In the first of many victories to come, the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) issued a complaint on Dec. 22, 2011 against Riverside county for engaging in unfair labor practices in violation of California Government Code by not providing information to the SEIU 721 bargaining team which was clearly relevant and necessary for SEIU to represent members during negotiations. (PERB complaint UPC# LA-CE-689-M) The State Labor Board issued this complaint due to the county’s refusal to provide the SEIU bargaining team with information on health plan benefits. Five other ULP’s have already been filed and are currently under review by PERB, including the illegal impasse.
These ULP’s are significant because the county cannot declare an impasse when they have failed to provide information required for the bargaining team to make informed decisions on bargaining positions. This is why the county took such drastic measures to frantically impose Terms and Conditions of Employment on SEIU 721 members before the end of the year to avoid having to engage in mandated fact finding and mediation. They do not want their improper labor tactics open to an outside neutral review process that would require them to provide all requested information and expose the county’s financial ability to fund some of our proposals.
Click here to download
an important message from the SEIU 721 bargaining team, including an analysis of the Deputy District Attorney Association contract settlement and the subsequent imposition on LIUNA 777 members.
Take Action
SEIU 721 is committed to pursuing all legal means necessary to secure a
fair contract for members and to hold county management accountable for
engaging in such unfair labor practices, but it is imperative that members actively participate in upcoming worksite actions.
Members are encouraged to unite with co-workers and take a stand for fairness, fight for your family and your future! Talk to a bargaining team member or your Worksite Organizer, sign the petition circulating at your worksite and get involved.
United for our future,
SEIU 721 bargaining team
Resource Links
•SEIU 721 Bargaining Team Message
•Riverside County SEIU 721 Terms and Conditions – revision 4
•PERB Complaint, UPC# LA-CE-689-M
•Press-Enterprise article: Elected officials, 2,000 others get extra benefit
Bargaining Update: PERB Rules In Favor of SEIU 721, Message from Team
Categories: Bargaining Updates | Inland Area
I am beyond angry with the crooked way that SEIU has undercut its own members. I have taken a $160 cut to my pay check due to increase in Health Insurance and the 3% of my Retirement. Everyone around me is getting raises. When I left a Liuna represented position 4 years ago, I got one raise. Now that position is making $2 per hour more than I am. This is because Liuna actually represents its employees and earns the union dues paid to them.
Now I hear that you did a backdoor deal for the Nurses and got them an 8% raise!
I want my money back. I am tired of you stealing my union dues and cutting me off at the knees. Where is my backdoor deal? Or are the Nurses the only ones you care about.
If and when everything is all worked out, is it possible to sue the County for punitive damage? If so, how about $2000 per SEIU member? Maybe then the BOS won’t be so flippant and quick to impose.
Hey Diane the nurses organized and made their demands that meet their needs. If you sit around waiting for something to happen, Nothing will happen. Do something. The union is only as good as its members. If the members sit around then the union has no power. If the people get motivated then the union can help create change.
I agree with Afton and I will not just sit around and wait for something wonderful to happen. I will take every job action needed to get the attention of the BOS and HR and I encourage all others to join us and do the same. If you don’t take action then you should keep your self pity to yourself.
I was a technician under LIUNA. I left for an Analyst position under SEIU. At that time, the Analyst position paid more. After getting no pay increase or parity studies or anything for years and years, now that technician position under LIUNA pays $2 more than I make as an Analyst under SEIU.
LIUNA members even gets more money towards their health benefits. I am not one of those people who sit around and do nothing. I attend membership meetings, pass the word to my co-workers and collect signature for SEIU, etc. Enough is enough. All I hear is that LIUNA employees are the lowest paid. Since when? I make less money under a similar position under SEIU than if I was under LIUNA.
Seriously, when are you union schmucks going to take some responsibility?! Did the nurses and DDAs get their agreements ’cause they “all wore purple on thursdays?” Maybe they had a strike? Perhaps the county caved in to a super involved desk decorating campaign? Get real. The county knows we support ourselves. What they also know is that we don’t support the way we’re represented, that our own union lost that support by favoring some units and trying to manipulate us all.
