We represent 1,375 Tulare County (formerly Local 700) and 775 Tulare County (formerly 535) workers. Having a problem at work? Contact your worksite steward first.
Newsletter
We've started a newsletter for Tulare County employees. Read our first issue by clicking the link below.
Working Together For Tulare County Issue 1
Weekly Bargaining Update
Greg Gomez
Bargaining Team
Unit 7 |
July 2, 2008 -
Our rally at the Tulare Courthouse on June 26th was a hugesuccess! As a result, management has made a change in itsposition on health care, finally acknowledging that the current system is unfair.The current system has the lowest paid employees paying the most for health insurance while director's pay nothing.
We made progress this week in bargaining, with management realizing that the burden on lower paid employees who need health insurance is too great.
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However, management's health care proposal this week was still off the
mark. Rather than increasing the county contribution to employee health
care, management wants to shift money from those who opt out to the
ones who have to pay the most...
This is a move in the right direction, but the proposal is not acceptable. It's time for the county to agree to our proposal that the employer pay all of the contribution for single coverage and 80% of the contribution for family coverage. Employees from surrounding counties receive similar contributions from their employers, its only reasonable for us to expect the same.
Our contract has expired, and we continue to work towards a new agreement that will benefit all of us. Membership is at an all time high, and now the county has heard us collectively speak out about poor decisions and a lack of investment in the county workforce.
For more information on bargaining or how you can help out, please contact a CAT, Bargaining Team member, or an Organizer.
Fired Up: More than 700 Tulare County Workers Rally at Courthouse to Speak Out Against Poor Decisions Made by County Leadership
A record setting crowd of more than 700 County workers gathered together on Thursday, June 26th at the Tulare County Courthouse on 221 South Mooney Blvd. to collectively speak out about the escalating issues threatening the county.
» Read more
Rally at Courthouse to Speak Out Against Poor Decisions Made by County Leadership
WHEN:
Thursday, June 26, 2008 - 5:30 P.M.
WHERE: Tulare County Courthouse, 221 South Mooney Blvd., Visalia, CA
Join this rally to collectively speak out about the escalating issues threatening the county. The event aims to raise community awareness and to challenge County leadership to take responsibility in developing solutions to improve county services.
For more information, click here to read the
media advisory press release.
Weekly Bargaining Update - June 18, 2008
Katherine DeYoung
Bargaining Team
Unit 6
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This week in bargaining, we finally made progress on salary increases, with management moving its original wage offer of
0% to 2.5%!
This is positive news as we head into the final weeks of bargaining, because it shows us that as our numbers continue to grow, and our solidarity and strength is becoming more apparent to County management.
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Momentum is on our side. It is time for us to show the County that we are serious about good faith bargaining, and that we receive a compensation package that will benefit all Tulare County employees.
Sign the Unity Petition,
which already has over
1,500 signatures from your fellow co-workers,
supporting the Bargaining Team and the membership during negotiations.
Don’t forget to join us on
Thursday, June 26th, 5:30 p.m. at the Tulare County
Courthouse for a Unity Rally and March.
Hundreds of Tulare County workers will be in attendance to show the Board of Supervisors and Management that our concerns will not go unheard!
To join, please contact an Organizer, a CAT, a Bargaining Team member or call the office at: (559) 635–3720.
Tulare Co. Workers Submit Petition to Board for Fair Contract
Tulare County workers, outraged over County proposals for a 0% wage increase and asking workers to pay a larger share of their own health care, delivered a petition with over 1,400 worker signatures to the County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, June 10.
» Read article
» Read press release
Health Care Plan
Become a member so we can secure a
fair health care plan that saves money and protects the well-being of our workers and their families.
For more information, read the flyer:
Tulare County Employees Health Care
Weekly Bargaining Update - June 10, 2008
Steven Lloyd
Bargaining Team
Unit 4
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This week in bargaining, we continued to make progress with management on disciplinary and grievance procedures. However, the county maintained its position on the one-year 0% economic proposal. With our contract expiring on June 30th, we still have a great deal of work to accomplish.
The Bargaining Team encourages all workers to be ready to show our strength and unity in the coming weeks. The Bargaining Team wants to thank everyone for signing the Unity Petition. The 1,405 signatures on the petition reminds the Bargaining Team that we have the support of the workers during contract negotiations.
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To join, please contact an Organizer, a CAT, a Bargaining Team member or call the office at: (559) 635–3720.
