engagement grows, which we can use to build the pressure to support our demands at the negotiations table.

Now it’s time to turn up the heat together and send a message to County management that we are not backing down.

Complete your strike commitment card here.

The deadline to complete your commitment is Friday, June 28.

Important Note: Completing the online strike commitment card does not mean we are going on strike, it’s how we show we are ready to strike if needed. Before any official strike, our membership must vote to authorize the strike.

Next Steps to Win 

• Complete your strike commitment card, click here to get started
• If you’re not a member, activate your membership now
• RSVP to attend our next Membership Meeting on Wednesday, June 12 at 5:30 p.m. Location: SEIU 521 Union Hall in Salians – 334 Monterey St. Click here to RSVP today!

We will continue to provide updates as they become available.

Every day more and more of us who work here at Monterey County are standing up for the raises and vital improvements we need to serve our community.  Unrelenting advocacy for our community is what it will take to win a fair contract with the Monterey County Board of Supervisors.

This contract update includes:

• Budget Hearing Member Action Recap
• Bargaining Update
• What Each of Us Needs to Do to Win a Fair Contract

MAY 29 BUDGET HEARING PUBLIC COMMENT ACTION!
During Tuesday’s Monterey County budget hearing, over 100 SEIU 521 members showed up and dozens of us took a turn at the microphone voicing concerns and advocating for immediate action to address staffing shortages and proposed budget reductions. The Board of Supervisors heard first-hand from frontline workers how turnover and the vacancy crisis is hurting our ability to serve the community  and make our community welfare situation even worse.

SEIU 521 members highlighted the alarming number of unfilled vacancies. These vacancies are to blame for unsustainable workloads, worker burnout, unsafe working conditions and the quality of public services. 

Testimonies from county workers underscore how the vacancy crisis impacts essential services like healthcare, water treatment, and public safety. The supervisors heard how workers at the 911 Emergency call center are so short-staffed that 80-hour work weeks are becoming routine. Instead of raising pay and improving working conditions management is proposing to restrict these workers’ time off.

Meanwhile, county residents are experiencing delays and reduced access to critical services. SEIU 521 members called on the Board of Supervisors to prioritize budget allocations towards competitive wages, benefits, and incentives to fill the vacant positions:

• Immediate investment into public services to fill the most critical vacancies amidst the Board of Supervisors consideration to reduce services;
• Common sense employee retention strategies, including better compensation and opportunities for career advancement.
• Enhanced training and support for all hires to ensure they are equipped to handle their responsibilities effectively.

Our united message was clear–the vacancy crisis cannot continue without repercussions for workers and residents. The issues our community is facing involve not just filling positions but also ensuring the sustainability and quality of public services.

BARGAINING UPDATE

Our bargaining team continues to gain strength and leverage from the actions and engagement of members like you – our collective power will enable us all to win at the negotiating table.

This week, we focused on social services’ workload standards. The County brought Social Services division management to the table, while we brought SEIU 521 social worker supervisors to the table. Our extensive dialogue on how excessive workloads are negatively affecting children and families in our community are making an impact at the table. The County’s attorney did say “There is NO SOLUTION to excessive workloads.” Our bargaining team holds a different perspective and continues to present staffing solutions that we believe will effectively address the workload issues in several program divisions within social services.

NOW IS THE TIME TO STAND TOGETHER AS ONE!

• We need to make sure every worksite is organized, informed and is building UNION POWER!  That means for every 10 workers a Contract Action Team member must ensure everyone in each worksite is informed and active during this  campaign. To sign up, email carolynne.roderick@seiu521.org 
• Plan or attend a worksite union meeting in your department. Click here to sign up or to learn more.

County management is rejecting all our proposals to address the staffing crisis, insisting on changes that would make the situation worse.

Monterey County workers feel the impact of high vacancy rates and turnover every day, and on the residents we serve.  Our proposals assist the County’s challenge of filling vacancies and retaining staff:

• Competitive wages and affordable, quality health insurance.
• Retention Differentials.
• Caseload and workload standards for social workers and behavioral health workers are currently assigned more cases than they can possibly handle.
• Specialty Pay for those who are exposed to hazardous working conditions and Certification Pay for employees who require certification(s) to perform their work.

Our bargaining team shared personal stories submitted by hundreds of county workers about how the vacancy crisis is impacting county residents and the workers who serve them. The County’s team consumed two entire bargaining sessions to reject all our solutions.

Unfortunately, the County is choosing not to listen to their workforce and actively turn a blind eye to a backlog of 1,800 families in Child Protective Services.  This means the County does not know if we are investigating and assessing if the children that live in these households are safe.

County Proposals Would Make Things WORSE for 911 Emergency Workers.

For 911 employees, the County is proposing to reduce Compensation Time Hours (known as “CTO”) because their attorney claims “CTO is creating the staffing shortage.” Blaming CTO is incomprehensible when 911 Emergency workers are consistently denied time-off and are forced to work overtime. 911 Emergency workers are working up to 40-hours of overtime weekly just to keep Monterey County safe.

