County Negotiations Update - Sept. 25, 2019

Dear OCEA member,

I want to give you a quick update on negotiations and assure you that we continue to make significant progress towards a fair and equitable agreement away from the main table.

Our research and evaluation with our actuaries and consultants have brought us very close to what we believe will be a viable approach to a greatly improved retiree medical program. We think our approach will eliminate many if not all of the significant weaknesses of the current grant system, which is an unvested benefit that can be terminated at any time, is limited solely to a credit on County health plans, and provides very limited portability.

This is a rare and exciting opportunity to create positive long-term change and we appreciate your understanding as we develop the very best plan possible. We’ll update you again next week regarding our progress.

Your OCEA Bargaining Team is ready to return to the table at any time but we remain aware that all County bargaining units are open simultaneously. We want to get money in your pockets as quickly as possible while making sure that we’re reaching the fair and equitable agreement you deserve. 

During the negotiations process, your OCEA Bargaining Team has of course remained focused on base-building wage increases. The team is also committed to maintaining Annual Leave—a program that you and your co-workers have identified as a major priority. Of course should the County make a proposal for a program that improves on the current Annual Leave program, we would certainly evaluate it in good faith.

You can help your OCEA Bargaining Team by joining the Union Action Team (UAT). The UAT is a group of OCEA members who help support bargaining efforts by serving as the “eyes and ears” of the union in the workplace. They relay important information and communications to their co-workers including negotiations updates. UAT members participate in monthly meetings and conference calls. If you are interested in joining the Union Action Team, you can go to www.ocea.org/getinvolved.

Again, thank you for your patience and your support during the bargaining process. External factors and complications frequently arise in collective bargaining, so the pace and timing of these negotiations are not particularly out of the ordinary.

I am confident that, standing together, we will soon see this process through to a successful conclusion and achieve a contract you will be proud to ratify.

In Solidarity, 

Charles Barfield
OCEA General Manager

Publication Date: September 25, 2019