UPDATE: San Joaquin County members ratify 2022 – 2026 Contract 

Our last contract with San Joaquin County expired on October 20, 2022. Below are the bargaining updates for the SEIU Local 1021 San Joaquin County chapter. The Bargaining Team’s job includes: Bargaining and making decisions at the negotiations table and working with the Contract Action Team to ensure strong activity at the worksites to support the bargaining.

If you are not receiving email or text updates from your union or have opted out, sign up here, contact your field representative, or call the Member Resource Center (MRC) to be added to the list. The MRC is available from Monday through Friday from 8 am to 6 pm @ 1-877-687-1021. We will not send bargaining updates to work emails.

San Joaquin County Chapter Bargaining Team​

• Chris Leos, Public Works
• Mary Lopez, Department of Child Support Services
• Stephanie Ware, Department of Child Support Services
• Hector Guerrero, Downtown
• Shaun Freeman, Downtown
• Robert Lewis, Human Service Agency
• Desiree Collins, Human Service Agency
• Cassandra Burdick, Human Service Agency
• Kenneth McCoy, Downtown
• Eva Esqueda, San Joaquin General Hospital
• Bobby Smith, Behavioral Health
• Kari Turner, San Joaquin General Hospital
• Jennifer Edwards, San Joaquin General Hospital
• Cassandra Blake, San Joaquin General Hospital
• Mark Hansen, Behavioral Health
• Ryosuke Sakurai, Sheriff
• Sarah Cooper Sheriff
• Taffie Walter, Behavioral Health
• Monique Baca, Behavioral Health
• Paula Kaufmann, Human Service Agency
• Vincent Villa, Downtown
• Jeffery Dumlao, Human Service Agency
• Connie Layman, Human Service Agency
• Carlos Mendoza, Behavioral Health
• Sabrina Lott, San Joaquin General Hospital
• Amanda Garcia, Sheriff

Contract Ratification Update with voting results – September 29, 2022

We did it. The contract is signed, sealed, and delivered: it’s ours. Through eleven bargaining sessions, ongoing “Purple Wednesdays” worksite actions, and countless one-on-one discussions with SEIU Local 1021 San Joaquin County members across our chapter, the contract negotiations between San Joaquin County management and us for the 2022 to 2026 period have finished.

The contract was ratified, with ninety-seven percent voting in favor, with three percent voting against it. 

“What we did was a team effort,” said Taffie Walter, the president of the SEIU Local 1021 San Joaquin County chapter and vice president for Region E (San Joaquin, Calaveras, and Amador counties) on the SEIU 1021 Executive Board. “We made significant wins through collective unity between rank-and-file members, the bargaining team, the contract action team, and chapter leadership. Our first cost-of-living-adjustment raise will be six percent. Then, we will a five percent next July. That means we will receive an eleven percent increase within the first nine months of our new contract. Following that, we will get a four percent increase and then a three percent increase. That is an eighteen percent increase over the life of our four-year contract. That’s more than we have ever received.”

“I’m really proud of the bargaining team overall,” said Monique Baca, secretary of the SEIU Local 1021 San Joaquin County chapter and Budget and Finance Committee member for Region E (San Joaquin, Calaveras, and Amador counties) on the SEIU 1021 Executive Board. “We came together, we listened, we took all of our concerns from our individual departments, and we fought to mold the best possible outcome for everyone involved.”

Make no mistake: The new 2022 to 2026 contract for SEIU Local 1021 San Joaquin County members is the union difference. We are coming out of the latest contract negotiations more robust and stronger together.

Download/view Contract Ratification Results.

Contract Ratification Update with dates, time, and locations – September 21, 2022

The time to vote to ratify our new contract is nearly here. With concrete wins and significant gains across the board, we are proud of the work we accomplished in securing a tentative agreement with San Joaquin County management.

Now, it is up to us to ratify our new four-year contract. Below, you will find a list of dates, times, and locations where the vote will occur. Any dues-paying member in good standing is eligible to vote at any worksite listed. The vote will occur between Tuesday, September 27, and Thursday, September 29, 2022. As a reminder, no absentee voting is allowed. The ballots will be counted starting on Thursday, September 29, 2022.

Contract Ratification Dates, Times, & Locations

Tuesday, September 27, 2022

San Joaquin County Jail – JJ’s Cafe

• 7000 Michael Canlis Blvd, French Camp, CA 95231
• 5:00 am – 7:00 am
• 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
• 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm

San Joaquin General Hospital – Front Lobby

• 500 W Hospital Rd, French Camp, CA 95231
• 6:45 am – 6:00 pm
• 10:00 pm – 2:00 am

Human Services Agency – 5th Floor Lunchroom

• 102 S San Joaquin St, Stockton, CA 95202
• 7:00 am – 4:30 pm

Department of Child Support Services – 1st Floor Lunchroom

• Chase Building
• 11:30 am – 12:30 pm

Human Services Agency – Lunchroom

• Chase Building
• 12:45 pm – 1:45 pm

County Administration – Lobby

• 44 N San Joaquin St, Stockton, CA 95202
• 9:00 am – 4:00 pm

SEIU 1021 Stockon Office  – Conference Room B

• 4226 Coronado Ave, Stockton, CA 95204
• 9:00 am – 7:00 pm

Lovelace Materials Recovery Facility and Transfer Station – Break/Lunchroom

• 2323 Lovelace Rd, Manteca, CA 95336
• 11:00 am – 1:30 pm

Employment & Economic Development Department / Healthcare Services – WIB 1 Room

• 6221 West Ln, Stockton, CA 95210
• 11:45 am – 1:45 pm

Railroad Square – Outside Main Entrance

• 900 E Oak St, Stockton, CA 95202
• 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

