SANTA CRUZ — Following months of negotiations and less than two weeks after city workers with SEIU Local 521 voted to authorize a strike, union and city negotiators reached a tentative agreement Wednesday that will provide a wage increase for all union members, alongside improved safety protocols and the removal of mandatory retirement contributions.
“This agreement represents a major victory for Santa Cruz City workers and our residents,” said SEIU 521 City of Santa Cruz Chapter President Ken Bare in a statement. “We will move closer to market standards and bring classifications closer to parity. We are proud to have earned the respect and dignity we have fought so hard to restore, especially when it comes to safety and respect for our workforce.”
According to the statement from SEIU Local 521, which represents more than 800 city workers, the new contract would provide a 13.5% wage increase for all union members over three years, eliminate the city’s mandatory 2.5% retirement contribution and reduce employee CalPERS contributions to zero over the life of the contract. The tentative agreement includes the addition of bilingual pay, compounding longevity pay and higher reimbursements for mechanic tools.
Following pleas from city workers with the Santa Cruz Public Libraries and others regarding unsafe working conditions, the new agreement will establish enhanced safety provisions, which include updated workplace safety protocols and bolstered protections for employees, including paid trauma leave and increased hazard pay.
According to the union’s statement, “Paid trauma leave will provide a full day of paid leave if a worker experiences a traumatic event while on duty. These additions help restore confidence for residents and workers dedicated to making Santa Cruz a safe, thriving, and enjoyable place to live and work.”
City workers with the union will vote to ratify the agreement Wednesday, Nov. 12, when the union will release more details about the new contract.