It wasn’t quick and it wasn’t easy… but the Fight for Fairness we started in 2010 has finally paid off for Riverside County SEIU 721 members.
After a union wide push for pay equity and fairness, SEIU 721 Riverside County members have won a major victory that will provide members with increases in FLEX benefits and up to 8% more in pay over the next two years.
Some of the main points of this win, portions of which go into effect on June 26, 2014, are:
- Adding four (4) more steps, instead of one, to the top of all salary ranges = 5.13% pay increase.
- Anniversary merit increases will advance in three (3) step increments, instead of just two = 8.13% annual pay increase.
- Additional increase in monthly FLEX benefit from $744 to $770.32.
This effort, led by SEIU 721 member leaders, a skilled negotiator, legal teams and political staff, has resulted in a BIG WIN for all Riverside County members. This win will help to restore pay equity and fairness by increasing FLEX benefits and raising members’ pay by an additional 5 – 8% over the next two years.
The chart below outlines the effective dates of the additional increases.
Click here to download a flyer explaining the award.
This win affects all County SEIU 721 represented members.
Click here to download the Side Letter Agreement to the 2012-2016 MOU.
Congratulations to all of the SEIU 721 members who continued to stand together to fight for fairness.
Next Steps
Please contact your worksite organizer or the 721 Member Connection at (877) 721-4YOU if you have any questions about how this affects you.
Additional increase in monthly FLEX benefit from $744 to $770.32.???
I am an Accounting Technician I for the Department of Animal Services and as 4/30/14 I only receive $609.26 in flex? But it’s stated above $744?
Has the Union forgotten about us retirees and our health benefits that were suppose to be negotiated this year?
Though in 2009 Social Service Worker III – V and Social Service Supervisor I – II were designated hard to recruit, they were not given parity to Children Social Service Worker III – V and Children Social Service Supervisor I – II, The Children’s position have an extra 2 steps than the non-Children’s position and are also lacking the $10,000 retention bonus. None of the other counties in Southern California have different salaries from CPS and APS. By giving these to the APS workers it will only cost $100,000 – 200,000 by taking it away from CPS it will save over $1,000,000. Lets talk about fairness and the right thing to do! Even prorating the increase back to when all positions were made equal would not be a significant cost.
The Union is currently in the process of electing bargaining teams to negotiate over the issue of Retiree Medical Health Benefits for current employees, as provided in our current MOU. Unfortunately, the Union is not allowed to bargain for benefits of previously retired employees. Since you retired in 2012, if the Union were to convince the County to increase the current monthly contribution of $25/month it would be for retirements on or after the negotiated date. Just like they can’t change your retirement benefits after you retired even if they negotiate yet another tier or system in the future (unless the law changes of course).
On a different note, though you may want to opt to join SEIU’s Retiree Chapter (I think the dues are only like $6/mo right now). This would provide you with the benefits of SEIU membership which may include supplemental retiree medical benefits in the near future. If this comes to fruition, it would be from SEIU – not the County.
I take it, that if you became a member after 2009, you are not eligible for the increases?
Isn’t this just the compaction issue that you have had to fix because you didnt do it when the last MOU was negotiated.
There are two different wins here.
The overall biggest one, which adds an additional 5-8% salary increase & more FLEX benefits, affects every single current County employee in SEIU, regardless of when you were hired. Everyone will be getting those increases.
The PERB ruling for retro pay back to 2009 is specific to those employees with anniversary dates of July 28-31, 2009 because those are the only dates that the County illegally imposed on us during those contract negotiations. We reached a new contract on August 1, 2009. If you were not hired prior to 2009 then this would not affect you.
I just asked the question, If this would apply to LA. If not that leads to my next question. Do we not all belong to local 721, and why would the LA chapter not receive the same raise?
Can you explain the June 26, 2014 increases: The wording says “anniversary date increases”. My county anniversary date is next May 2015. Do I have to wait until then for the increase? Also, I am an IT employee that was re-classed in 2008 and told that all IT employees anniversary dates were changed to August 1. Do I get the increase in August?
Thank you –
This is regarding the PERB ruling for retro pay to 2009. Please tell me if the following is correct: I was hired in 2006, then this ruling would apply to me. I know for sure that I did not receieve a step increase in 2007, 2008 or 2009. Again, does this ruling apply to me? As stated in your last internet commentary, county employees affected by the above PERB ruling, will be listed on the seiu website. When will this list be available? If I contact HR (Human Resources) would that office be able to tell me if I will be receiving a letter in the mail? Thank you in advance.
Hi Kelly, thank you for your question. While we are all apart of SEIU Local 721, we are under different employers, MOUs and bargaining units. These were negotiated wins for Riverside County members under their contract. Hope that helps to explain it.
When you “merit” does that mean only managers will be getting that increase or is the annual (3) step increase to everyone?
Hi Jennifer, SEIU 721 represented members will receive the merit/step increases (managers are not represented). Please review the chart to see when the merit/step increases will occur.
I’m confused about exactly when step increases will begin for those not yet at top step. Will 3 step increase begin on June 26, 2014 or will we have to wait until anniversary date? My anniversary date just passed in April 2014
If you are not yet at top step, you will receive 3-step increases upon your anniversary date for the next two years. The 3-step increments will not start until June 26, 2014 so if your anniversary date just passed in April 2014 (you should have received a 1-step increase), you will have to wait until your next anniversary date in April 2015 to receive the first 3-step increase (and again in April 2016).
The 3-step increment provision will expire on or about June 26, 2016 at which time the County will revert to the regular 2-step increases that were in effect prior to July 2009.
Keep in mind that your anniversary date may change if you promote, demote, transfer, or off for an extended leave