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When a Santa Clara County executive unilaterally changed the job classifications of county workers – and wrongfully lowered their pay scales – members took immediate action and fought back with our union’s Contract Enforcement Department (CED).
Finally, after a long, three-year struggle, the 10 Staff Development Specialists were victorious and were awarded a total $300,000 for being wrongfully underpaid.
Throughout the grievance process, the county was not able to show documentation that SEIU had agreed to the job classification and salary changes.
In the end the workers won two arbitrations with additional interest payments due to the county’s delay during the process, which caused the second arbitration.
“This is going to set a precedent for the county. They need to follow the contract and consult with SEIU when they want to change anything in the contract. My union was really good. It was really hard. It was very difficult. But our union never let us down.”
— Rosa Huerta, Staff Development Specialist, Retired
