SEIU 721 continues to meet and confer with the City of Riverside to discuss the latest developments surrounding COVID–19. Here are the latest updates.
Closures and Service Interruptions: Employees will remain in full paid status during facility closures or service interruptions in response to the COVID-19 emergency. Sanitation Employers will ensure that hand-washing and sanitizing stations are available in all facilities, and that extra steps are taken to clean and disinfect facilities regularly and thoroughly.
Special Precautions for Frontline Services: Employer must provide all necessary personal protective equipment and supplies to avoid the contamination of public buildings with the COVID-19 virus.
Communication: We expect employers to communicate regularly with employees and their representatives, including periodic information updates, hot lines, consultations, and, where appropriate, negotiations. Employers will provide employees and the union all departmental COVID-19 protocols which have been developed or are in the process of development. Employers must meet and confer as soon as possible with the Union regarding COVID-19 protocols, including, but not limited to expanded telecommuting opportunities, access to personal protective equipment, emergency procedures, and steps to be taken in the event of confirmed cases of contamination.
Expanded Telework: To reduce the spread of the disease, and in recognition of employees’ child-care challenges due to mandatory school closures, where operationally feasible, employers should encourage the participation of telework by employees during the COVID-19 emergency. Employers will make every reasonable effort to promptly approve requests for telework.
Modified Work Schedules During the COVID-19 Emergency: We expect employers to consider employee requests for modified work schedules to meet child-care challenges resulting from school closures.
Protections for Part-Time, Temporary, and Recurrent Employees: We expect employers to provide regular pay for part-time, temporary, and recurrent employees who have their regular working hours reduced/eliminated due to the COVID-19 emergency. This may include hours reduced/eliminated for reasons such as a building closure or program suspension. Employers must continue to provide the healthcare contribution for temporary and recurrent employees who may otherwise lose eligibility due to a reduction/elimination of hours during the COVID-19 emergency.