On Monday, May 1, 2023, the Unit 15 Bargaining team once again met with the State in an effort to get the 4,500+ hard-working SEIU Local 1000 allied service workers across California the respect, workplace protection, and pay they deserve.
The team proposed and reached Tentative Agreement (TA) on the following two rollover language items:
- 9.19.15 – Light/Limited Duty Assignments (Unit 15)
- 10.34.15 – Building Temperature During Night Shift (Unit 15)
You can read the details of these and all current contract articles at contract.seiu1000.org
Unit 15 made one additional proposal to the State:
- 19.13.15 Overtime Distribution for Employees (Excluding CDCR-Adult Programs) (Unit 15)
The team began by explaining the importance of this proposal, a point not lost on BU 15 members. “It’s not an exaggeration to say that this proposal is every bit as important as money to our allied service workers,” said BU 15 Chair Eric Murray.
The proposal itself is fairly simple, with the team working to keep the original intent of this language while clarifying and making the language more definitive, including:
- Adding new language in Section A stating that management shall utilize the voluntary system before resorting to the involuntary system.
- Removing “endeavor to” from the language in Section C, which states the department shall refrain from assigning employees mandatory overtime on the employee’s Regular Day Off (RDO). In this same section, the team detailed the beginning and end of an employee’s RDO.
- Changing the language in Section D from “(2) double shifts” to “overtime shifts of any length” within the employee’s scheduled workweek.
Sections E, F, and G remain unchanged.
While the conversation between the State and BU 15 has been professional and productive, Murray was quick to share the credit. “While we’ve given some impactful statements, the work our members and leadership team has done is responsible for getting us to this point. We’ve had these conversations in our Joint Labor Management Committee (JLMC) meetings, so discussing mandatory overtime and overtime distribution is not something new. The State knows what we’re talking about and they know it’s a problem. There’s only so much overtime our employees can work,” added Murray, a sentiment the State seemed to take to heart.
Unit 15’s next meeting with the State to win a contract that Respects Us, Protects Us, and Pays Us is set for May 8. On Tuesday, May 2, bargaining units 1, 3, 4, 14, and 17 will return to the table. Master table negotiations resume on Wednesday, May 3.
To read about what happened in Monday’s Bargaining Unit 11, 20, and 21 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.