Union bargaining team members reached a tentative agreement late Tuesday night that takes positive steps toward improving county services.
The agreement preserves services in a time when many residents depend on the county safety net more than ever. Click here to view more details about the agreement.
Working early into the morning last week and all day Oct. 6, county workers and representatives concluded negotiations for LA County employees represented by SEIU Local 721.
Because of the economic downturn, LA County employees did not seek raises but instead sought ways to make the county run smoother for residents and employees. In response to workers’ plan to “Build a Better LA,” the county and SEIU teams agreed to pursue employees’ cost-saving ideas and efficiencies. Cost-savings could be used for employee proposals to improve safety and services at offices, parks and other county facilities.
“We took a totally new approach and we are proud of it because it worked,” said Linda Dent, an intermediate clerk in the Treasurer and Tax Collector’s office and vice president of the SEIU 721 executive board. “We were honest about the state of the economy and the demand for services, so we found efficiencies in the system and we protected services. I believe LA will come out of these tough times even stronger than before.”
The new 2-year contract covers about 55,000 LA County workers including RNs, public health, park employees, social service workers, library employees and others who work directly with the public.
The agreement includes:
- Advancements in the way health care is delivered in LA County by creating a structure to address quality, service integration, generating new revenue and creating efficiencies in operation.
- A commitment to work together to identify critical needs in the county.
- A focus on improving the environment including ways to get more cars off the road, increase public transit use and encourage employees to work closer to where they live.
- No cuts to county services and health care benefits for county employees are maintained.
“We are fortunate that in Los Angeles County we were not negotiating over what critical services to save. We were able to focus on building a better LA County for employees and residents who need county services,” said SEIU 721 President Bob Schoonover.
SEIU 721 members will vote to ratify the agreement by the end of the month.