This is all a freaking joke. To strike or not to strike! Puhleeze, I can’t strike, I would lose my house, my cars, and the food on my table to feed my 3 children. Just sign the damn contract so I can go on with my life. Now I hear that we might have a strike on the 31st. Great there goes my Vacation I had planned because either I strike and wont be able to afford it (along with all of my other bills) or I don’t strike and have to come in to work and get my vacation screwed that way!!!! Face facts Mr. & Mrs. Union lovers, we’ve got squat to stand on and every single one of us are going either end up losing way more than we’ve already lost or worse yet in the unemployment line. All the while SEIU is getting a new office and their employees are just fine. I am so sick of Union that has never done Jack for me and I’ve been a member for entirely to freaking long.
Fedup, (I hope your mother really didn’t give you that name) and all you other people…….
You do have a point. Purple shirts in the office is pointless. The people in the office want us to have want we need. And most of them are part of the same union and are being treated the same way but feel more pressure from the county to pull the county line. The reality is we have to identified the people we need to get the attention of. That is Human resources, CEO, and board of supervisors. They don’t work in each of our buildings. Maybe if we all sent them boxes of our shirts (after we all worked out in them) maybe it would be a better use of them.
We weren’t given the same power the DA’s were given to withdraw vacation time in cash. If we could we could cause the county some damage with the number of members we have compared to the DA’s/county counsel has. But we can’t stand around and wish for it. It isn’t going to happen. We don’t have any magic wands. The county is counting on us giving up and accepting what they want — even though they aren’t sure what they want so they have imposed four times and probably will try again even more times.
We only have the power to walk away from our desks. The county can’t function without us. We have huge numbers and they can’t get anything done. We have to do something. The worst is we will have exactly what we have. The best things is we will get something better.
We can fight among ourselves or we can organize. I vote we organize.
You can call me a union schmuck. I will wear that name with honor. At least I am doing something and at the end of the day I can say I tried.
Afton, union schmuck
afton you should be ashamed of yourself. I am a nurse but not with RCRMC with the dept of mental health. You didn’t bargain for me you bargained for yourself. Don’t be telling people you made your demand and you stood up for yourself. You jumped on the wagon that was paying. You are an embarrassment to the rest of you fellow nurses.
afton you are an embarrassment to the rest of us fellow nurses. You bargained for yourself what about the nurses that work in the clinics, Public Health, Jails, you think you are more special. You sold your fellow nurses out.
Well don’t forget we don’t have to pay for the union we can divert our money to any reconized charity of our choice and if enough people would do that the Union might feel it. They were wrong to go behind our backs and cuts these deals that is what makes me mad not that the deals weren’t right but we are all 721 not just RCRMC/Arlington and the union should have stood for us all not just one group of nurses, and I am a nurse.
Jack this may be a “freaking joke” to you, but not to those of us who are struggling as is to feed our families. You complain about how much the union has NOT done for you, but you fail to realize that YOU are part of the union. How many meetings have you gone to? Are you even planning on coming to the Town Hall Meeting tomorrow night, or are you just another one of those people who complain about everything but lack the will to do anything about it. I am willing to stand up and fight for my family, but based upon your statement, “Just sign the damn contract so I can go on with my life”, I guess you aren’t. You are exactly the kind of person that the BOS and HR love to see post on this site. You should count yourself fortunate that you have the money to go on vacation with your family; many of us cannot, because it takes everything we make to put food on the plates for our children and keep a roof over their heads. It’s time for a wake up call Jack! You are already getting screwed, and your response to getting screwed is to lie down and take it. Well many of us are tired of “taking it”. We have the right to earn a livable wage, one that is compared to those in other counties. We’ve given up our COLA, and our raises in order to have the county pay into our pensions, and now the county has taken that as well. Let me ask you this Jack, when your child comes up to you and asks you for advice on what they should do when they are being bullied, do you tell them to lie down and get the crap kicked out of them or do you tell them to stand up for themselves. Quit complaining Jack and stand up for yourself and your family. Unite with your fellow SEIU members and join us on the one day strike on January 31st, to show the BOS and HR that we mean something and that our voices do matter. I will stand up for myself and my family by not coming to work on the 31st. Will you?
I am a Licensed Vocational Nurse with 34+ years experience employed by RCRMC. I am totally disgusted that (once again) solely THE RN’S will be receiving a SUBSTANTIAL pay raise of 8%! I am contributing EXACTLY THE SAME UNION DUES and therefore I DO EXPECT EQUAL REPRESENTATION! Like others, I too am struggling to survive in light of the recent increase in Health Insurance and the 3% contribution to my retirement! This “SUBSTANTIAL” pay increase TARGETED SOLELY FOR THE RN’S IS BIASED AND UNJUST! I am extremely disappointed in my union leadership for their obvious disregard toward the rest of it’s “financially” supportive and hardworking membership!
A livable wage by world standard?! Most of the world gets by on under a buck a day. Your county job pays 25 dollars a month? I don’t doubt you need your full check, but c’mon. If its that bad go ahead and trade lives with someone in Haiti. You can start living the good life down there and the rest of the world can see how tough you’ve got it.
We don’t get a decent contract through epic whinning and playing vicitms. And we don’t get it by trying to use our contract as a weapon against the BOS or HR. I’ve expressed to my rep what I’m looking for and they just need to forward that up and get it presented rationally and without the politics.
Fed up,
The only way we can win a decent contract with management is by being corrupt and powerful like the DA union & members. They are attorneys who make a lot of money…and they have Bob Buster on their side….and they know the law and they can sue too…and Buster is corrupt and only care for his campaign. MONEY TALKS!!
What is SEIU doing to Kick the hell of Bob Buster out? He is up to re-election in Novemeber! . SEIU has to poor TONS of money towards the other candidate’s campaign. Make a deal with the other candidate that if we get him elected, he will be generous to us! Come on…don’t you know that already? play the game? learn how to play the game! How do you think they got the new DA? Bob Buster hated Pacheco. I saw in every BOS meeting Buster attitude towards Pacheco.
How many $$$$ dollars has SEIU spent so far on trying to kick Buster out? and Stone? They are the problem! You do that and we will a great contract.
Please don’t come and ask the poor employees who got no pay increase for several years, a 10% pay cut, the prices of everything going up as well as helath care and now the nurses who were the only ones that could put some pression to the management are happy and won’t strike.
People has family and can barely pay their bills…do you expect them to strike and get a AWOP…and even be let go….the county does not care for us. Only for the Nurses!
I agree with Tired Of Unfairness. We need to make sure Bob Buster and Jeff Stone and any other BOS who is up for re-election knows how it feels to be without a job. VOTE THEM OUT OF OFFICE! That’s the only way to get a fair contract. SEIU, what is your plan to make sure the BOS don’t get re-elected?
all seiu 721 members are invited to the District One candidate forum being held tonight at the Riverside Convention Center – La Sierra room – 6 pm to 8pm. http://721.seiu.org/page/event/detail/inlandarearegion/4jghz
I I am totally disgusted that (once again) solely THE RN’S will be receiving a SUBSTANTIAL pay raise of 8%! I am contributing EXACTLY THE SAME UNION DUES and therefore I DO EXPECT EQUAL REPRESENTATION! Like others,I am extremely disappointed in my union leadership for their obvious disregard toward the rest of it’s “financially” supportive and hardworking membership, What makes me even more upset is that the 2.7 raise was voted down by the RNs cause they knew they were getting the 8%. So once again I haven’t had a raise in 10years, since i’m at top step.
I have been a nurse (LVN 2) at RCRMC for over 3 decades and I (WE) did not receive a ‘BACK DOOR” DEAL! ONLY THE RN’S RECEIVED THIS 8% RAISE!
