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Tulare County – 2025 Contract Action Center

Not Me, WE.

Welcome to the official Contract Action Center for the 2025 SEIU Local 521 Tulare County contract campaign. The campaign central page includes negotiation updates, workplace and action alerts, resources, and member features. Stay tuned for updates. Prepare yourself and your co-workers for 2025 by signing up for union alerts. CLICK HERE to ensure your contact information is updated today.

Tulare County members agree – we need more staffing, not a mass exodus, and not continued band-aid solutions. We need every worker to show up or organize an action so our managers across dozens of our worksites can see we are serious about change!

Winning the Best Contract Starts With Getting Involved Now

  • Activate your membership today by clicking here. Our strength lies in our numbers, and all the gains we’ve won over the years were possible through our collective strength. 
  • Stay in the know by ensuring you are receiving updates from your union. Access to communication is critical. If you are not receiving our union’s text and email alerts, update your contact information or sign up today. 
  • Become a CAT by joining the Contract Action Team – CATs are essential to ensuring our county co-workers have the latest updates. This group of members is also responsible for planning and executing workplace actions. Sign up to become a CAT here.

Negotiation Updates and Proposals

We recently met Tulare County management for another bargaining session, but our takeaway was clear: organizing our coworkers into actions made a difference, but we have some work to do. Read on to learn about why we’re forming another picket line on Thurs. Aug 7. 

JULY 31, 2025 BARGAINING UPDATE. – It was clear through showing up for our informational picket, circulating and signing our bargaining principles petition, and continued unified action, that we are successfully pressuring management to make progress on proposals, including wage increases and career incentive pay (details outlined below).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To download the full report on which proposals are making progress, and which proposals need to be addressed, click here. 

We must maintain our momentum. We must stay united and visible at worksites. If we stop now, management will think everything else is fine, and continue to reject our priority proposals regarding staffing levels, workloads, labor management, paid release time for our bargaining team, and classification requests, even limiting how often union reps are on worksites so we can’t learn about our rights or how we build worker power.

Read Management’s and our union proposals on our Tulare County Contract Action Center, https://www.seiu521.org/TulareCounty. 

UNION ACTIONS ARE WORKING

We are organizing another informational picket on Thursday, August 7th, from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM at the Tulare Works Building, located at 1845 N. Dinuba Blvd, Visalia.

RSVP for your spot on the picket line and be sure your coworkers are joining, too. We can’t take our foot off the gas pedal!

We have an important update regarding new proposals received from management. Read on to learn where we are winning improvements, but where management proposes hard-earned takeaways.  

BARGAINING UPDATE –  Through our incredible solidarity and commitment—demonstrated through wearing stickers, attending educational meetings, and signing our digital petition— led to a new proposal from management. At the same time, Management is hoping to limit our access to worksites to inform us of the takeaways that many of us enjoy.  

Here are the key points from management’s proposal:  

  • Wages and Term of Contract: Two-year agreement with a 3% Cost of Living increase in both Year 1 in 2025 and Year 2 in 2026, total of 6%. 
  • Retroactive Pay: No retroactive pay to the expired contract date, June 30, 2025.  
  • Health Benefits: $50 increase in county’s contributions (Up from $25; union proposed $75)
  • Deferred Compensation: $500 increase in county’s contribution (Up from $250; union proposed $550) 
  • Union Representation Rights: 3 business days to secure a union rep for potential discipline meetings, fixing the current weekend loophole 
  • Equity increase: Construction Maintenance Workers II (1% increase), III (1.5% increase), and IV (2.5% increase).  

Meanwhile, Management is proposing these takeaways 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What About Longevity Pay? (Career Incentive Pay Program)

Many of you may have questions regarding the Longevity Pay (Career Incentive Pay Program). This is a proven program that helps retain and recruit dedicated workers in Tulare County, and often the cause of high employee turnover. Unfortunately, management has not yet presented any proposals related to longevity or incentive pay. 

As your bargaining team, we will continue advocating for livable wages and rights on the job, including Longevity Pay for the essential recognition and rewards for our hard work and dedication to serving our community. 

To achieve these goals, we must stand united. We must show management that we are ready to fight for what we deserve and will not settle for anything less. If you haven’t already, join your hundreds of co-workers, growing daily, who have signed our bargaining principles petition.

Union Worksite Visits 

As your elected union bargaining team, we believe these takeaways are an insult and are not acceptable. While we are working on a response to these takeaways, now is the time to inform your coworkers of the takeaways that are impacting our ability to do our job right, keep our community safe and healthy, and how you have a role in our fight for better working conditions.  

Your bargaining team and union representatives will be visiting the following worksites to update you on contract negotiations, share our strategy for securing a fair contract, and answer any questions you may have.  

All worksite times are from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm.  

