—–**UPDATE (6/23/2014: 10:55 a.m.)
SEIU 721 Members voted overwhelmingly to approve the Tentative Agreement on the reopener with the County of Ventura. The TA was ratified with a 98.5% YES vote.—–
As part of Reopener discussions provided for in our current contract with the County, your SEIU 721 Bargaining Committee met with County representatives on June 10, 2014.
We are happy to report that the SEIU 721 Bargaining Committee voted unanimously to recommend a tentative agreement for your approval with the following salary/wage increases and other improvements to your current MOU.
2014 Market Based Adjustment Increase
The current MOU says if you are paid 3% below market value, you will receive a 1% increase on August 16, 2014. The NEW agreement says as long as you ARE NOT PAID MORE THAN 10% above market value, you will receive the 1% MBA salary increase on August 16, 2014.
Pension/Salary “Swap” on July 6, 2014
Increase the current MOU amount from 2.3% to 2.41% (which is the actual amount of employee pension “normal” costs.) This means your salary will now increase by 2.41% instead of 2.3% for the swap, (in addition to wage increases) and you will pay an additional 2.41% contribution to your own pension.
Education Premiums Back in Salaries
The County has agreed to delete the provision requiring that education premiums earned after July 6, 2014 would go to your 401(k) plan. ALL approved educational premiums will be paid directly to SALARIES. (no change)
2015 Salary Increase Up From 2% to 3%
The County has agreed to raise the guaranteed salary increases on August 17, 2015 from 2% to 3%. There is no longer an “optional” Market Based Adjustment, as the potential 1% is now guaranteed.
No Overtime Rollback
The current MOU includes a provision that only work time will count towards the calculation of overtime as of September of this year. This was a rollback, and would have resulted in NO overtime pay if you worked more than 40 hours in a week in which there was a paid holiday, you were out sick, or on other paid leave. The County has agreed to consider ALL TIME as work time, with the exception of vacation time, and to pay time and a half for overtime hours, as they do now. There will be two overtime rates, based on your base pay with the pension swap as outlined above and one without the pension swap salary increase for limited contracted overtime.
This tentative agreement takes salary increases from 3% over the next year, to 5% for most.
THIS TENTATIVE AGREEMENT MUST BE APPROVED BY A MAJORITY VOTE OF MEMBERS IN GOOD STANDING FOR THE IMPROVEMENTS TO GO INTO EFFECT. Please refer to the schedule below for specific voting locations, dates and times throughout the County, so that you can exercise your right to vote.
THERE WILL ALSO BE A MEMBERSHIP MEETING WHERE YOU CAN VOTE AND ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE IMPROVEMENTS
Membership MeetingTHURSDAY, JUNE 196 p.m. – 8 p.m.IBEW Union Hall3994 E. Main St, Ventura CA 93003 (near Big 5)
SCHEDULE OF VOTING LOCATIONS
Ballots are available at the SEIU 721 office at 2472 Eastman Ave. #30, Ventura from Tuesday, 06/17/14 to Thursday, 06/19/2014 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Friday, 6/20/2014, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The voting deadline is Friday, 06/20/14 at 2 p.m. The ballot tabulation will be on Friday, June 20, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the union office.
Voting will also be conducted at the following worksites at these times:
TUESDAY 6/17
East County:
HSA – Simi Valley (Royal): 8 AM to 10
AMHSA – Thousand Oaks: 2 PM to 4 PM
West-County:
Santa Paula Hospital: 6 AM to 7:30 AM
Camarillo Airport Compound: 6:45 AM to 1:30 PM (Airport + Maint., Probation, Fire Admin & Disp, Animal Services)
Child Support: 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM
Hall of Justice: 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM
Main Jail: 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM
County Square Drive: 9:30 AM to 11 AM (APCD, DA, AAA, Probation)
WEDNESDAY 6/18
East County:
Public Works – Roads: 6 AM to 6:30 AM
Watershed: 6:30 AM to 7 AM
Simi Valley Courthouse: 9 AM to 10 AM (HSA, Probation, DA, RMA)
Waterworks & Sanitation: 12 Noon – 12:30
PMHSA – Moorpark: 2 PM to 4 PM
West-County:
Behavioral Health – Williams: 10 AM to 11:30 AM
Public Health- Gonzales: 12 Noon to 1:30 PM
WIC – Saviers/Downtown Oxnard: 2 PM to 4
PMHSA – Partridge: 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM
THURSDAY 6/19
East County: HSA – Simi Valley (Enchanted Way): 8 AM to 10 AMBehavioral Health & WIC – Simi Valley: 11 AM to NoonOlsen Road jail: 2 PM to 4 PM
West County:
Behavioral Health/HSA + WIC – Fillmore: 8 AM to 10 AM
THURSDAY 6/19 (CONT.)Behavioral Health/HSA (Main St.) + WIC (Harvard) – Santa Paula: 11 AM to 1 PM
Sheriff (Todd Road) – Santa Paula: 2 PM to 3:30 PM
Public Works/GSA – Saticoy: 4 PM to 5:30 PM
West County:
Hall of Administration: 7:30 AM to 9:30 AM and 12 Noon to 2
PMHSA – Telephone Rd.: 9:30 AM to 11
AMVCMC (Cafeteria): 10 AM to 2 PM (Clinics, Pub Health, HSA, B.H.)
HSA – Vanguard: 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM
Hall of Justice: 11:30 AM to 1:30
PMHSA – Market: 2 PM to 3
PMHSA – West Oxnard: 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM
Membership Meeting, IBEW Union Hall, 3994 E. Main St, Ventura: 6 PM to 8 PM
FRIDAY 6/20
East County:
Behavioral Health – Thousand Oaks: 9 AM to 10 AM
West County:
Library Administration Everglade: 9 AM to 10 AM
EP Foster Library: 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM
Juvenile Justice Center: 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM
Port Hueneme Library: 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM
SEIU 721 Union Hall Tuesday – Thursday 9 AM to 5 PM Friday 9 AM to 2 PM
Last chance to vote is by 2 PM FRIDAY, JUNE 20
BALLOT TABULATION:
Friday June 20, 3 PM to 6 PM – SEIU 721 union office (Observers welcome)