Ventura County members voted overwhelmingly (85%) to approve the tentative agreement that was reached with the assistance of the State Mediation and Conciliation Service after nearly nine months of negotiations. Ventura County members also voted to continue the Tier II COLA with a closer vote of 60% voting to continue.
Ventura County’s original proposal began with over $17 million in cuts from workers which would have had a devastating impact on household budgets and impacted the County’s economic recovery. The County’s final proposal contained a 3% shift for retirement contributions from the employer back to the worker which is the equivalent of $2.2 million in savings to the County’s general fund.
Hundreds of SEIU 721 members participated during these negotiations by attending membership meetings, rallies at the Board of Supervisors meetings and collecting petitions. On Dec. 15 2009, the Board of Supervisors announced that all management and non-represented workers would take the same retirement shifts as those proposed to SEIU 721 with the plan that all County workers would be contributing 3% more towards their retirement.
“Throughout these negotiations, workers demanded that all County workers including management share in the sacrifice and for the first time management will start contributing to their retirement. We will continue to hold the County accountable to their promise of a shared sacrifice from all workers” said Perry Morefield, Ventura County Mental Health Associate and 2009/2010 Bargaining Chair.
Other contract highlights include:
• A countywide Labor/Management Committee that will give workers the opportunity to help streamline services and preserve services.
• A joint County/SEIU Labor Management Retirement Review Committee to look at responsible pension funding solutions for all taxpayers in Ventura County.
These two committees are critical so that Ventura County members won’t have the same vulnerabilities in future negotiations. The contract will expire on Sept. 30, 2010.
“Very soon, Ventura County members will have the opportunity to choose their next bargaining
committee and prepare to begin another round of negotiations. Hopefully members will continue to stay involved as we stand up for public services,” said Letty Alvarez, Ventura County Community Services Coordinator and 2009/2010 Bargaining Team member.
Where is the tentative agreement for my review?
Am I agreeing to pay an additional 3% towards my retirement plan? Has anyone considered that most employees cannot afford this in the current economy, especially since it is contributions towards a fund approaching bankruptcy?
If I had the opportunity to opt out of this loser of a retirement plan, I might have enough money to pay my bills.
Would someone please be honest about the Tier II Cola and that it is a rip-off? Considering the contributions I have made so far, it will take me over 15 years of retirement to recover my additional investment. I want my money back and I really need it.
Why would anyone vote to continue the Tier II Cola? Do they not understand that chances are they will never recover that money? It could have been better used to balance out the hit that we all have to take now, rather that risk the pension fund still being around when we retire.
Sheldon, et al;
I understand the economy is not the greatest. And it IS difficult to pay bills, etc. My view point, however, (and I might have to see how “whoever” is doing the calculations to see how long it takes to “recover” your addt’l COLA investment) is that if we didn’t have the COLA, how else would you earn more money EACH year after you retire? Itit’ll be a lot easier to supplement your income NOW (perhaps by having a part-time 2nd job) than it will be when you’re retired (and perhaps too old to move around to find a part-time job to supplement your income then).
You could say “put it in a 401(k)”… but look what happened to all the 401(k)s over the past couple years: the market crashed and so did the values of our 401(k)s. This COLA is guaranteed by VCERA.
I’m also not so sure that it’s a fund approaching bankruptcy. Yes, they lost money (like all of us) during the market crash. However, they’re starting to show some gains on their investing.
I’m happy in the way the voting turned out. And I want to thank everyone who voted, for voting. It’s one of the main ways we get heard!
I encourage all of you to come to any and all of the meetings that SEIU holds to ask questions and get clarity… and bring up things that some of us might not have even thought of. Everyone has their own area of expertise… if everyone came, we wouls be able to discuss and cover ALL sides of issues.
Perhaps it is time for all of us to gather in critical mass and take back the power we (unions), lost over the last few decades! This is ‘our’ fault for not getting involved and expecting ‘someone else’ to do all the work. The ‘someone elses’ are getting a bit worn out. Talk is cheap.
I COMPLETELY agree, Carolyn. That is why I attend every meeting I can, and encourage those who work with me to go too. I am definietly going to step up my game and try to do better getting others to take an active role as well. I definitely think we need more member participation!
Sarah,
Who are you and what reality do you live in?
The Tier II Cola is a rip-off. It will take a retiree more than 15 YEARS of retirement before they will break even on their investment. If you cannot figure that out, I can show you how to use Excel. It is nothing more than a forced savings account that was sold by the SEIU as something very different.
My retirement investment with VCERA is currently 60% funded. VCERA requested an ADDITIONAL 3.5% to return to solvency. INSTEAD the county moved their 3.5% contribution to employees. If I cannot believe VCERA’s statements about their solvency, then who should I believe?
Do you call negotiating a 3.5% pay cut for me in my best interest? At least with furlough days I would have more time for that second job you suggest to pay for that insolvent retirement plan.