The way we win elections is by talking with voters. And with over 500 shifts as volunteers in consistent door knocking canvasses, and marathon phone-banks, SEIU 721 helped make the difference for our endorsed candidates by running a winning member-to-member voter contact, education and GOTV operation!
SEIU Local 721 Santa Barbara County members voted overwhelmingly by a 95% YES vote to approve the tentative agreement on the inequity review and also on the economic reopener.
SEIU 721 eligibility workers from Santa Barbara County, including members from the Santa Maria offices, as well as SEIU 721 staff, spoke at the Board of Supervisors meeting in Santa Barbara on Tuesday, May 19. Speakers urged the board to consider the pay inequities as it prepares for its upcoming budget review and adoption.
On Sept. 17, 2014, SEIU Local 721 and the County of Santa Barbara reached an agreement which will increase the pay by 5% for all social workers and career employment specialists in the county. The Board voted 4-1 to approve this wage adjustment during its Board of Supervisors meeting on Oct. 7.
The SEIU Local 721 Santa Barbara County bargaining team held a meet and confer with County negotiators on July 9, 2014. They reviewed pay inequities for two job series, Social Workers and Career Employment Specialists. We were able to meet on this because of the language we won in our last reopener.
SEIU Local 721 social workers spoke up at the Board of Supervisors meeting on May 20 to urge the Board to support children in Santa Barbara County by improving recruitment and retention of social workers to keep children safe.