We represent 508 Kern County Superior Court employees.  
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Notice of Transition of Health Benefits 

Members Overwhelmingly Ratify Contract
February 13, 2008 -- Sixty-nine percent of voting members gave their approval of the tentative agreement reached by the Court and Local 521 bargaining teams on February 7. The contract will now be submitted to the presiding judge for approval and implementation.
Ratified Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Court and Local 521

 Vote Wednesday, Feb. 13
Our Bargaining Team is recommending ratification of the tentative agreement reached with the Court on February 7.

Voting Times are as follows: 11 am to 2 pm, Local 521 office, 1001 17th St., Bakersfield
4 to 5:30 pm, 7th Floor of 1415 Truxtun Ave., Bakersfield
10 am Juvenile Justice Center, Bakersfield
Outlying Areas:
9:30 am Delano
11 am Shafter
1 pm Taft
2:30 pm Lamont
9:30 am Lake Isabella
11:15 am Ridgecrest
2 pm Mojave 


Court Bargaining Teams Reach Tentative Agreement
The Bargaining Teams for both the Kern County Superior Court and SEIU Local 521 are pleased to announce they reached a tentative agreement Thursday, February 7, 2008 on a new three-year contract ending September 30, 2010.

The Union Bargaining Team is recommending ratification of the tentative agreement during a vote scheduled for Wednesday, February 13, 2008.

Following Union ratification, the agreement will be presented to Presiding Judge Jerrold Turner for final approval.

The new agreement includes:

• A pay raise of 4.5% retroactive to September 29, 2007, 3% effective September 27, 2008 and 3% effective October 3, 2009.
• A $500 retention incentive bonus to all employees employed by Court on December 1, 2008 and December 1, 2009.
• Bilingual pay of $35 for verbal abilities and $60 for written and verbal abilities.
• Court will pay 100 percent of the employee-only cost of medical/dental/vision plan premium beginning on October 1, 2008.
• Court will implement an employee wellness program beginning July 1, 2008.
• Administration of health benefits will transition from the County of Kern to Kern County Superior Court by September 1, 2008. A three-person Third Party Administrator (TPA) Selection Committee will be formed to review and recommend a TPA to the Court Executive Officer. One of the members of the TPA Selection Committee will be appointed by the Union.
• The Union and Court will meet and confer over issues specified in the Side Letter relating to Personnel Policies and Procedures and the establishment of a Labor/Management Committee shall begin no later than July 1, 2008.
• All other tentative agreements previously signed and not amended by the tentative agreement will go into effect the first pay period following ratification of the proposal.

Kern Court Signed Tentative Agreement on 2/7/2008 


Should any members have additional questions, please feel free to call Delia Serrano at Local 521 at (661) 325-7487.

Bargaining Team members are: