OCEA members,
The OCEA Negotiations team met with County staff to receive the County’s financial presentation Wednesday, May 6. Since our last meeting, your OCEA team has completed our initial proposal and compiled supporting research. In addition to other high priority items, we are prepared to advocate for fair wages that value County employees and help attract and retain talent.
On Wednesday, County Chief Financial Officer Kimberly Engleby delivered a financial presentation to the OCEA team. Unsurprisingly, the County portrayed its finances as bleak—expressing concerns about the budget, citing both federal budget influences and supposed revenue declines as causes.
DID YOU MISS A PREVIOUS NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE? Visit our Negotiations page!
After the financial presentation, our team asked the CFO and County staff questions about some of the assumptions the County has made regarding finances. We also asked for clarifications on the County position.
Our team is not new to this. The County shares a financial presentation at the start of every round of negotiations. As one of our teammates observed, “We are on the same planet, but in different worlds.”
We will meet again next week, Wed., May 13, to present our initial proposal and our rebuttal to the County’s financial presentation. We will tell the County EXACTLY how it feels to be a County worker in 2026.
The OCEA team will present OUR priorities. We are confident in our proposal.
JOIN US IN SOLIDARITY.
As you know, the power we have in negotiations comes from being organized away from the table. Here are ways you can help with County Negotiations:
- Join the Union Action Team (UAT)! We meet virtually at noon on the first Thursday of the month. Visit ocea.org/getinvolved for more info.
- County Steward Meeting – May 13
- OCEA County Membership Meeting (Virtual) – May 27
- County Budget Hearing (Save the Date!) – June 9
Stay tuned, continue to read our updates, and join us at our upcoming meetings!
In Solidarity,
Team OCEA
