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SEIU and staff spar over vacancies as council receives AB 2561 report
Summary
Human Resources presented the city's AB 2561 annual vacancy report showing a 5.6% citywide vacancy rate; SEIU told council some classifications reached 20% vacancy in earlier quarters and urged improved recruitment and retention ahead of contract negotiations.
Human Resources Director Valerie Barroso presented San Buenaventura’s annual position vacancy update required by Assembly Bill 2561, reporting an average 2025 citywide vacancy rate of 5.6% and summarizing recruitment and retention measures the city has implemented.
Barroso said the city has 714 authorized full-time positions in the FY26 adopted budget and that bargaining units were below the 20% vacancy warning threshold at the close of the 2025 calendar year. She listed actions taken to improve competitiveness: a 2023 classification and compensation study with phased pay adjustments, 100% coverage of employee dental insurance starting in 2023, expanded recruitment outreach (including LinkedIn targeted marketing), an employee referral incentive for hard‑to‑fill positions, and expanded training offerings.
Representatives from SEIU Local 721 — regional coordinator Stephanie Greer and chief negotiator Leonard Castillo — gave the union’s perspective. Castillo said some SEIU classifications had exceeded the 20% threshold in prior quarters, that average time‑to‑fill for some classifications is about 115 days, and that 99 separations were recorded among SEIU‑represented workers over the period studied. “When you have positions that are not at market average for salaries, do not have attractive benefits packages and working conditions, you will see and continuously see these types of trends,” Castillo said.
A union member, Todd Walter, described high turnover on his planning team and the operational impacts of repeatedly training new staff.
Barroso and staff responded with details on the city’s employee engagement survey (biennial; last held Dec. 2024), exit interviews and training for staff involved in recruitment; they confirmed continuing collaboration with SEIU as contract negotiations approach. After questions, council voted unanimously to receive and file the staff report as required under AB 2561.
What’s next: HR said it will post the AB 2561 materials to the city’s transparency pages and continue joint discussions with SEIU during negotiations.
