In addition to 12% wage increases, the new 3-year agreement includes protections against future furloughs and a one-time bonus
Santa Cruz, Calif. – With an unfair labor practice strike less than 24 hours from commencing, the City of Santa Cruz and the more than 400 essential city workers represented by SEIU Local 521, reached a Tentative Agreement (TA) Sunday afternoon. The TA averts a city-wide work stoppage and will go before city workers for a vote, followed by ratification by the Santa Cruz City Council.
The new 3-year agreement is highlighted by the commitment of no furloughs being implemented during the term of the deal. City workers faced 10% furloughs in 2007 and most recently in 2020 during the pandemic. In addition, the agreement includes a one-time bonus of $1,100 as well as raises totaling 12%, with 4.5% in the first year.
The tentative agreement also puts focus on class and compensation commitments by both parties to explore improvements and investments that reduce turnover while supporting retention to make essential worker wages comparable to surrounding cities and employers.
“We are proud to have stood resilient and united throughout these negotiations, this TA includes many firsts for our workers, especially the majority of us who have faced furloughs,” said Ken Bare, SEIU Local 521 Chapter President. The City’s last best and final offer our members rejected did not include furlough commitment nor the bonus victory. This agreement allows us to begin to rebuild the long-standing partnership between management and our workforce to ensure the City of Santa Cruz is a better place to live and work.”
“City workers make incredible sacrifices on the frontline and have always been essential; this is why we fought hard for an agreement that commits to protecting our jobs and the services we provide daily,” said Juan Molina, SEIU 521 City of Santa Cruz Chapter Vice President. “Our members made clear we were willing to do what it took not just to negotiate fair wages but a comprehensive plan that addressed worker turnover and recruitment. While serious work must be done to address workforce challenges we strongly believe this contract is an important step towards meeting the needs of our members and their families.”
The TA will now go to SEIU Local 521 members for a ratification vote this week.
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Service Employees International Union, Local 521 represents 53,000 public- and nonprofit, private-sector workers in California’s Bay Area, the Central Coast, and the Central Valley. Under a Community First vision, we are committed to making sure the needs of our community, and the vital services we provide our community, come first. We believe our communities thrive when residents, leaders, and workers recognize that we are all in this together when it comes to our safety, health, and well-being.
