| There are often issues that come up during contract negotiations that may
need more time or further research to settle.
These items are “tabled” but agreed by both the union and the management
to address during a specified time frame.
During the past Ventura County negotiations, it
was mutually agreed to study and compare salaries of several classifications of
workers. The first six studies are
completed and the research and information has proven financially beneficial to
hundreds of workers.
Members affected by the 2007 studies worked hard at preparing proposals, researching
salary comparisons with five different counties, and soliciting letters of support
from their department managers.
A thorough process
Members were determined to see the process be as thorough as possible. Lori Barth, a licensed Psychiatric Technician/Mental
Health Associate, says she was very encouraged with the outcome of the salary
study.
“My education finally means something to the County,” Barth says. “It took
me 24 months of school to get this license and now I’m going to get a 10%
raise.”
Non-licensed MHA workers receive $900 annually for tuition and books and
are reimbursed for licensing fees. Now
that those who hold a license will receive a 10% raise, more workers may choose
to go back to school.
Results from the first round of studies include:
Pay Increases
Increases for Licenses & Special Skills
Compensation for Retention
Shift & Assignment Bonuses
Career Ladders
Job classifications studied in 2007 include:
Community Service Coordinator/Mental Health Associates (licensed and unlicensed)
CT Scan Techs
Paralegals
Public Defender Investigators
Sheriffs Records Techs/Sheriffs Intake
Sheriffs Forensic Scientists
Job classifications to be studied in 2008 include:
Agricultural Inspectors
IHSS “Z” Social Workers
Licensed Clinical Social Workers/Marriage & Family Therapists
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