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County employees press supervisors for higher pay as bargaining continues; county executive outlines limited reopener
Summary
Dozens of Marin County employees and union representatives urged supervisors on June 24 to secure a fair contract for MAPE members, citing low wages, high cost of living and staffing shortages. The county executive said the administration offered a limited reopener for COLA and fringe benefits and is negotiating with multiple bargaining units.
A large group of county employees, many represented by the Marin Association of Public Employees (MAPE), used the public‑comment period at the June 24 Marin County Board of Supervisors meeting to press the board for higher wages and stronger health benefits as contract negotiations continue.
Speakers included front‑line eligibility workers, maintenance staff and bargaining team members who described high living costs, recruitment and retention challenges, and the effect of benefit gaps on staff morale. “We are asking you as the board of supervisors to step up, to support your own workforce, and to push for a fair contract for all of your employees,” said Liza Dufresne, who identified herself as a seven‑year county employee and urged pay adjustments to match neighboring counties.
Several speakers noted money paid previously as bonuses is not pensionable and does not help base pay. “We are chronically underpaid compared to truly comparable counties,” said Keith Bowden, a county steward, who urged the board to avoid another near‑impasse at the bargaining table.
Speakers representing unions and bargaining teams described equity adjustments that other units received and asked the board to make comparable adjustments for MAPE. Susanna Farber, a regional Teamsters leader, and other union representatives said differing equity decisions across bargaining units are creating divisive comparisons among county employees.
The county executive provided an update on the negotiations, saying the county has engaged in successor negotiations with multiple bargaining groups and has reached tentative agreements with six of nine groups. The county executive said the administration offered a full reopener early but ultimately agreed to a limited reopener covering general wage increases (COLA) for 2025 and county fringe benefits for the 2026 plan year. The administration emphasized market‑based equity adjustments were negotiated with groups that agreed to full bargaining; the limited reopener with MAPE was narrower in scope.
County staff said they intend to continue constructive negotiations and publish regular updates; the county’s human resources office posts weekly negotiation updates. Multiple speakers told the board they expect the county to revisit equities and said employees plan to continue pressing for higher offers in bargaining sessions scheduled in the coming weeks.
This item was a public comment block; no formal board action was taken during public comment. County staff asked that employees consult labor negotiation postings and continued to emphasize ongoing discussions between negotiators and labor representatives.
