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Solano County workers urge board for higher pay, staffing and retroactive contract terms
Summary
Dozens of county employees and union representatives urged the Solano County Board of Supervisors to secure a fair contract with retroactive cost-of-living adjustments, better pay for IHSS and 9-1-1 staff, and stronger retention incentives amid staffing shortages.
Dozens of county employees and labor representatives used the board’s public-comment period to press supervisors for higher wages, improved staffing and retroactive contract terms.
Linda Cheeseman, a member of SEIU Local 1021, told the board that county workers are “the backbone” of services and urged a contract that keeps pay up with the cost of living, expands bilingual pay, recognizes Juneteenth and Cesar Chavez as paid holidays and limits contracting out. “We are united. We are strong. We are Solano County workers, and we deserve a contract that honors our work,” she said.
Nicole Rivera Garcia, president of SEIU 1021’s Solano County chapter, described critical staffing shortages in the 9-1-1 dispatch center and at the sheriff’s office, saying dispatch is “down six people” and that overtime has become routine. “If there’s money for upper-management raises, there should be money for support for the people doing the work every day,” Rivera Garcia said, asking for hiring bonuses and retention incentives.
Michael Kitsis, president of Local 21 Unit 16, urged the board to require any agreement to be retroactive to the contract expiration date, Oct. 25, arguing that late bargaining by the county risks delayed pay adjustments and financial harm to lower-paid employees. “To protect workers, any agreement must be retroactive to October 25, the expiration date of the contract,” he said.
Several IHSS providers described the personal and financial strains of caregiving under current pay rates. Lucero Pantoja, an IHSS provider from Fairfield, said she cares for her daughter with cerebral palsy and that the $17.70 hourly rate leaves families struggling to meet basic costs. Another provider, Maria Bucho, described long drives to medical appointments and mounting debt tied to caregiving costs.
Speakers asked the board to accelerate bargaining timelines, make cost-of-living adjustments larger and universal, and provide concrete retention measures such as hiring bonuses, training funds and improved health coverage. Board members did not act on contract terms during the meeting; closed-session labor negotiations were scheduled under Government Code section 54957.6.
The board did not vote on any contract terms at the meeting. Several speakers asked supervisors to prioritize timely negotiation and retroactive pay if an agreement is reached.