Behavioral Health Services – Conference Room A

• 1212 N California St, Stockton, CA 95202
• 6:00 am – 1:30 pm

Department of Public Works – Conference Room A

• 1810 E Hazelton Ave, Stockton, CA 95205
• 10:30 am – 1:30 pm

Department of Public Works – Road Maintenance Room

• 1810 E Hazelton Ave, Stockton, CA 95205
• 2:30 pm – 4:15 pm

San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office – Basement (Old Jury Room)

• 222 E Weber Ave # 202, Stockton, CA 95202
• 11:30 am – 1:30 pm

Agricultural Commission – Lobby

• 2101 E Earhart Ave, Stockton, CA 95206
• 7:30 am – 9:30 am

Juvenile Justice Center – Time Clock Room

• 535 W Mathews Rd, French Camp, CA 95231
• 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm

Wednesday, September 28, 2022

SEIU 1021 Stockon Office  – Conference Room B

• 4226 Coronado Ave, Stockton, CA 95204
• 9:00 am – 7:00 pm

Human Services Agency – 5th Floor Lunchroom

• 102 S San Joaquin St, Stockton, CA 95202
• 7:00 am – 4:30 pm

County Administration – Lobby

• 44 N San Joaquin St, Stockton, CA 95202
• 9:00 am – 4:00 pm

Behavioral Health Services – Conference Room B

• 1212 N California St, Stockton, CA 95202
• 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Public Health Services – Patio Area

• 1601 E Hazelton Ave, Stockton, CA 95205
• 11:00 am – 1:00 pm

Environmental Health Department – In Front of Main Entry

• 1868 E Hazelton Ave, Stockton, CA 95205
• 11:30 am – 4:00 pm

California Children Services – Conference Room

• 16988 S Harlan Rd, Lathrop, CA 95330
• 11:00 am – 2:00 pm

Juvenile Probation – Conference Room

• 575 W Mathews Rd, French Camp, CA 95231
• 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Mary Graham Children’s Shelter – Lobby Conference Room

• 6861 Mary Graham Ln, French Camp, CA 95231
• 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Recovery House/Substance Abuse/Family Ties – Out front between Recovery House and Substance Abuse

• 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Employees’ Retirement Association–Micke Grove Room

• S., 6 S El Dorado St # 400, Stockton, CA 95202
• 11:00 am – 12:00 pm

Thursday, September 29, 2022

SEIU 1021 Stockon Office  – Conference Room B

• 4226 Coronado Ave, Stockton, CA 95204
• 9:00 am – 2:00 pm

North County Recycling Center & Sanitary Landfill — Break/Lunchroom

• 17720 E Harney Ln, Lodi, CA 95240
• 11:00 am – 1:30 pm

Oak Grove Regional Park — Maintenance Break Room

• 4520 W Eight Mile Rd, Stockton, CA 95209
• 7:30 am ­– 8:30 am

Micke Grove Zoo — Delta Covered Area

• 11793 Micke Grove Rd, Lodi, CA 95240
• 11:00 am – 1:30 pm

Juvenile Justice Center — Time Clock Room

• 535 W Mathews Rd, French Camp, CA 95231
• 5:30 am – 6:30 am

Mental Health Services Transcultural Clinic – Conference Room

• 4422 N Pershing Ave # D2, Stockton, CA 95207
• 10:30 am – 11:00 am

Challenges: Challenges to or disputes arising from a Chapter election must be submitted to the Chapter Election Committee within three (3) working days of the submission of the committee’s election report to the Chapter Board. Challenges must be submitted in writing and must cite specific violation(s) of the Chapter election rules and procedures, Chapter bylaws, or the Local 1021 Bylaws and Constitution. Challenges to the election will be considered valid only if they cite specific violations of election rules and procedures, Chapter bylaws, or the Local 1021 Bylaws and Constitution and if the alleged violation may have affected the outcome of the election. The Chapter Election Committee shall investigate and resolve challenges within ten (10) working days of receipt of the challenge. The Election Committee may order a re-run of all or part of the election.

Download/view the list of dates, times, and locations for the vote to ratify our new contract!

Contract highlights – September 12, 2022

We made history. Never before have we, the SEIU 1021 San Joaquin County chapter, finished contract negotiations before the expiration date and not had to strike. Our contract has zero takeaways, bringing over two-hundred-forty classes into the median salary during the first year. We won significant gains for part-time employees and did away with a two-tier flexible holiday structure. That speaks to the power we have as a labor union. Down below are more highlights of our contract:

• Wages:

  • Year one: 6% effective October 24, 2022
  • Year two: 5% effective July 1, 2023 (approximately nine months after the first payment; that equals 11% in the first year of the new contract)
  • Year three: 4% effective July 1, 2024
  • Year four: 3% effective July 1, 2025
  • Contract expiration: June 30, 2026
• Bilingual pay: All who are certified will receive 85 cents per hour. If you are not certified, and they ask you to use your skill, you will be scheduled to take the test to become certified. 
• Workers in the Trades, Labor, and Institutional Unit who must maintain a Class A will receive a 2.5% supplement.
• Communications dispatchers who hold an intermediate certification will receive a 3% supplement.
• All workers in the Safety, Investigative and Custodial Unit at the Sheriff’s Office who are required to wear boots will now be reimbursed for buying them.
• All workers at San Joaquin General Hospital or in the Health Care Services Agency who are required to wear scrubs for work will have them provided by the county management.
• A weekend shift differential of $1-per-hour, with weekend shifts beginning at or after 7 pm on Friday and before 8 pm on Sunday.
• Minimum of 7% pay spread for supervisors and those they supervise
• Step increases for part-time employees after every 2,080 hours they work until they reach the top stop of their classification.
• 41-hour rule: Now lowered to 32 hours needed to get the county contribution for medical, dental, vision, and life insurance. That only applies to an employee on approved but unprotected leave for 26 pay periods (1 year).
• All Safety, Investigative and Custodial Unit members who have to wear boots at the Sheriff’s Office will now receive either $175 per year or $225 if puncture-resistant boots are mandated.
• Employees in the Office of the Agricultural Commissioner / Sealer of Weights & Measure will be reimbursed for commercial license renewals.
• Mary Graham Children’s Shelter employees will receive a 5% supplement.
• All San Joaquin General Hospital employees or in the Health Care Services Agency who are required to wear scrubs for work will have them provided by the county management.
• Cesar Chavez Day is now a floating holiday, replacing California Admission Day.
• Executive Board members in each unit will be granted up to 13 days of release time for union activities per year.
• Beginning July 1, 2023, all employees will receive floating holidays, replacing the flexible holiday schedule.
• Standby pay is increasing from 20% to 25% of salary.
• San Joaquin County Behavioral Health Services supplement for workers in the clerical series who work in Crisis Stabilization Units and Psychiatric Health Facility areas will receive a 3% supplement.
• Employees in the deputy auditor-controller series with a certified public accountant certification will receive a 2% supplement.
• Alternative work schedules and telework for individual employees are now part of the contract.
• Part-time employees are now able to use sick leave in 15-minute increments instead of two-hour increments.
• We have expanded the definition of family for bereavement leave.
• Part-time employees working on a holiday will receive time-and-a-half for all hours worked.
• The San Joaquin County Human Services Agency Intake and Assessment supplement expands to the Supervisors Unit at 7.5%.
• The correctional health supplement is now expanding to dental assistants and mental health clinicians.
• Downtown parking supplement increases from $17 to $20 per pay period and from $36.83 to $40 per month for employees who utilize other parking lots downtown.
• Armed officer pay now has a 2.5% supplement.
• Field Training Officer pay has a 2.5% supplement.
• Rain gear will be provided for those who work outside at the San Joaquin County Department of Public Works, the Stockton Metropolitan Airport, and the Sheriff’s Office.
• The minimum-wage clause moves the bottom step of salary if below minimum wage and adjusts all other steps by 5% throughout the series. That policy protects from salaries falling below minimum wage during the length of the contract.

Contract ratification voting will occur on September 27, 28, and 29, 2022. Details regarding voting locations and times will be provided soon.

Download/view the contract highlights flyer.

Bargaining Update #11 – We secured a Tentative Agreement – September 7, 2022

We did it. By rising to meet the moment, we, the SEIU 1021 San Joaquin County chapter, have secured a tentative agreement with San Joaquin County management. We made significant wins through collective unity between rank-and-file members, the bargaining team, the contract action team, and chapter leadership.

Here are the highlights of our tentative agreement:

• Wages:

  • Year one: 6% effective October 24, 2022
  • Year two: 5% effective July 1, 2023 (approximately nine months after the first payment; that equals 11% in the first year of the new contract)
  • Year three: 4% effective July 1, 2024
  • Year four: 3% effective July 1, 2025
  • Contract expiration: June 30, 2026
• Bilingual pay: All who are certified will receive 85 cents per hour. If you are not certified, and they ask you to use your skill, you will be scheduled to take the test to become certified. 
• Workers in the Trades, Labor, and Institutional Unit who must maintain a Class A will receive a 2.5% supplement.
• Communications dispatchers who hold an intermediate certification will receive a 3% supplement.
• All workers in the Safety, Investigative and Custodial Unit at the Sheriff’s Office who are required to wear boots will now be reimbursed for buying them.
• All workers at San Joaquin General Hospital or in the Health Care Services Agency who are required to wear scrubs for work will have them provided by the county management.
• A weekend shift differential of $1-per-hour, with weekend shifts beginning at or after 7 pm on Friday and before 8 pm on Sunday.
• Minimum of 7% pay spread for supervisors and those they supervise
• Step increases for part-time employees after every 2,080 hours they work until they reach the top stop of their classification.
• 41-hour rule: Now lowered to 32 hours needed to get the county contribution for medical, dental, vision, and life insurance. That only applies to an employee on approved but unprotected leave for 26 pay periods (1 year).

There are many other wins we secured during our contract negotiations with management. Soon, we will send out a flyer that lists all these wins. We are looking at ratifying the contract by vote at the end of the month and working on times and locations for in-person voting.

Stay tuned for more details early next week via email.

Your bargaining team could not have done this without you all. We greatly appreciate the support we received from the membership during these negotiations.

We are stronger together.

Download/view Bargaining Update #11.

Bargaining Update #10 – August 31, 2022

At our tenth bargaining session with San Joaquin County management, we discussed outstanding proposals that neither side has responded to during our contract negotiations. Down below are the highlights from yesterday’s bargaining session.

