Our union power is making headlines in Riverside County. This week, the Press-Enterprise dug into our ongoing battle against the County’s bad-faith bargaining and unfair labor practices.
The article highlighted the past selflessness of County workers in the wake of the Great Recession, saying, “The unions in the dispute, SEIU and LIUNA, have been without new contracts since 2016. The previous contracts, signed in 2012, traded pay raises for employees paying more toward their pensions and a lesser tier of retirement benefits for new hire.”
It also pointed out the County’s persistent efforts to repay that selflessness with cuts on the backs of workers.
“From the start, the five elected supervisors sought to keep a tight lid on raises as they try to put the county’s $5.5 billion budget on a more sustainable path. They argue that new, ongoing and mandatory costs outpace tax revenue that took years to recover from the Great Recession of 2008-09.
But union leaders have described the county’s stance as unreasonable and designed to turn back the clock on years of union gains. Rank-and-file workers, union officials said, shouldn’t bear the entire burden of making up for the economic downturn and the board’s poor budgeting.”
The article goes on to elaborate on some of the County’s lowlights, including the $40 million KPMG boondoggle and the upcoming hearing on more than two dozen unfair labor practice charges.
As the County scrambles to save face, our message rings loud and clear:
“Imposing a contract that will hurt Riverside County services is something SEIU 721 members will not stand for. The men and women on the front lines of vital Riverside County services understand the public need, and they are already working to make sure those needs are heard – loud and clear – at the ballot box this November.”