Date                   Site                                  Location 

Tues., 7-22         Visalia Gov. Plaza          1st Flr West Wing Break Room 

Wed., 7-23          Visalia District Office      Break Room 

Thurs., 7-24        Visalia Child Support      Break Room 

Mon., 7-28          Visalia Mental Health      Break Room 

Tues., 7-29          Porterville District Off.    East Break Room 

Wed., 7-30          VDO                                Break Room 

Thurs., 7-31         DDO                               Break Room 

If there is a time for Tulare County employees to unite and stand up for better wages and working conditions, it’s NOW! The plan to address our workplace issues involves you and your coworkers. Learn what is being said at the table, and let’s organize to win.

JULY 11 BARGAINING UPDATE –. At the last bargaining session, County management continued to dismiss the root cause of short-staffing, turnover and high workloads: uncompetitive wages. They rejected several proposals (detailed below), including proven and responsible solutions aimed at more effectively and quickly addressing workplace issues related to staffing and workloads, or for classifications to receive the possibility of alternative work schedules. Management rejected the following proposals:

  • Article 4 Contracting Out: Better protection against Tulare County outsourcing our jobs to non-union contractors.
  • More advance notice for schedule changes
  • Article 5 Communication & Access: Improve new hire orientation for better understanding of union rights and benefits and improved union access language that will enhance in person communication and education efforts for members
  • Article 6 New Proposal Labor Management Meetings: A committee to resolve specific labor management issues for example: heavy workloads, short staffing, retention, more training etc. Along, with Unit Based Committees to resolve department level issues
  • Article 11 Employee Right to Representation: Extended time to contact your union representative for disciplinary meetings
  • Article 12 Employee Right to Know: This is a process that ensures that an employee receives timely notice of an investigation, along with regular updates every 2 weeks after 30 days if the investigation is ongoing or concluded.
  • Article 18 Schedule Changes: Changes in employees’ schedules be extended from (5) working days to (20) working days
  • Article 20 Alternative Work Schedules: A process that gives all seiu521 employees the opportunity to explore alternative work schedules
  • Article 73 Classification Request: The ability to request a job classification study around assigned duties, working out of classification, wage comparisons of similar jobs for employers in the region, etc.
  • Article 72 Workload and Staffing Levels: Proposal with a process to address staffing and workload challenges, such as short staffing and excessive caseloads. This ensures departments are adequately staffed, workloads remain manageable, and that current management standards are upheld.

Your Tulare County bargaining committee proposed the following terms that management has yet to respond to:

  • A three-year contract with a 5% Yr. one, 5% Yr. two and 5% Yr. three, retroactive to July 1, 2025.
  • An increase of $550 in the County’s contribution to deferred compensation.
  • An additional $75 added to the County’s contribution to the health benefits plan.
  • Granting 16 hours of personal holiday time, applicable towards a full day off.
  • Designating Caesar Chavez Day, Indigenous Peoples Day, and New Year’s Eve as official holidays.
  • A 2% increase in the night shift differential.
  • A 20-day notice for anyone reassigned to a different location, with mileage compensation for the duration of temporary assignments.
  • Paid release time for bargaining team members to prepare for negotiations.

DO WE STAY SILENT AND WAIT AND HOPE THAT MANAGEMENT WILL ACCEPT OUR PROPOSALS?

NO! We organize our coworkers to stand up together and make our demands visible to management. We must continue to reach out to our coworkers, so they know what improvements are at stake at the negotiation table and our plan to win better working conditions. Here is what steps we’re taking:

UNION WORKSITE VISITS – Your union bargaining team and reps will soon schedule worksite visits so you can learn the latest at the bargaining table and how everyone has a role in our plan to win a stronger union contract. Stay tuned.

SIGN OUR BARGAINING PRINCIPLES PETITION – Read our bargaining principles petition around: 1. Fix Staffing Shortages & Support Local Careers 2. Promote Fairness, Respect & Responsible Work Policies. Add your name if you stand with them and if you are willing to take union actions to win them in our next union contract.

 

Click here to read 7.11.25 Tulare County Proposals

Follow this link to open: Tulare Co Proposal 3 to SEIU 7-2

Follow this link to open: Tulare County Proposal _2 to SEIU July 2

Your SEIU 521 Tulare County bargaining team feels aggravated, disrespected, and underappreciated by County management’s behavior at the most recent negotiations meeting. It’s time to turn up the heat. Read more to learn how bargaining went and the plan to win a strong contract, which all of us play a part in.

BARGAINING UPDATE – TUESDAY, JUNE 17 

You should know that there are already double standards when TulareCounty management can work on their management proposals on the clock, use all resources available to them at work, and are normally paid. Still, they deny paid time to your union bargaining team to develop our proposals. This is unfair and wrong, and other county workers in the Central Valley are not treated this way. We are forced to work on weekends, after work, or take personal time away from our families.

