California state workers voting on new contract
By
Dan Conway
13 January 2017
More than 96,000 state workers are voting this week on a new contract reached by Service Workers International Union (SEIU) Local 1000 and the state government. Prior to the vote, the SEIU aborted a planned strike, which had been approved by 92 percent of the union members.
The SEIU called off the strike, scheduled for December 5, even after the Sacramento Superior Court delayed a hearing on a court injunction sought by Democratic Governor Jerry Brown to prevent a walkout. Local 1000 President Yvonne Walker said the deal was a “pathway forward” and had achieved the goal of getting “a contract we can all be proud of.”
In fact, the deal is a concessions contract that will not stop the erosion of workers’ living standards in one of the most expensive states in the country. It includes a meager 11.5 percent salary increase over three years, which is actually less than the state’s initial offer of 11.84 percent.
A one-time bonus of $2,500 is included but this will not be folded into hourly wages, which are used to calculate future salary increases, vacation pay and pensions. Certain job classifications that are in high demand such as actuaries and nurses are scheduled to receive greater increases in the proposed agreement, however, most members will receive the standard terms.
The union has effusively praised the agreement and is actively working for its adoption. Walker wrote in a statement to the Sacramento Bee newspaper, “We fought hard to achieve a contract we can all be proud of; a contract that respects our work, values the services we provide to all Californians, and allows us to better provide for our families.”
The proposed agreement includes a net 3.5 percent increase in…