We made the following counter-proposals:

• In Section 2.9 (the 41-hour rule), instead of 41 hours, we proposed that only ten hours be used per pay period on an approved, unprotected leave to get the county’s share of the premium costs.
• For communications dispatchers, we proposed that holding an Intermediate POST certificate receive a 2% supplement, and having an Advanced POST certificate receive a 4% supplement. The county is already willing to give 3% for holding a dispatch supervisory certificate.
• Upon turning in a valid receipt, we proposed for boot reimbursements to occur within 30 days for the Paraprofessional Unit.
• On work site closures, we proposed how the county should pay employees should a worksite close, and there is nowhere else for employees to conduct their work. We came to an agreement on this section.
• With part-time employees, we proposed that part-time employees will no longer be penalized for being overworked and taken off payroll for exceeding their hours. We came to an agreement on that, securing a significant win for our part-time members.
• We made proposals for the Office & Office Technical Unit and Technical Unit to increase uniform allowances by $3 per pay period.
• We proposed a shift differential for the weekend, stating that weekend shifts begin at 5 pm on Friday. Management countered with 7 pm on Friday, and we came to an agreement. That will now pay those who work on the weekends an additional $1 per hour once the contract is ratified.
• We made a proposal for callback time, keeping existing language the same relating to the 3-hour callback minimum per call but adding times for those who are on standby and have to perform tasks without leaving their homes. We signed an agreement on that.

County management made the following counter-proposals today:

• Part-time serious discipline appeal: Adds timelines for the department to respond to requests for appeals and also adds an appeal to the Director of Human Resources should the department ignore the initial request.
• Management proposed under the “41-hour” section of 2.9 that an employee uses 35 hours per pay period in an approved, unprotected status.
• Management also accepted our proposal to add Cesar Chavez Day as a recognized floating holiday, replacing California Admission Day.
• Management proposed that flexible holidays will be eliminated on July 1, 2023. At that time, under management’s proposal, all employees will start enjoying the floating holiday benefit.
• Management agreed to our proposal of a 7% spread for supervisors over those they supervise. That will be either in a salary adjustment or by supplement, depending on whom a supervisor supervises.
• We have an agreement in principle on alternative work schedules. We are working through the telework agreement and AWS Form.

Wage proposals:

Management’s offer:

• Year one: 6% on October 24, 2022
• Year two: 5% on October 23, 2023
• Year three: 2% on October 21, 2024
• Year four: 2.5% on October 20, 2025
• Contract expiration: June 30, 2026

Our counter-proposal:

• Year one: 8% on October 21, 2022
• Year two: 7% on July 1, 2023 (approximately eight months after the first payment)
• Year three: 4% on July 1, 2024
• Year four: 4% on July 1, 2025
• Contract expiration: June 30, 2026

During our discussion on wage proposals, management conveyed that they are nearing the end of what they can offer. Management will return with a response when we next meet on Wednesday, September 7.

We also withdrew the following proposals after management expressed that they did not have the authority to fund them:

• Jury duty (paying part-time workers for attending jury duty)
• Longevity
• Human Services Agency Court Unit 7% Supplement
• Public Health Adverse Event leave bank
• Public Health Adverse Event Supplemental pay

Download/view Bargaining Update #10.

Bargaining Update #9 – August 24, 2022

In meeting with San Joaquin County management for our ninth bargaining session, your bargaining team made the following counter-proposals:

• For the Trades, Labor, and Industry unit: All members who hold a commercial license be compensated 2.5%.
• For retirement contributions and retirement benefits: We want to remove the language that states “the Legislature’s stated intent” regarding the California Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act (PEPRA). We objected to that language because we were not present when PEPRA was written and did not know the stated intent. Instead, we rely on the documented words of the legislation.
• Facility pay: counter proposed the grandfathering in of workers to receive the pay as “pay always” and not just for hours spent in certain locked down areas.
• Alternative schedules: we understand that management wants to expand the use of alternative schedules for individuals to aid in the recruitment and retention of good employees. We ask that when one of these agreements is reached, we receive a copy of the agreement for our records. Any proposals impacting an entire department will still have to be met and conferred before implementation.
• Floating holidays: We proposed that Cesar Chavez Day (March 31) be recognized instead of California Admission Day (September 9).
• Uniform allowance in the Safety, Investigative, and Custodial unit­: We are asking for increases up to $550 per year in a lump sum.
• Boot allowance: We ask that all reimbursements happen within 30 days of a receipt being submitted.
• Behavioral Health Services clerical supplement: We countered-proposed at 4%.

County management made the following counter-proposals:

• Shift differential: No increase in the amounts paid but adding a $1-per-hour weekend shift differential.
• Standby pay: Increase the standby pay to 25%. Currently, it is 20%. We will sign off on this at next week’s bargaining session.
• Language changes: Specifically to retirement proposals, we will also sign off on next week.

Wage proposals:

Management’s offer:

• Year one: 6% effective the first pay period after ratification or on October 24.
• Year two: 5% on October 23, 2023
• Year three: 2% on October 21, 2024
• Year four: 2% on October 20, 2025
• Contract expiration: June 30, 2026 

Management said they were open to our counter-proposal on payment dates.

Our counter-proposal:

• Year one: 9% on October 21, 2022
• Year two: 8% on July 1, 2023 (roughly eight months after the first payment)
• Year three: 4% on July 1, 2024
• Year four: 4% on July 1, 2025
• Contract expiration: June 30, 2026 

We signed off on the following tentative agreements:

• Any classification that the salary is below minimum wage will be moved at least to the minimum wage and all other steps adjusted accordingly;
• Expanding the Correctional Health supplemental pay to include the mental health clinician and dental assistant;
• Expanding who receives the supplemental pay for working in the Medical Guarded Unit and Special Care Clinic at San Joaquin General Hospital;
• 3% supplement for workers at the Jail who supervise or work with inmates (sheriff central services worker, sheriff central services assistant, sheriff inmate labor specialist, and sheriff material specialist);
• 2% supplement for workers in the Auditor-Controller’s Office who possess a certified internal auditor certificate;
• Increase in the downtown parking supplement ($3 per month);
• Armed officers pay of 2.5% for juvenile detention officers who will be transporting inmates;
• 5% shelter facility pay supplement for workers assigned to Mary Graham Children’s Shelter;
• Expanding county provided raingear for workers in the Trades, Labor, and Industry unit, Safety, Investigative & Custodial unit, and Supervisors unit.

