The members turned out in record numbers, and with a 71% YES vote, the historic City of Berkeley maintenance and clerical tentative agreement has been ratified.

The democratically achieved victory was ratified by a supermajority and includes many significant wins, including a historic COLA and protecting the 100% employer-paid medical coverage.

Maintenance Chapter President Danny Walker said, “I’m confident in saying that this is our best contract in 20 years.”

Clerical Chapter President Rebecca Webb said, “One of our first acts as a team was to send a survey to [our members], to see what [their] priorities were. Those priorities were clear: protect our benefits; fight for a fair COLA. We believe we delivered on those priorities and a whole lot more.”

SEIU Local 1021 is prepared to come immediately to the bargaining table with the City to begin bargaining a strong contract for the CSU / PTRLA members. We’re proud of our accomplishments on behalf of the clerical and maintenance units and look forward to achieving historic gains for the CSU / PTRLA members too.

Contract Highlights:

Three-year contract: June 27, 2024 – June 23, 2027

• Year 1: 6% COLA (effective July 26)
• Year 2: 4% COLA (effective July 2025)
• Year 3: 2.5% (effective July 2026), 2% (effective January 2027)
• NO takeaways or increased costs for medical benefits
• Longevity bonus of 3% at 15 years (decreased from 20)
• NEW holiday: Cesar Chavez Day
• And many other improvements!

The bargaining team thanks their members for their involvement and for showing such support for the campaign.

Adan Canales is a solid waste worker for the City of Berkeley and a shop steward in the maintenance chapter. This was his first time serving as an elected bargaining team member. He said, “Based on previous contracts I’ve seen, I’m very pleased with this one. Compared to previous jobs, the COLA is solid, and to get that without it affecting our medical coverage was a big win for us.

“What stands out to me about this is the way the members got involved. They care, and they’re showing it, from coming out to support us with food at bargaining to a last-minute rally to show management that we’re united and that our voice matters.”

Bargaining team member and Accounting Office Specialist III Sherry Jackson said, “I really appreciated being part of a team with such a broad and diverse range of experiences and opinions. We represent nearly 500 workers, and I truly believe our team kept them all in mind every step of the way.

“The process was extremely challenging, and we put in hundreds of hours researching, discussing, compromising, disputing, debating, and often conceding. That’s all part of the bargaining process, and it was all necessary to achieve our goals of getting the best contract possible, improving our contract language, and addressing the priorities of all our members the best we could.

“I’m extremely proud of what we accomplished. We won a COLA that’s ahead of other jurisdictions. Keeping our medical and dental intact was huge. Making longevity pay more accessible was a good win, and we’re thrilled that we got Cesar Chavez’s birthday added as a holiday without having to swap it for another one.

“It was a wonderful experience to work with a group of people who really cared and had a ton of institutional knowledge to pass along to the newer team members.”