The County cannot retain 911 Emergency workers due to low pay and unfair staffing conditions. Our SEIU 521 911 Emergency workers are placed into a “forced overtime” hours situation:

• In 2021 employees worked 24,008 hours of overtime
• In 2022 employees worked 23,657 hours of overtime
• In 2023 employees worked 27,777 hours of overtime

The County did propose setting up labor management committees to discuss workload issues. Unfortunately, labor-management committees alone cannot solve everything– especially if management thinks canceling time off is the way to “solve” a vacancy problem!  It’s time for all of us to make our voices heard!

Across the county, over 3,000 SEIU 521 workers have said the time to address the vacancy crisis is NOW! We have the real solutions to protect our community so we must unite forces and organize!

👉🏽MAY 29 BUDGET HEARING RSVP – CLICK HERE 👈🏼

Our bargaining team returned from the negotiation table on Wednesday with the County’s latest economic counterproposals.

Term: 3-year contract
County Wage Proposal: An overall 6% (2% for each year)
Longevity Pay: 

• 10 consecutive years of service, a 1.5% of the base wage.
• 15 consecutive years of service, a 2.5% of the base wage.
• 20 consecutive years of service, a 3.5% of their base wage.

Health Insurance:

The County responded to our health insurance proposal by suggesting a flat rate amount for all insurance plans. This means that if insurance rates increase in the future, we will be responsible for absorbing these additional costs.

The County’s counterproposals flat-out dismiss the root cause of short staffing and our inability to recruit and retain workers. Our proposals are reasonable, and these items are essential to stabilizing the vacancy crisis.

Board of Supervisors Budget Hearings – NOTE: May 29 Date Change

On Wednesday, May 29th the Monterey County Board of Supervisors will hold public budget hearings to pass their 2024-2025 annual budget. If we want to win a better economic package with affordable health insurance, we must fight for what we deserve.

Please note: our previous bargaining update noted May 30th as the date for our budget action. The date has been updated to Wednesday, May 29.

Your participation is crucial to the next stage of our campaign: we must overflow the Board of Supervisors Chambers, 168 West Alisal St., 1st Floor Salinas CA 93901 during the upcoming Budget Hearings meeting on May 29 at 9 am in full solidarity! The Board of Supervisors and our community need to see our collective strength and that we are ready to fight for a fair contract!

Click here to confirm you’ll join with our co-workers in attending the May 29 Budget Hearings.  

In solidarity,

Your SEIU 521 Monterey County Bargaining Committee

During this week’s negotiations session, our bargaining team presented the County with our final economic proposals, including health insurance for more than 3,000 county workers. 

While management acknowledged our effort to pass proposals proactively, the County did not present any counter proposals to us. Not only was this behavior unprofessional, the County signaled to us that our members’ priorities and challenges are not urgent as their own. In addition, the County stated they are rejecting our small economic proposals and focusing only on wages and health insurance.  

 Click this link to view the status of our current proposals. 

Our proposals clearly reflect the priorities of our members and contain proven long-term solutions similar counties used to secure safe staffing and a good economic package.  After three years of the County deliberately ignoring understaffing, workloads, and working conditions in virtually all departments, their lack of urgency continues to combine unreasonably high stress levels, unmanageable workloads, unrelenting turnover, and pay inequity as part of their employment package. 

The County is claiming a deficit, but our research, which reflects their public records, indicates that each year they underspend on community residents and patents, while sitting on a windfall revenue of $56 million.  If they have money to spend on funding a racetrack (“Laguna Seca”) then Monterey County can invest in our workers and the community, we serve daily. 

We Cannot Win a Strong Contract Alone 

Our coworkers are resolved in the understanding: the status quo is not working.  If you want to build the improvements we deserve, then join our collective fight now! On Wednesday, May 29 and Thursday, May 30 the Board of Supervisors will host budget hearings to discuss and approve the 2025 fiscal budget. We must all show up to demonstrate that we are everyone’s priority.   

Your participation will make the difference in securing a good contract.  

How can you take part? Take the morning of Thursday, May 30th off to join our coworkers at the Board of Supervisors budget hearing. This opportunity is ours to demonstrate to the Board that we are ready together for a fair contract we deserve! Follow this link to RSVP for the budget hearing on May 30.  

In solidarity,  

Your SEIU 521 Monterey County Bargaining Committee 

SEIU 521 Monterey County members are making a united, powerful stance against the County’s mounting vacancy crisis. We are advocating to reign in the 700+ vacancies, secure a living wage, manage reasonable workloads, ensure affordable healthcare, and guarantee fair treatment for all County workers.

On Monday, Behavioral Health workers posted up a united front with therapists, counselors, social workers, and administrative staff by holding a protest and press conference, unveiling a vacancy crisis report focused on the community-wide impacts of short staffing. The collective action took place ahead of the County’s grand opening of a new state-of-the-art $22 million health clinic.

Despite being aware of its inadequate staffing, the County proceeded with the project which starkly reflects the severity of the vacancy crisis and their plan to ignore the crippling impact of staffing levels on public services. Our press action was among several Safe Staffing for All! rallies across the County.