We then signed off on the facility pay language, including the grandfathering clause.

We meet with management next week, and they indicated to us that they will have another response to our financial proposal.

Download/view Bargaining Update #9.

Bargaining Update #8 – August 17, 2022

Highlights from our eighth bargaining session are below:

• We signed a Tentative Agreement on bereavement leave.

The following are a series of our counter-proposals to county management:

• Holidays: Management proposed that the maximum value of any holiday be 8 hours. We countered that the maximum value should correspond to the schedule that an individual employee works. For example, if an employee works 10-hour shifts and Christmas falls on a Tuesday, then the employee would receive 10 hours of pay instead of the 8 hours and have to dip into one of their banks of time to make up the other two hours.
• Rain gear: We counter-proposed that the Supervisors unit of the Department of Public Works should be included if they routinely have to work in inclement weather.
• Boot reimbursements: We submitted a counter-proposal that all reimbursements become an allowance due to the time some say it takes to get reimbursed. Management countered by stating that some classifications need to be under a reimbursement since there is no way to know who should get the allowance. We discussed management’s counter, concluding that we find that acceptable but will counter-propose a time limit for reimbursement to be received.
• Continuation of insurance when on leave: Also infamously known as the 41-hour rule, we counter-proposed to management that an individual employee should only have to use the necessary hours needed to pay the employee portion of their benefits (i.e., medical, dental, vision, life insurance, etc.).

Management gave us counter-proposals predominantly around boots reimbursements and medical insurance. Management indicated that they are willing to include language that if the Kaiser Permanente plan ever drops, they will meet and confer over the impact of discontinuing the health insurance plan.

To be clear: Management has not said that they are moving away from Kaiser, but their proposal omits the Kaiser name from the contract. We want to ensure that management does not move away from the plan.

Our next bargaining session is Wednesday, August 24, at which point we expect management to deliver their next financial proposal.

Download/view Bargaining Update #8.

Bargaining Update #7 – August 10, 2022

At our seventh bargaining session with county management, we submitted the following counter-proposals:

• Bereavement leave: We countered management’s proposal by adding aunt, uncle, niece, and nephew and extending the allowed time to utilize the benefit from 30 days to 60 days if gatherings cannot occur due to health-related reasons.
• Health care benefits: If the county Kaiser Permanente plan was eliminated, we countered a contract reopening to negotiate new premium splits. Currently, the employer pays 80%, while the employee pays 20%. Although the county has not indicated any interest in eliminating the Kaiser plan, we feel as if creating safeguards, in the case at some point they do, to protect the membership. 

County management made a series of counter-proposals, including the following:

• Holidays: Management proposed that any holiday falling on a Saturday the Friday prior would be considered the holiday, and all non-24-hour facilities would close. The proposal would only impact workers in non-24-hour facilities. Management also wants to insert into the contract that the maximum value of a holiday is 8 hours. We will make a counter-proposal based on the schedules of different workers.
• Continuation of benefits while on leave of absence: Management spelled out protected leaves, the benefits versus unprotected leaves, and the amount of time needed to get the county contribution to premiums. Management remains on 41 hours that need to be used but is open to a counter-proposal.
• Uniform allowances: There was a counter that cleans up outdated language and adds shirts to specific classes—the Juvenile Justice Center and Airport—but does not add funds for those who have to buy their uniforms. We will counter-propose that.
• Boot reimbursement: There was an agreement to increase the reimbursement amount. However, we feel the process takes too long and will counter with it becoming an allowance. We also think that certain classifications have been omitted from the reimbursement.
• Rain gear: That would apply to employees working in inclement weather. Management omitted the Department of Public Works in the Supervisors unit. We will make a counter to address that.
• Alternative work schedules: Management said offering different schedules are needed to help with recruitment and retention and indicated that new school start times would make flexibility in start and end times necessary. Management is open to agreeing on teleworking but needs to ensure that it’s not too restrictive for some departments. We think a teleworking policy will improve scheduling flexibility conditions for our members and plan to work with county management on a fair policy.
• Floating holidays: Management agreed to move all employees to floating holidays and eliminate flexible holidays. We need to come up with a date of implementation. If you have flexible holiday time in the bank, plan to use it by the end of the year.
• Floating holiday observance: Language clean-up. See proposals here.
• Regular holiday compensation: Management agreed to standardize language across all 6 of our contracts by removing the hours’ barrier for part-time workers to be paid holiday pay for working on a holiday.
• SEIU 1021 Executive Board release time: Management agrees to grant 13 days per year per Executive Board member, marking an increase from previous contracts.
• Sick leave usage for part-time employees: Management proposed changing the minimum time from 2 hours to 15 minutes.

On wages, county management proposed 5% upon ratification, 4% for the second year, 2% for the third year, and 2% for the fourth and final year. Management proposes a 44-month contract, returning us to a June 30 expiration date.

We countered with 11% for year one, 11% for year two, 10% for year three, and 7% for year four.

Management conveyed that they have a little more movement on wages but are not yet close to what we propose.

Management conceptually agreed to increase the downtown parking stipend as part of their wage proposal.