Weekly Bargaining Update June 4, 2008
Bargaining was cancelled this week due to a death in the family of the Chief Negotiator. The next bargaining session will be Monday June 9, 2008.
Weekly Bargaining Update - May 29, 2008
Lupe Vigil
Bargaining Team
Unit 1
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This week in bargaining, the County submitted its first economic proposal to the Bargaining Team, offering
0% for wage increases
and adding a mere
$12.50 per pay period for health insurance costs…
The Bargaining Team is extremely insulted by this proposal. We have worked hard to develop a fair and equitable economic package that improves the lives of Tulare County workers and would put the County on par with other counties.
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A few weeks ago, the Bargaining Team submitted the following proposal:
*10% Annual Wage increase for 3 years*
*County Health Care Contributions*
100% for Single Coverage
80% for Family Coverage
The County is in good financial standing and has the resources to give workers the compensation and benefits that we have proposed.
Our membership has reached 43%
and still continues to grow. With bargaining heading into June, it is more important than ever to show management that we
stand strong together.
The Bargaining Team encourages everyone to sign the Unity Petition that supports our goals during this contract. Contact a CAT, Bargaining Team member or an Organizer to find out how you can help us win a fair contract.
The County is in good financial standing and has the resources to give workers the compensation and benefits that we have proposed. and still continues to grow. With bargaining heading into June, it is more important than ever to show management that we The Bargaining Team encourages everyone to sign the Unity Petition that supports our goals during this contract. Contact a CAT, Bargaining Team member or an Organizer to find out how you can help us win a fair contract.
Weekly Bargaining Update - May 23, 2008
Richard Kelsey
Bargaining Team
Unit 4
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This week in bargaining, we continued discussions on grievance and disciplinary procedures.
Five weeks of bargaining remain before our contract expires, and it is important to finalize these non-economic issues first so we can focus on the economic proposals.
We submitted our economic proposal last week and anticipate a response from the County within the next few bargaining sessions.
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Membership continues to grow, and our impact at the bargaining table is directly affected by your participation and support as a member.
To join, please contact an Organizer, a CAT, a Bargaining Team member or call the office at: (559) 635–3720.
Working for Our Union in Tulare County
Local 521 recently opened an office in Visalia to organize workers in the Central Valley. I had the opportunity to work with union organizers and staff, as well as other members, to help Tulare County employees build a stronger union.
With union membership at only 10 percent, Tulare County employees for years had settled for low pay and few benefits while counties nearby earned as much as 26 percent more in salary with stronger contracts. SEIU organizers worked with rank-and-file to form Contract Action Teams (CATs) and together,
we successfully grew the union to 40 percent membership!
I visited county employees to get the word out about the tools available to them when they became members. I heard sad stories of how some county employees had children with no health insurance because the costs were too high. Good county workers should have enough take-home pay to cover basic housing, food and medical necessities!
We had a CAT meeting for Tulare County employees on May 7 and discussed ways to increase membership to 60 percent and more.
It was thrilling to witness the increasing empowerment of Tulare County employees to bring better wages and benefits for themselves and their families.
You can read about the progress of Tulare County workers as they near the beginning of negotiations for a new contract by clicking the link to the Tulare County worksite page at seiu521.org.
-- Carol Johnson, VMC Steward
Weekly Bargaining Update - May 16, 2008
John Rodriguez
Bargaining Team
Unit 3
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This week in bargaining, we made our first economic proposal to the employer. The proposal included a
10% cost of living raise for everyone,
for each year of the contract. We also proposed that the
employer should pay 100% of the health insurance cost for single coverage and 80% for family coverage.
We believe this would make our compensation package comparable to surrounding counties. We also presented information to management that points out why the wage increase and health care coverage is needed and that it is affordable to the county.
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This is our initial proposal - we still have 6 weeks of bargaining before our contract expires and the employer has not made an economic proposal.
Our membership has grown over recent months to 41%,
but in order to win the best contract, we will need the support of all county employees. A large membership will get us closer to our initial economic proposal.
To join, please contact an Organizer, a CAT, a Bargaining Team member or call the office at: (559) 635–3720.
To Our Co-Workers at Tulare County
Last year we voted to join a new union, SEIU Local 521, so we could bring more resources to Tulare County and unite ourselves with other unions in the Central Valley. As a result, there are several changes to how we will bargain our contract this year. These changes should put us in a position to win our best contract ever.
