Quick Take
Santa Cruz County and its largest labor union may have avoided a strike after the sides announced Friday they have reached a tentative agreement. The contract still needs approval through a vote by union members.
Only days after a director of Service Employees International Union Local 521 told Santa Cruz County supervisors that workers had waited long enough and were preparing a strike notice, the sides announced a tentative agreement Friday on a new labor contract.
The three-year deal, which still needs to be approved in a vote by union membership, includes a 11.5% cost of living adjustment, combined, over the life of the contract, and commitments from the county to enhance its health care coverage and boost its on-call and fatigue pay for workers in “high-demand positions like behavioral health,” according to a media release from SEIU 521.
“This agreement is a major victory for our members, the key to rebuilding essential services, which is a major victory for the residents of Santa Cruz County,” SEIU 521 Chapter President Max Olkowski-Laetz said. “We fought hard for fair wages, increased health care benefits, and secured wage equity adjustments that reflect the dedication and hard work of county employees to promote strong recruitment.”
SEIU 521 represents roughly 1,800 county workers, ranging from therapists in the Health and Human Services Agency to employees of the county animal shelter. The existing contract between the union and county expired on Sept. 19 at midnight.
According to a county media release, the new contract is valued at more than $41 million. If the deal is approved by the union, more than 700 workers will have their job classifications adjusted and receive raises to make the positions more competitive with peer counties.
“We strongly believe this tentative agreement provides a framework to further strengthen a workforce that meets the needs of the community,” County Administrative Officer Carlos Palacios said in a statement. “We are grateful to the bargaining teams on both sides, which worked diligently to reach an agreement.”
The deal would avert a strike that seemed increasingly likely. On Tuesday, SEIU 521’s regional director, Olivia Martinez, told the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors that the union had waited too long for a deal.
“I have asked our attorney to send you a strike notice, because we are done,” Martinez said. “We have waited enough. … I will take this county to a strike.”
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