County OCEA Members - You Are Getting a Raise

Dear OCEA member,

It's a pleasure to deliver the following news. When you review your paycheck today, you will see a 2.5% general wage increase and a further 1.2% decrease in "Reverse Pick up" retirement contributions. That’s a net effect increase in your gross income of 3.7%.

Our current four-year contract runs through July 2023. Next year, you will receive another 3.5% wage increase. Many of you remember working for the County during the Great Recession of 2008. For seven long years, OCEA members only received a 1.25% wage increase and a 1.25% lump sum payment. Please take a look at a short video we put together that puts in perspective the gains we have made standing together in our union. You can access the video here.

With the wage increases and retirement contribution savings your Bargaining Team has negotiated in the MOU, this is a good time to think about contributing to the County-sponsored 457 Deferred Compensation Program. This is a voluntary retirement savings program that allows you to contribute a portion of your bi-weekly salary on a pre-tax basis. There is a section of the video that briefly discusses the County's Defined Contribution Programs offered through Empower Retirement. You can reach out to Empower Retirement advisors by clicking here. You can also click here to schedule a one-on-one virtual meeting.

I want to thank the members of the OCEA Board of Directors and the OCEA Bargaining team, who put in countless hours to hammer out the MOU. Also, a huge thank you to OCEA Stewards and members who support our efforts at the bargaining table by organizing in the workplace.

By standing together in our union, we have been able to make significant progress on negotiating the fair wages and benefits you and your family deserve.

In Solidarity,

Charles Barfield
OCEA General Manager

Publication Date: July 23, 2021