Santa Clara County has narrowly avoided a strike with its largest union after reaching a tentative agreement that includes the biggest wage increase in more than two decades.
SEIU Local 521, which represents more than 12,000 county workers including 9-1-1 dispatchers, social workers and hospital staff, authorized a potential strike in mid-June. The strike threat came around the same time the Board of Supervisors approved the county’s $11.3 billion budget that eliminated approximately 600 vacant position to help close the deficit — a move the union pushed back on.
But on Friday, a press release from SEIU Local 521 announced that they had come to a “historic agreement” with county officials. The tentative deal includes the largest wage increase in more than 20 years, a $1,200 one-time payment and equity raises. Jobs with wages that aren’t considered competitive in the market, like public health nurses, will also see an additional pay bump to help with recruitment and staffing shortages.
SEIU Local 521 Chief Elected Officer Riko Mendez said in the release that “securing pathways to expanding public service and care for the most vulnerable in our community” was one of the union’s top priorities.
“This deal includes financial commitments that will begin to overcome staffing shortages, increase educational resources and expands equity for lower-wage earners who are made up of most women of color,” he said. “Our union stood firm in demanding a fair contract, new gains, and protections for our members and families in Santa Clara County.”
Mendez said they still had more work to do to help with staffing shortages and turnover, but called the agreement “one of the best deals in the history of Santa Clara County.”
In a statement, new County Executive James Williams said that the agreement “takes care of our dedicated staff and ensures that the county will be able to continue offering critical public services.”
“It is a win-win for our employees and for the community that relies on the high-quality care and excellent services we offer to Santa Clara County residents,” he said.
But while Santa Clara County was able to avoid a strike, one could be looming in San Jose.
On Tuesday, the San Jose City Council is set to meet in closed session to discuss negotiations with IFPTE Local 21 and MEF-AFSCME Local 101, which represent 4,500 city workers from airport employees to librarians.
If a settlement isn’t reached on Tuesday, the unions are expected to initiate a strike vote that would run through Friday, with the results being announced next Monday — with city services hanging in the balance.
The city and the unions are currently deadlocked over wage increases, with workers saying that cost of living is outpacing their pay and departments are chronically understaffed. City officials, on the other hand, say increased wages would strain San Jose’s budget and that staffing levels are trending in the right direction.
City officials and the unions have been negotiating for months — with a contract for the two unions having expired on June 30.
Gabriel Greschler contributed to this report.