Negotiations Update: Sept. 21, 2017

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Dear OCEA member,

Yesterday your OCEA Court Negotiations team met for over six hours with Court management in our latest bargaining session. As you recall, at our last session both parties were able to move through some of the smaller items. This left important issues including wages for our session yesterday.

We began the session by telling the Court in no uncertain terms why we need a raise! Your bargaining team spoke for you! Your team told the Court about the day to day realities that you and your families face each day. Your team told the Court how all of our members have seen staff steadily decline while being expected to do more. Your team told your story of what it is like to be a Court worker in Orange County—one of the most expensive places to live—while not getting a meaningful raise. Your team educated the Court about how much we are paid compared to other justice centers. And finally, we expressed the complete frustration and anger that you rightly feel when you are told that you cannot have a meaningful raise while Executives and Managers have lined their own pockets.

Our message was clear. We want to be treated fairly and equitably!

The Court responded to our arguments by (again) blaming Sacramento. Court management cited budget constraints in Sacramento as the reason that they are unwilling to listen to the realities you all face each and every day. 

We ended the day by making some additional movement on issues not related to wages, and again made minimal progress. While yesterday was not ideal, there was some progress towards a fair contract, but significant distance remains.

We meet again on Monday, Sept. 25. At that meeting we will be focused and deliberate on making progress on a core list of issues that impact OCEA members the most. We will also continue to work with your Stewards and workplace leaders to prepare to take direct action if Court management is unwilling to treat its workers fairly. We expect to be treated fair, and standing together that is what we will demand!

In Solidarity,

Bridgette Washington
Senior Labor Relations Representative

Publication Date: September 21, 2017