LA County: Here are Our Tentative Agreement Highlights

Thanks to months of collective action, and over 150 actions by thousands of SEIU 721 members across LA County, we’ve secured a groundbreaking, 6-month tentative agreement with Heroes Pay for All, healthcare cost coverage increases, and a new Juneteenth paid holiday.

While other unions simply rolled their contracts over for another year, SEIU 721 members fought tirelessly for a meaningful investment in the vital services we provide – and we won.

Contract Voting Headquarters

From the outset, we focused on 4 key priorities. Here are the details:

6-Month Agreement: October 1, 2021 – March 31, 2022.

Bargaining for our next contract will begin in January, 2022. In 2022, we’ll start negotiations much earlier – so, we’ll be the ones setting the terms. We’ll also be negotiating before the County has adopted their next budget.

Heroes Pay for All

 All SEIU 721 members will receive a Heroes Pay bonus.

The vast majority of SEIU 721 members (those who came to work at all during the pandemic) will receive bonuses of $1500 or $2150 (DHS). See Table below.

• If, during the pandemic, from March 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021, an employee’s assignment brought them within 6 feet of a coworker or member of the public for at least 15 minutes – even one time only – that employee qualifies for the higher “Any Onsite Work” bonus. Claims for the “Any Onsite Work” bonus will be made through an online self-attestation.

• SEIU 721 Members in the Department of Health Services (DHS) receive higher bonuses because DHS received Provider Relief Funds in the original CARES Act which can ONLY be spent in DHS and cannot be used to compensate employees outside of the Department.

• SEIU 721 Members who ONLY teleworked during the pandemic will receive bonuses of $1000 (or $1150 if they work for DHS.) Those members who mostly teleworked, but whose assignment – even once – brought them in to work and within six feet of a coworker or member of the public will still qualify for one of the higher “Any Onsite Work” bonuses.

• Part-time employees who work an average of at least 20 hours per week will receive partial bonuses.

• The bonuses will be received as one lump sum in a regular paycheck once the Agreement has been ratified by SEIU 721 members and approved by the Board of Supervisors. Members in DHS may receive their bonuses over two paychecks.

• For an average SEIU 721 member with a $5000 monthly salary, the $1500 lump sum bonus is the equivalent of a 5.0% salary increase over the six-month term of the Agreement.

• For an average SEIU 721 member with a $5000 monthly salary, the $2150 lump sum bonus is the equivalent of a 7.2% salary increase over the six-month term of the Agreement.

More Money for Options Health Benefits

The Agreement includes a 2.5% increase in the County’s contribution to our Options health benefits beginning January 1, 2022. This is more than enough to cover 2022 premium increases, with more cashback for UHC Signature members and more money toward other optional benefits (such as additional life insurance, a healthcare spending account, etc.) for Kaiser and UHC Harmony members.

New Juneteenth Paid Holiday!

Beginning in 2022, Juneteenth will be recognized in Los Angeles County as a paid holiday for all SEIU Local 721 members. This is the second new paid holiday that we’ve negotiated in three years! (Our Cesar Chavez holiday was negotiated in 2018, and was the first new paid holiday in over 30 years.)

What’s Next?

Voting will begin online, at our worksites, and by mail on August 2^nd. Our Bargaining Policy Committee overwhelmingly recommends a YES vote.

Details about our upcoming ratification vote will be available soon. In the meantime, be sure to text “SEIU” to 721721 for the latest news and important updates.

Answers to many common questions we have received can be found on our FAQ page