In addition, management conceptually also agreed as part of their wages proposal supplements for: Behavioral Health Services, Mary Graham’s Children’s Shelter, jail workers who supervise inmates, Mental Health Clinicians, Dental Assistants in Correctional Health, workers in the County Auditor-Controller office who hold a CIA certificate, Weights and Measures and Ag Commission office who hold a Class Band Class A licenses, employees assigned to Field Training officer positions, park worker holding a class-A license, employees in the probation department who are required to carry a firearm. We also got expanding supplements for Medical Guarded Unit and Special Care Clinic.

Our next bargaining session is scheduled for Wednesday, August 17, 2022.

Download/view Bargaining Update #7.

Bargaining Update #6 – July 27, 2022

With our sixth bargaining session with county management, we passed six counter proposals across the table, including:​

• Step increases for part-time workers: Step increases should occur every 2,080 hours (equivalent to 1 year of full-time work). The current contract language makes part-time workers ineligible if they are taken off the payroll. We propose eliminating that language;
• Standby pay: The rate should increase from 20% to 25%, as written in the County Ordinance. This proposal will not impact the side letter between county management and us regarding the Operating Room Technicians at the hospital;
• Shift Differential: We countered by increasing the PM shift differential and split shifts from $1.15 per hour to $ 2 per hour, the night shift differential from $1.45 to $3 per hour, and an added $1 per hour for the weekend differential; 
• Sick leave for part-time employees: We countered for part-time workers to accrue nine days per year of sick time, up from the current six days;
• Bilingual pay: We proposed 0.50 cents per hour compensation for any employee asked to use a bilingual skill. For those certified as bilingual, we propose raising the rate from 0.82 cents an hour to $1 per hour;
• Executive Board release time: We counter-proposed 13 days per year of release time per Executive Board member.

County management made the following counter proposals:

• Bereavement leave: Clarification around the definition of family, including which members. We plan to counter-propose, yet we feel we’re close;
• Education leave: Management added some of our recommendations. We plan to look more closely at the updated language;
• Holidays: Management agrees with us, granting floating holidays to all employees and doing away with flexible holidays. Management proposed that holidays falling on Saturdays be recognized on the preceding Friday and close all offices. Management discussed recognizing Cesar Chavez Day and Juneteenth as holidays, thus reducing the floating holidays by 2, or having Juneteenth recognized the same way as Cesar Chavez Day is currently— an employee must have accrued time to request off. The Bargaining Team is not fond of either option and will work on a counter-proposal. 

We secured a few tentative agreements having to do with contract language cleanup. Those tentative agreements are available here.

Moving forward, we plan to bargain with county management every Wednesday until the contract expires on Thursday, October 20, 2022. Management will have its next financial proposal ready for us next Wednesday, August 3, 2022.

If you are not receiving email or text updates from your union or have opted out, contact your field representative, sign up here, or call the Member Resource Center (MRC) to be added to the list. The MRC is available from Monday through Friday from 8 am to 6 pm @ 1-877-687-1021. We will not send bargaining updates to work emails.

Download/view Bargaining Update #6.

Bargaining Update #5 – July 13, 2022

Coming into the fifth bargaining session, the management of San Joaquin County and your bargaining team for the SEIU 1021 San Joaquin County Chapter exchanged the final list of all new proposals.

We made the following proposals to management:

• 7% minimal spread for Supervisors over those they supervise;
• Supplemental pay for dangerous working conditions at Mary Graham Children’s Shelter;
• Supplemental pay for those employees who cannot work remotely during a pandemic or epidemic;
• 80-hour separate leave bank for any future pandemics or epidemics;
• Mandatory step advancement should the County hire someone into your classification at a step above you;
• Moving all entry-level salary steps to match or exceed the minimum wage when the minimum wage increases;
• The ability to telework up to 3 days per week;
• Part-time workers to be paid for holidays if where they work is closed on the holiday;
• A supplemental for those workers in Human Services who work in the Court Unit;
• Expanding the Behavioral Health Supplement to include members of the Office and Office Technical Unit;
• Longevity pay for 15 years at 1% and 20 years at 2%;
• Supplemental pay for Communications Dispatchers who hold a POST certificate;
• Increasing the parking supplement for Downtown workers;
• Supplemental pay for workers at the jail who supervise or work with inmates;
• Expanding who receives supplemental pay when working inside the Medical Guarded Unit or Special Care Clinic at San Joaquin General Hospital;
• Expanding the areas that Crafts Workers/Electricians/Office Building Engineers and Housekeeping Service Workers receive supplemental pay for working in;
• Uniform allowance payable in a lump sum for workers at the jail in the amounts of $600 per year;
• Uniform allowance for those at the Hospital or any Health Care Services facility that have to wear scrubs;
• Increasing boot reimbursement for those wearing specialized boots for their jobs, including members in the Supervisors and Professional unit in the allowance.

Management gave proposals around the following:

• A placeholder proposal for uniforms and boot allowances for Public Works, General Services, Ag Commissioners office, Office of the Medical Examiner, and the Airport;
• Clarifying the order of call-off at the Hospital in case there is a need for Furloughs;
• Clarifying language for retirement compensation for those hired after January 1, 2022 (base pay only compensable);
• Underfilling- clarifying who can underfill for the Eligibility Worker I classification;
• Worksite closure – who receives payment and how;
• Including the Social Worker Supervisor I in the Intake and Assessment Supplement at Human Services Agency;
• Clarifying language around leaves from employment, including paid leaves, protected leaves, and leaves where an employee still has time on the books;
• Counter proposal on SEIU Executive Board release time.

