Monterey County: Agreement reached with labor union

UPDATE 8/29/2019 4:10 p.m. Monterey County and the labor union SEIU 521 have reached an agreement.

In a release, the county calls it a multi-year pact increasing wages and not changing employee health benefit costs for the 3,081 workers.

The union said in a statement that if the two-year labor contract is ratified by union membership, the terms would include cost of living wage increases of 2% in the first year and 3% in the third. The union also said the county would take on increases in health care costs, so workers would continue to pay current monthly rates. The agreement would also include vacation increases and job classification improvements.

This is a tentative agreement, which the county writes is subject to ratification by the union’s members. After that, it will go to the Monterey County Board of Supervisors to approve and adopt.

Many of the public service workers have been rallying during the negotiations, saying they can’t live on their current pay. They told KION during a June rally that in the three years since their last contract, their seven percent cost of living increases haven’t kept up with a 10 percent rise in inflation.

PREVIOUS STORY: Monterey County announced Wednesday that an agreement has been reached with labor union, SEIU 521.

In a release, the county says they cannot include specific details and terms, but call it a multi-year pact increasing wages and not changing employee health benefit costs for the 3,081 workers.

This is a tentative agreement, which the county writes is subject to ratification by the union’s members. After that, it will go to the Monterey County Board of Supervisors to approve and adopt.

Many of the public service workers have been rallying during the negotiations, saying they can’t live on their current pay. They told KION during a June rally that in the three years since their last contract, their seven percent cost of living increases haven’t kept up with a 10 percent rise in inflation.