Jerry Brown offers 12 percent raises (over 4 years) to SEIU Local 1000

The state has offered a nearly 12 percent general salary increase for SEIU Local 1000 employees spread out over four years, or a 9 percent increase over three years.

The offer, dated July 8, would also require increased payments into funding post-retirement health benefits amounting to a 3.5 percent increase in contributions over either three or four years.

California’s largest state employee union is in the midst of contract negotiations with the governor’s office. In a newsletter, SEIU officials wrote the talks had come to a “crossroads.”

In the union’s most recent bargaining update posted on June 30, SEIU addressed members on its website stating, “Our bargaining team feels that the state’s offer does not meet the priorities that you shared with us through town halls and bargaining surveys.”

The union held 13 town hall meetings for members across the state to get feedback on the bargaining process. SEIU also distributed an online survey to “get members’ input about the state’s offer.”

Allowable overtime mandates for registered nurses under Unit 17 would decrease from five to four per month, and mandatory overtime for medical and social services employees under Unit 20 would decrease from six to five.

According to the proposal, the state would not be able to require furloughs in the first year of the contract, but could in subsequent years through the Legislature.

An 80-hour annual cash-out would be added to vacation and annual leave benefits, subject to each department’s discretion.

Of the around two dozen job classifications that would get raises in addition to the general salary increases, the two largest bumps go to employees in the Unit 1 actuary series, who would receive another 10 percent, and Licensed Vocational Nurses in Unit 20 at 11.25 percent.

SEIU Local 1000 officials did not respond to requests for comment.

This story was originally published July 29, 2016 at 10:17 AM.