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Union members raise concerns about language and pay options in SEIU tentative agreement
Summary
Speakers representing county employees and union-aligned members raised objections to language changes and removed pay options in a tentative agreement with SEIU, asking that mediator notes be removed and that prior compensation options be restored.
Several speakers during public presentations raised concerns about the county’s tentative agreement (TA) with SEIU, urging the board to ensure contract language does not remove prior compensation options or use mediator notes in ways that conflict with county policy.
Union concerns described: Karen Bessard, a 19-year county employee, addressed specific contract language in the TA. She requested deletion of a mediator bargaining note (dated 04/23/25) referenced in Article 4, Section 4 (vacation) because she said the note violates county policy 1-19 subsection 3 (approved by the board on 12/10/24). Bessard asked that any mediator’s note not be used against county employees and requested restoration of a removed compensation option.
Pay-option dispute: Bessard said the TA’s Article 5, Section 4 removed one of two prior compensation options for availability/standby pay. Historically, the removed option compensated employees with an additional 25% of hourly pay for each hour available after hours; the remaining option in the TA would provide a 5% biweekly allowance. She said the 5% allowance could reduce incentives for staff to remain available for longer shifts and that removing the quarter-pay option changes the economic incentive for after-hours availability. Bessard asked that the quarter-pay option be restored to avoid ambiguity.
Additional context from a former county employee: Deborah McClanahan, who said she worked for the county from 2007–2021 and participated in prior negotiations, urged current union members to review both contracts before signing and recounted collective bargaining work during COVID-19. She asked negotiators to avoid denigrating prior bargaining teams and to respect historical context of negotiations.
Board action: The speakers requested contract clarifications and retention of prior compensation language; no formal board vote on the TA was recorded during the morning public presentations. The speakers asked that the board ensure the TA language conforms to county policy and preserves prior compensation options unless explicitly renegotiated and agreed.