Contract Bargaining Update

At yesterday’s bargaining session, our bargaining team provided the County with our economic proposal. We believe that our proposal is fair and just after years of our members rising up to do the work of 700 vacancies. Our goal is to give our health insurance proposal and pending proposals for unit K next Wednesday. Click here to download the list of proposals and status.

CAT (Contract Action Team) Recruitment

We need to make sure every worksite is organized, informed, and is building UNION POWER!  For every 10 workers we need a Contract Action Team member to make the impact we want for the improvements we are seeking to negotiate. We need you to become your worksite-CAT.  To sign up, email carolynne.roderick@seiu521.org.

All of our contract updates and alerts will continue to be updated on our contract campaign website here: https://www.seiu521.org/montereycounty

In solidarity, 

SEIU 521 Monterey County Bargaining & Contract Action Teams

During the pre-negotiations survey phase of our campaign, county coworkers clearly pointed to securing meaningful wage increases, affordable healthcare options, and improved working conditions.

Our biggest impact as workers is the high vacancy rate, interlaced with leaves of absences due to high stress, unmanageable workloads, unrelenting turnover, and pay inequity for the work we produce. We are concerned that in the last three years the vacancy rate has increased to 713 and the County’s response is sluggish at best. The County’s proposed budget suggests management is planning to eliminate an undisclosed number of the 700+ vacant positions in our bargaining unit. This approach attempts to hide the serious short staffing conditions impacting our coworkers, which is not only unacceptable but will deeply impact our community. The elimination of budgeted vacant positions suggests they are not planning to address the vacancy crisis we are facing in Monterey County.

Latest From the Table  

Last week, our bargaining team presented proposals for: Unit H, Unit J and some of Unit F. We will return to the table on May 1st and our intent is to present Unit K proposals, the remaining Unit F proposals and our Master Economic and Health Insurance proposals.

Click this link to view the status of our current proposals.

We want to be clear: All the leverage our bargaining committee retains at the table to pressure Management reflects you and your coworkers’ engagement.

The Time to Mobilize is Now! 

SEIU 521 members across the county are organizing worksite rallies! Our rallies start on Tuesday, April 23. Unite with your coworkers to show the County we are united and will not stay quiet!

• Tuesday, April 23 – Natividad Medical Center, 1441 Constitution Blvd., Salinas, CA 93901. Rolling rallies from 11 am – 1 pm (1st at 11:15 am, 2nd at 12:15pm).
• Thursday, April 25 – The Quad, 1000 S. Main St, Salinas, CA 93901. Rally at 12:00pm.
• Monday, April 29 – The “New” Behavioral Health Facility, 331 North Sanborn Road, Salinas, CA 93905. Rally at 12:00pm.
• Tuesday, April 30th – 730 La Guardia, 730 LaGuardia Road, Salinas, CA 93905. Rally at 12:00pm.

CLICK HERE TO RSVP TO AN UPCOMING RALLY

All of our updates continue to be uploaded onto our contract campaign website: https://www.seiu521.org/montereycounty

In solidarity,

Your SEIU 521 Monterey County Bargaining Committee

We held our second bargaining session with County management on Wednesday, March 27, 2024.

We continued our conversation regarding the County’s vacancy crisis. With 700+ vacancies, workload demands are simply unsustainable and places our community and all county workers at an increased risk for burnout, and exhaustion while compromising the quality of our shared public services.

County management in fact acknowledged that Workers’ Compensation claims have increased their liability, validating hundreds of Leave hours County workers recently filed just to keep their departments running. Our team pushed back hard and pointed to the increase in Workers‘Compensation claims being directly linked to the 700+ vacancies and increase in unsustainable workloads workers must endure.

• Our team requested the County’s cost savings of worker compensation packages (ex: salaries, health insurance) the County enjoys because they cannot or refuse to fill 700+ vacancies with good-paying, well benefitted union jobs.
• Our next bargaining session is scheduled for Friday April 5.

Our bargaining proposals are however progressing, including strengthening our language on:

• Compensation and Classification Studies
• Transfer rights which will allow workers to move to new locations
• Increasing worker accruals
• Making Winter Recess (ECO days) permanent benefits of our contract

OUR PLAN TO WIN INCLUDES YOU STEPPING UP –  OUR NEXT STEPS

Your continued engagement and support are instrumental in ensuring we build up our presence at the bargaining table through our strong collective voice. Our collective voice enables us to strive for better pay, benefits and working conditions for all Monterey County workers.

CATs (CONTRACT ACTION TEAM) RECRUITMENT

We need to make sure every worksite is organized, informed and building UNION POWER!

• For every 10 workers we need a Contract Action Team member to make the impact we want for the improvements we are seeking to negotiate.   We need you to become your worksite-CAT.
• To sign up, email carolynne.roderick@seiu521.org

HOW TO ORGANIZE YOUR WORKSITE AND BARGAINING UPDATE MEETING

Attend the “How to Organize Your Worksite” AND Bargaining Update meeting on Wednesday, April 3 at 6pm via Zoom! 

• https://seiu521-org.zoom.us/j/92346654199
• Phone # 1(669) 900-9128
• Meeting ID: 923 4665 4199

All of our contract updates and alerts will continue to be updated on our contract campaign website here: https://www.seiu521.org/montereycounty