The Unit 14 Bargaining team met with the State for their first 2023 contract negotiation session on Tuesday, April 25, as part of SEIU Local 1000’s effort to win a good contract for our 96,000 workers.
Led by Chair Robert Vega, this marked BU 14’s first bargaining session with the State in 2023, as their initial session was canceled by CalHR due to a scheduling conflict. In recognition, the team began the session with short individual introductions and explanations of their various job duties.
The team then presented eight (8) proposals. These included:
- 5.14.14 – BU 14 Upward Mobility Joint Labor Management Committee (Unit 14)
- 8.22.14 – Vacation Calendar (Unit 14)
- 9.19.14 – Light/Limited Duty Assignments (Unit 14)
- 10.8.14 – Protective Clothing Program at Office of State Publishing (OSP) (Unit 14)
Of the eight, the two sides agreed to sign Tentative Agreements (rollover existing contract language with no changes) on the following four (4):
- 2.4.14 – Distribution of Literature (Unit 14)
- 3.3.14 – Union Label (Unit 14)
- 5.13.14 – INTENTIONALLY EXCLUDED
- 5.18.14 – Joint Labor Management Committee (JLMC) – Office of State Publishing (OSP) (Unit 14)
The most significant of these is the Printing Trades Union Label, which serves as a physical representation of the service Unit 14 workers provide.
As the session came to a close, the Unit 14 team tried a different tactic by inviting the CalHR team to a worksite visit for the next negotiating session on May 9. The CalHR team accepted the invitation, an important gesture in itself, and agreed to hold the next meeting at the DGS OSP worksite.
“We feel like we might have started something that could be good for other negotiating units to utilize,” said Ed Page, a Print Processing and Operations Planners at OSP. “They don’t actually know what we do, so seeing it in person could lend greater context to our upcoming conversations.”
Plans call for Vega to give a brief tour of the floor to familiarize the State with our working conditions. Following the tour, the teams will meet in the afternoon to discuss additional proposals.
To read about what happened in Tuesday’s Bargaining Unit 1, 3, 4, and 17 sessions, please visit the Contract Action Center page at seiu1000.org
There’s real truth to the Local 1000 slogan, Stronger Together. We only win a great contract with a strong Local 1000 membership. So, if you’re not already a member, we encourage you to join us today.