I AGREE! Vote! Make a difference!
Well since my comments back on 1/12 I contacted the Union over my disgust of the deal with the nurses ( I being a nurse), Some information if true sheds a different picture on all this. 1. Nurses have their own separate bargaining unit but the county won’t discuss anything with them unless they go thru SEIU. 2. The nurses went to the BOS with there ideal/plan whatever it was called and they had some support from some of the BOS. 3. Part of the agreement of taking the 8% was that the nurses would not strike, the nurses refused to accept this clause and I have spoken with many from the RCRMC campus to the Arlington campus and the nurse do, I repeat do intend to strike! The Union has done a very poor job in cleaning up this mess that has lead to much confusion. While I am happy for the Nurses at those facilities the reality is all they would be getting is the compensation back from the retirement pay in. This may sound good but I want more than this so I intend to be out on that picket line. I will take a loss just like anyone else but I would rather do two things. 1. Risk a day of pay when it could mean more negotions and 2. I am fed up with feeling so powerless over all this, this is my chance to know I took a stand and no matter the outcome I didn’t just whine and cowdown in fear, I got up and did something.
In addtion the most important point is please everyone when the county tells us they don’t have any money just remember what they did for the DA’s office and the RN this was over 650 employees that the county found money for.
Bonnie — wow there is a lot of anger.. just FYI — I am not a nurse. I admire the nurses at RCRMC organized themselves and did what it took to get what they needed. It took work. Ask them.
I am sorry you feel so angry. Again don’t assume anything. I am not a nurse.
I have an idea. Why don’t SEIU buy a full page advertisement in the Press Enterpirse with the dues that SEIU members have paid over the years (6000 members X $24 a month X 12 months). Have this ad run for a week. Also, maybe ads on radio and local TV. The ad should state all the facts of the dirty tricks the BOS has pulled and wages, raises, enhanced benefits, etc. of each BOS. Then at the end say something like “Do you trust the BOS to do the right things? Vote them out on election day!”. Maybe this would be more pro-active then have a meeting to hear what the candidates have to say. I think pretty much most SEIU and LIUNA members won’t be voting for anyone who is currently on the BOS.
Bonnie, they’re playing you again. We’re all in a bargaining unit, there are lots of them in the whole union. And the nurses being dealt with seperate is not something the evil county as you were told, it was something the union did and bragged about on this site back on aug 15th. Look it up.
They feed a different lie to members of each unit and each work site based on what they think you want to hear.
To others calling for the outright bribery of elected officials you belong in jail! When I said lame job actions don’t work I didn’t mean bribery. I meant competent, good faith negotiating.
Negotiations resume in march, you’re going to be out a days pay and then 30 days go by and the union will lie to you again and claim they brought the county back to the table.
EVERYONE affected by Bob Buster’s greed needs to do the following: Tell EVERYONE: Family, friends, neighbors, grocery clerks, store salespersons…
BOB BUSTER IS A BULLY! Twenty years as a BOS. That’s NUTS.
Time to vote him out!
We all know negotiations start again. I think negotiations might be a little different if we strike vs everyone saying “it’s ok take more cause I’ll just keep working for less.”
when did we become a country of such lazy people who expect everyone else to fight for us? The RN’s got a raise because they actually worked together and fought for it. The union was suppose to NOT encourage their members to fight? maybe if all of you sitting on your a$$ at home complaining into your computer got out and fought you would also be getting a raise.
I am striking on the 31st..I am standing up the bully that is the BOS. I dont live in Haiti so I dont really think I should compare my wage to them..plus if we all just keep laying down and letting the BOS and upper class do whatever they want, the united states may be more like Haiti someday.
Do you think that african americans and woman got the right to vote etc by crying and complaining..or did they go out there and put their lives on the line to fight for what they thought was right??? and we are complaining over one days wages? loosing ONE days pay ONE time is not going to make you loose your house..and if it is..you have more reason to fight then anyone