For wages, county management counter offered us the following:

• 4% in the first year;
• 3% in the second year;
• 2% in the third year (all of these amounts were the same as the original proposal);
• 2% in the final eight months of the proposed 44-month contract—an increase of 2% over the original proposal.

We countered with:

• 12% beginning October 21, 2022;
• 11% beginning July 1, 2023 (10 and half months after the first raise);
• 10% beginning July 1, 2024;
• 7% beginning July 1, 2025;
• Contract expires on June 30, 2026;
• Length of contract: 44 months.

We want to emphasize that your bargaining team will match management at this stage on wages. While management offered two percent in the fourth and final year, we went down two percent in year four. As previously proposed, all other amounts remain the same.

Our next bargaining session is scheduled for Wednesday, July 27. Beginning in August, we will move to bargain once a week with management until the current contract expires on October 20, 2022.

If you are not receiving email or text updates from your union or have opted out, contact your field representative, sign up here, or call the Member Resource Center (MRC) to be added to the list. The MRC is available from Monday through Friday from 8 am to 6 pm @ 1-877-687-1021. We will not send bargaining updates to work emails.

Download/view Bargaining Update #5.

Bargaining Update #4 – June 30, 2022

At our fourth bargaining session with county management, we asked for clarification on management using contract employees at the landfills. We offered to management that if they changed the starting pay to that of the Highway Maintenance Worker I, they would have a more successful rate of filling those positions.

We brought up that the same contract agency was still supplying workers at the Hospital when we were told that this would be lessening or going away. Management told us that they would look into it.

We asked about underfilling. We pointed out that if a Senior Office Assistant underfilled for a Collection Clerk, it would be considered a promotion, and we would ask for above-class pay.

Our position on the 41-hour rule is that management cannot demand an employee who is on an approved leave from the county be made to use 41 hours if they do not have it and pay for their benefits portion ahead of time as in the contract (2 weeks prior) is sufficient. The county’s concern is that someone could be on leave long-term (over one year), make their contribution, and get full medical benefits while not working. We will continue to explore solutions to this with the county.

We will make proposals to protect those still doing job share—more details to come.

We maintain that each call back should be a separate 3 hours and that minute increments for those who can handle the issue from home be in 15-minute increments. The county was open to a counter-proposal from us.

We passed proposals for Juneteenth and Cesar Chavez Day to be recognized as holidays.

We also passed a proposal around work site closure to ensure that all impacted workers receive Admin pay while a site is closed.

We also gave an updated Executive Board release time proposal to the county.

Management proposed medical benefits for both full and part-time workers. We have to go through that proposal and have not taken any positions on it. The same applies to management’s proposal around flexible schedules.

Management also proposed sick-leave usage, which impacts our part-time workers. If a part-time worker uses sick leave, they have to use a minimum of 2 hours. We have proposed that it be lowered to 15-minute increments. Management countered with 1 hour. We will be making further counter-proposals.

Our next bargaining date is Wednesday, July 13, when management will submit their next financial proposal. All new proposals will have to be made on that date.

If you are not receiving email or text updates from your union or have opted out, contact your field representative or call the Member Resource Center (MRC) to be added to the list. The MRC is available from Monday through Friday from 8 am to 6 pm @ 1-877-687-1021. We will not send bargaining updates to work emails.

Print out Bargaining Update #4 here.

Bargaining Update #3 – June 15, 2022

On June 15, 2022, the SEIU 1021 San Joaquin County Bargaining Team met with management. Several proposals were exchanged.

We made the following proposals:

• SEIU 1021 Executive Board release time for 14 days per member per calendar year;
• Medical coverage for part-time employees: Non-Healthcare Professionals replace the word “mandatory” with “optional.” That is plan C coverage for part-time workers who work a 50-hour-per-pay-period average;
• Continuation of Insurance Benefits While on Leave of Absence—aka the 41-hour rule: Our position is that we do not have to use 41 hours per pay period to get the County contribution to our medical benefits. We just have to make our payment for our share;
• Sick Leave Usage: part-time employees can accrue up to 10 days per year and use the time in 15-minute increments;
• Regular Holiday Compensation: standardize the language for all contracts, giving more flexibility for accruing holiday time when the office is closed;
• Floating Holidays: eliminate flexible holidays so that all employees, including part-time employees, get floating holidays;
• Bereavement Leave: expand family-member eligibility for bereavement usage;
• Overtime: part-time employees earn overtime after 8 hours worked in a shift, not the current 12;
• Jury Duty: expand to part-time workers the ability to be paid for attending or serving jury duty;
• Part-time step increase: changes that part-time employees earn step increases every 2,080 hours from the first date of hire up until they reach the top step of their specific salary scale;
• Rain Gear: Any member at the Sheriff’s Office will get rain gear if required to work in inclement weather;
• Part-Time employee serious discipline appeal: changes process to a hearing with an appeal to HR director if not followed correctly.

San Joaquin County management made the following proposals:

• Title change for section 1 management rights;
• Another proposal on 1.4.1: ADA and FEHA re-adding in the 10-day management response deadline;
• Deleting the sick leave abuse section of the contract;
• Clarifying language on Continuing Education Leave
• Personal Medical Leave: clarifying language on who can provide approvals.
• Catastrophic Leave: clarifying language
• Leaves for Civil Service Exams and interviews: time off with pay, including part-time employees.
• Re-employment or reinstatement leave accruals rates and pay: the restoration of sick leave time, accrual of vacation at the level when left the County previously.
• Salaries: 44-month term raises of 4%, 3%, 2%, and no raise in the 4th year. We questioned this, and they informed us we could counter with an amount;
  • We countered with 44-month contract with 12%, 11%, 10%, 9%;
• Shift differential: incorporating the Clinical Lab tech amount into the Professional Contract.
• Stand By Pay: incorporating the OR Tech series in the Para Professional Contract;
• lntake and Assessment Supplement: eliminates the management requirement of an authored memorandum to get the supplement. If you do the work, you get the supplement;
• Bi-Lingual: eliminates the two levels. All employees who qualify will get the $0.82 cents an hour level. (we will make a counter-proposal);
• Call back overtime: would clarify payment status per call (we will discuss this with management more at future sessions) and add a section for those on callback which do not have to leave their homes to do their call back work;
• Job sharing: grandfather in the four workers who currently participate in job share and eliminate any future job-sharing opportunities;
• Part-time step increases: the county proposal is extremely close to the union proposal;
• Underfilling: clarifies the correct and updated titles which can perform the underfilling for the EW worker series;
• Part-time employment: health care professionals – clarifying language for Section 7 part-time workers with benefits;
• Compliance with part-time/temporary definitions: eliminates outdated language/dates.

Our following two bargaining dates are Thursday, June 30, and Wednesday, July 13. July 13 is also the date that all new proposals must be submitted.

If you are not receiving email or text updates from your union or have opted out, contact your field representative or call the Member Resource Center (MRC) to be added to the list. The MRC is available from Monday through Friday from 8 am to 6 pm @ 1-877-687-1021. We will not send bargaining updates to work emails.

Print out Bargaining Update #3 here.

Bargaining Update #2 – June 1, 2022

On Wednesday, June 1, 2022, we returned to the bargaining table with San Joaquin County management. We focused on Section 2.9 and the use of 41 hours to get the County contribution for our medical benefits. We asked, “can an employee on approved leave elect to pay their portion with a check instead of using banked hours? Will a part-time employee who gets medical benefits and goes off on an approved leave still maintain their benefits if they make their portion of the payment per the contract?” Management says that we will have responses on June 15, when the Benefits Manager will be in attendance.

We discussed the Juvenile Detention workers to address pay with the increased dangers and responsibility we now have due to changed incarceration laws. We have agreed to address that at a side table with members of the Hall at the table.

We inquired about the disparity in the salary scale for the Communications Dispatchers. There is an 18 percent spread between the I and II classifications, an 8 percent spread between II and III classifications, and an 18 percent spread between the III and IV classifications. Management informs us there should be an answer at the next session.

We received seven proposals from management today and agreed to four of them. The seven received were:

1. Sick Leave accrual - language clean-up that takes out the granting of sick leave is a privilege;
2. Pregnancy Disability Leave - now includes part-time workers;
3. Personal Leave of Absence - leaves over 30 days to be approved by the HR Director;
4. Catastrophic Leave, Treatment of Donated Time - removes the cap on time used for family leave;
5. Discrimination in Employment - aligns with state and federal laws;
6. Military Leave - expands banking options for service members;
7. Child Related Activities - expands licensed daycare in addition to traditional schools;

We agreed on sick leave accrual, pregnancy disability leave, personal leave of absence, and catastrophic leave.

We reiterated to management that we are serious about our financial proposal. Management responded that they would hopefully have an initial response on June 15.

Our following two bargaining dates are June 15 and June 30. June 30 is also the date that all new proposals must be submitted.

If you are not receiving email or text updates from your union or have opted out, contact your field representative or call the Member Resource Center (MRC) to be added to the list. The MRC is available from Monday through Friday from 8 am to 6 pm @ 1-877-687-1021. We will not send bargaining updates to work emails.

Print out Bargaining Update #2 here.

Bargaining Update #1 – May 18, 2022

We met with San Joaquin County management for the first session, where we went over ground rules, including release time for the bargaining team and dates for final new proposals. During our discussion, we went over the nine classifications whose entry step or A step falls below the current state minimum wage. Management indicated that no employees are placed at that step. We conveyed that the A step needs to be adjusted, increasing each subsequent step for that classification and impacting the remainder of the series. We scheduled all of our bargaining sessions with management through the contract’s expiration on October 20, 2022. In total, there are seventeen sessions.

Discussing with management around wages, we proposed that we settle across-the-board cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) increases first before moving on to other issues. County management seemed amenable to that proposal. We are asking for a fifteen-percent raise per year over three years. Several classifications are behind. The three-year proposal will bring the classes up so that the equity survey will look better than it does now in three years. The proposal will help with recruitment and retention, an issue created by the County’s austerity during bargaining over the last decade.

The next bargaining session is on June 1. We will meet with management every two weeks through July. Beginning in August, we will meet every week until the expiration date.

If we rise together, unite, and bring as many non-members into Local 1021, we can win higher wages, better benefits, and safer workplace conditions.

The SEIU Local 1021 San Joaquin County Bargaining Team approved the following proposal:

Proposal from SEIU 1021 to San Joaquin County All MOU’s:

4. Compensation

4.1 Salaries

Effective October 21, 2022 all employees shall receive a Cost of Living Adjustment of 15% of base salary.

Effective July 1, 2023 all employees shall receive a Cost of Living Adjustment of 15% of base salary.

Effective July 1, 2024 all employees shall receive a Cost of Living Adjustment of 15% of base salary.

If you are not receiving email or text updates from your union or have opted out, contact your field representative or call the Member Resource Center (MRC) to be added to the list. The MRC is available from Monday through Friday from 8 am to 6 pm @ 1-877-687-1021. We will not send bargaining updates to work emails.

Print out Bargaining Update #1 here.