We’re excited to announce that we have reached a tentative agreement on hiring and retention bonuses for the Alternative Crisis Response Teams!
Our negotiating team was the DMH Healthcare Reform & Integration Committee (HRIC), which is comprised of a diverse set of DMH SEIU 721 member leaders, who fought hard to include additional programs and additional classifications.
As with any negotiation, neither side got all that they wanted but our members are proud of the agreement that will pay our members up to $10,000 in retention bonuses and $2,500 signing bonuses for new County employees hired in covered programs. Current Employees will be able to qualify for the full $10,000 retention bonus.
New employees will be able to qualify for the retention bonuses if they remain with DMH over the next two years. These critically short-staffed areas are experiencing serious safety concerns and are in danger of being contracted out if positions aren’t filled immediately.
Our union will continue to engage the Board of Supervisors, the CEO’s office, and the Department of Mental Health on addressing staffing shortages immediately and in the build up to our 2025 contract negotiations.
When we fight, we win!