As a result of these improvements, people are joining our union at record rates. Our membership has tripled over the last few months.
In order to prepare for negotiations, we have tabulated the contract surveys and our priorities are clear.
Read the letter from members of the Contract Action Team and the Bargaining Team.
Ensuring competitives wages
Tulare County is in the midst of a crisis. County employees earn drastically less than our peers in other comparable public agencies in the San Joaquin Valley. Despite the economic growth in Tulare, county employees have been left behind.
Join over 1,100 of your co-workers, become a member, and support our bargaining team as they negotiate a fair contract.
For more information,
read the flyer.
Town Hall Meeting Recap
Tulare County Employees
...strengthening our community
On April 24th, Tulare County Members participated in a Town Hall meeting with candidates running for the Board of Supervisors in the June Election.
Workers from across the county filled the Visalia Memorial Hall to near capacity, challenging the candidates with questions about employee retention, health care costs and low salaries.
Participate in a Precinct Walk!
We will be educating the membership on the upcoming June election and discussing the myriad of issues that impact Tulare County. It is important to do our part in electing candidates that will address our concerns and provide us with real solutions that will improve our lives and build a stronger community.
Tulare County Precinct Walk
Visalia Union Office
May 17, 2008
10:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M.
May 18, 2008
11:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.
Read the flyer
Meet Our New Bargaining Team
Members elected the following new Bargaining Team members on February 21, 2008. The top two finishers will be lead bargainers for that unit, while third place will be first alternate and fourth place second alternate.
Unit 1
1. Lupe Vigil
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2. Margie Renfro
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Unit 3
1. Robert Milner
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2. Steve Kelley
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3. John Rodriguez
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Unit 4
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1. Terry Anderson
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2. Betty Tonini
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3. Steven Lloyd
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4. Richard Kelsey
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Unit 6
1. Janet Baker
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2. Katherine DeYoung
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Unit 7
1. Greg Gomez
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2. Anthony Cardona
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3. Patrick Isherwood
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All Members:
Make Sure To Vote For Our Bargaining Team
Click on the link below for voting times and locations and those members who are running in each bargaining unit. Those elected will represent us in negotiating our contract, so make sure your voice is heard by voting!
Bargaining Team Election Flyer
Bargaining Update Meeting - Feb. 21
Attend our first Bargaining Update Meeting where our newly elected Bargaining Team will be introduced. Our new team will go over the next steps for winning a good contract that's fair to all.
Thursday, February 21
5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Visalia Veteran's Hall
609 W. Center Ave.
Bargaining Update Meeting
Contract Action Team Kicks Off Membership Drive
January 17, 2008 --
Nearly a hundred workers from every corner of Tulare County poured in to the Visalia Veteran’s Hall this evening to attend our first Contract Action Team (CAT) meeting. The gathering was to gear up for countywide bargaining, which will affect the lives of over 2,700 workers and their families.
What started off with the typical mingling and munching quickly built up into an exciting, upbeat meeting with frequent cheering and clapping by energetic participants. Members ultimately focused on organizing training with role playing to equip the CAT leaders with the right tools to build our union.
By evening's end, nearly 100 CAT leaders strolled out of the hall with newfound confidence, assignments in hand, and the determination to transform our union to make positive change in our contract.
Bargaining Team Nominations Are Open!
Our Bargaining Team will make key decisions on behalf of members regarding what we will and will not accept in our contract with Tulare County. If you are or know a Local 521 member you think is ideal for the job, nominate them!
Candidates may have some of all of the following qualities:
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A leader in your department or bargaining unit
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Outspoken on important issues
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Able to communicate well with others
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Have good ideas and problem-solving skills
Nominations should include the name of the nominee and their contact information so that staff may verify their interset and bargaining unit. Also include your own name and contact information.
Remember: Nominees must be members of Local 521.
Nominations can be submitted through January 25 by calling: (559) 733-4779.
Flyer: Bargaining Team Nominations Are Open
ATTENTION ALL CAT LEADERS
Let’s Get This Contract Campaign Started!
We're ready to launch our contract campaign and we need all CAT (Contract Action Team) leaders to participate in this first organizational meeting. You’ll learn about the critical role you will play during this contract campaign and discuss the Bargaining Team elections and process!
See you there!
5:30 p.m. Thursday, January 17, 2008
Visalia Veteran’s Memorial Hall
609 W. Center Street
Visalia
Please RSVP to (559) 733-4779.