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Hundreds of SEIU 721 Riverside County members came to an urgent membership meeting, Thursday, July 7, 2011, at the Riverside Convention Center. The bargaining team gave an update on contract negotiations and answered member’s questions. Here are highlights of the Question and Answers:Q: What happens now that the contract has expired?
A:
Everything stays the same. We continue to bargain for as long as it takes to reach mutual agreement on a new contract.
Q: Can the county impose a contract on us again?
A: By law, the county must negotiate in good faith, but if they improperly call an “impasse”, as they did in 2009, they could impose, or force their own terms and conditions of employment, on us.
Q: Can we strike?
A: We can not strike as long as we have a contract, but if the county imposes on us – Yes We Can!
Q: What is on the table?
A: •The county wants all employees to take a permanent 8% pay cut by paying the full EPMC now.
• Two-tiered retirement formula, with new hires receiving 2%@60.
• Reduction of the Fairness Agreement, allowing management to receive increases in wages and benefits, but not us.
• Suspend steps/merit increases indefinitely.
Q: What can we do next?
A: •Educate yourselves and your co-workers of your union rights.
• Attend bargaining/meetings.
• Become a part of the Contract Action Team (CAT) – contact your worksite organizer for more info.
• Spread the word about the vital public services you provide; how these cuts will affect you, your family and the local economy.
R U READY?
Take Action
Purple Thursdays are back! Show your solidarity by wearing purple on Thursdays. Hang a solidarity poster in your cubicle, put an SEIU 721 shirt on your chair, Purple Up! Drop by the SEIU office at 4336 Market Street in Riverside, to get a tee shirt today.
Negotiation sessions are open to all members. The next bargaining dates are:
• Monday, August 15, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Monday, August 22, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, August 23, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Bargaining location: County Assessors Office – Box Springs Facility – 6221 Box Springs Blvd. in Riverside, CA, 92508. Please park in the back.
Stay Informed
Receive regular updates from your bargaining unit during contract negotiations by updating your membership information today. Don’t forget to provide your personal email address.
Visit the SEIU 721 Inland Area Bargaining Update page to view past updates.
You can email your questions or comments directly to the SEIU 721 Riverside County bargaining team at rivcoseiu@gmail.com.
I have recently heard that the county imposed a contract on RSA. I dont want to have to go through another imposition by the county. With three bargaining dates to go what can we do in order to keep the county from imposing upon us again? How can they say that they have bargained in good faith if all they are doing is deferring or setting issues aside and not even going through the bargaining process? What is the union willing to do in order to make them abide by the good faith rule in bargaining so that we can come to a contract agreement and not have to be put in the position to be imposed upon again? Is there any way membership can file any kind of motion to ensure that fair bargaining is taking place and that management is just not using unfair tactics so that they get what they want? I really feel that we are being bullied as a membership and that the union at this point has no power to get the county to really step up and do good faith bargaining. Please dont let them impose upon us again. That would be a failure on all our parts.
I left the private working world 25 years ago to work for the County. My purpose was to give up on bonuses, work for more money and miss out on those extra paid vacations by my employer. I gave this all up for a career with the County and a good retirement package. I would hate to see that after 25 years investing for a good retirement that it was all for nothing. Please fight for us…..Please fight to keep what we have all worked so many years for and now when we are close to being able to retire, I would like to know that it was worth the sacrifices. If we continue to lose little by little the benefits of working for the County, what would make it appealing for future employee’s to even apply or look into a career with the County? We need to look for ways that the future of Riverside County draws the best and most qualified people to apply for jobs in our County. This is our future and our County has so much to offer it’s people. If we do not protect this, where will we be…….