Dear OCEA member,
County Negotiations are quickly approaching. Many of you joined our virtual membership meeting Dec. 17. We reviewed high level survey results and a bargaining timeline for 2026. You can view the meeting if you missed it!
Here is an update on where negotiations stand:
Negotiations Team Interview
OCEA Board of Directors members and OCEA staff met with 24 applicants for the negotiations team during the week of Feb. 2. These OCEA members stepped up either through the negotiations survey or through their roles as workplace leaders. The composition of the negotiations team will be finalized in the coming weeks.
Research and Organizing
OCEA staff continues to review survey data to dig deep into possible MOU improvements. Make no mistake, OCEA will fight for fair wages and push back on any attempts to roll back our hard-earned benefits. Achieving a strong MOU depends on our unity.
To make your voice heard, get involved through the Union Action Team (UAT), a group of Stewards and members working toward that goal. The UAT meets virtually on the first Thursday of each month virtually from noon to 12:30 p.m. You can check out our last meeting by clicking here!
Interested in becoming an OCEA Steward? Stewards are workplace leaders who are our “eyes and ears” on the ground. Join our monthly meeting on the third Thursday at Noon (in-person at OCEA with lunch or via Zoom) or 5:30 p.m. (virtual only).
Visit www.ocea.org/getinvolved to get invites for UAT or Steward meetings.
Next Steps
There is currently no set negotiations start date. We continue to prepare and refine our proposals while watching developments at the County—aware of and monitoring the actions of other bargaining groups.
Stay tuned for more updates!
In Solidarity,
Team OCEA