Regardless, we are proud of everyone who submitted bargaining surveys. Submissions helped us develop strong, fair, common-sense proposals to get management to address key issues like heavy caseloads, high employee turnover, training, livable wages that retain workers, and prevent them from leaving Tulare County to outside agencies.

We presented ten non-economic proposals regarding working conditions, including:

  • A committee to resolve specific labor management issues for example: heavy workloads, short staffing, retention, more  training etc.
  • Unit Based Committees to resolve department level issues
  • Extended time to contact your union representative for disciplinary meetings
  • A process that gives all SEIU 521 employees that opportunities to explore alternative work schedules
  • Better protection against Tulare County contracting out SEIU521 bargaining unit work
  • More advance notice for schedule changes
  • Improve new hire orientation for better understanding of union rights and benefits.
  • Improved union access language that will enhance in person communication and education efforts for members
  • Recognizing extra help and temporary employees performing similar duties as a part of the SEIU 521 bargaining unit

The County let us know that they will share counter-proposals once we deliver our entire package of proposals, non-economic and economic. But this is nothing but a mere pressure tactic to create urgency and not take our concerns or proposals seriously. This is an injustice to employees and the public that relies on us to keep families in Tulare County safe, healthy, and self-sustainable.

We will soon be presented with economic proposals like wages and more, but the County’s tone and disregard of our concerns and arguments tell us we are facing an uphill battle, and it’s time for every Tulare County worker at every facility and department to stand united in fair wages and a strong contract.

WHAT DO WE DO? STAND UP, FIGHT BACK.  

WEAR PURPLE GEAR – On Wednesday, June 25, we return to the bargaining table to discuss the economic proposal. Wear your SEIU shirts or purple clothes to work on this day to show management we are united and determined for a strong contract.

STICKER UP – We will be working with our Contract Action Team (CATS) to distribute “Not Me. We” stickers to show management we know what is capable when workers are united. Wear these stickers on Wednesday, June 25, too.

We are your Tulare County coworkers volunteering on our union’s Election Committee. This is an official union notice our Tulare County Chapter Election Committee is accepting nominations for our Tulare County Bargaining Team. Members elected to serve on the bargaining team will represent our member priorities at the negotiation table with management.

Currently, our contract is set to expire June 30th 2025, presenting us with an opportunity to negotiate improved wages, better working conditions that affect our workplace and community such as addressing short staffing and increased job security.

County workers like us are an invaluable resource to our community, and if we’re going to win what we deserve, we’ll need to organize in large numbers now and build a strong union.

To WIN, we need to start planning now; our success begins by nominating and electing a strong bargaining team made up of members representing our entire county workforce.

Our SEIU 521 bargaining team will be focused on:  

  • Building a strong contract campaign.
  • Leading negotiations on fair wages, health benefits, and working conditions.
  • Committing to fight for our bargaining priorities.
  • Leading with urgency as our contract expires on June 30, 2025.

Our 2025 Bargaining Team is composed of Tulare County workers.

Bargaining Team Positions

The following bargaining unit positions will be open for nomination:

  • Bargaining Unit 1 (Clerical)
  • Bargaining Unit 2 (Trades & Crafts)
  • Bargaining Unit 3 (Technical & Vocational)
  • Bargaining Unit 4 (Social Services)
  • Bargaining Unit 6 (Health Services)
  • Bargaining Unit 7 (Supervisors & Staff Mgmt.)

Per the SEIU 521 Tulare County chapter bylaws, bargaining team nominations are open starting today, March 25, 2025, through April 8th, 2025, at 5 p.m. (10-days total)

Eligibility: All nominees must currently be active SEIU Local 521 members in good standing.  Self-nominations are welcomed.

Download a nomination form here. Nomination Form

Nomination Deadline & Submission

  • NOMINATION FORM must be received by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 8th, 2025 – NO EXCEPTIONS  
  • Nomination forms can be mailed to or dropped off at our SEIU 521 Visalia office located at: 1811 W Sunnyside Ave, Visalia, CA 93277.
  • Nomination forms may also be emailed directly to: Michael.carter@seiu521.org

Timeline of Bargaining Team Nomination & Election

March 25th: Nominations Open

March 25th – April 8th at 5 p.m.: Deadline to submit nomination forms

April 11th  – Last date to submit material explaining your qualifications for the negotiations team

April 14th-18th – Bargaining Team election

If you have questions, please contact the SEIU 521 Tulare County Elections Committee below. 

In unity,

SEIU 521, Tulare County Elections Committee

Frances Gonzales, Nutrition Assistant

Juan Cortez, Social Service Worker III

Esther Camacho, Self Sufficiency Support Assistant