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KERN COUNTY 2024 CONTRACT BARGAINING SURVEY

WHAT ARE WE WILLING TO FIGHT FOR IN OUR 2024 CONTRACT?

Kern County 2024 Contract Bargaining Survey. Our union contract expires on June 30, 2024.
We are preparing now to negotiate the best possible contract for our future. We need all county workers represented by our union to participate in the pre-bargaining survey process. Our elected county bargaining committee, comprised of co-workers across all bargaining units, will use the results of this bargaining survey to develop our bargaining priorities and contract proposals for our 2024 contract negotiations campaign.

Just as important, we will continue to meet internally and build our campaign. Our goal is to win a fair contract from the County by June 30, 2024, and to be ready to strike if that’s what it takes to win what we need as county workers to meet the needs of families across our Kern County community.

Deadline extended through May 1st

Please note: all bargaining survey submissions are for internal contract planning purposes only. Submission will never be shared with County officials.
Contact Information
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Are you an SEIU 521 member? Please note: Our co-worker on our union bargaining team is only as strong as our membership numbers. Since the start of 2024, our co-workers have continued to build worker power by activating their memberships. If you answer "no or I don't know" below, consider activating your membership today; click here to get started.
TOP PRIORITIES

Address the staffing crisis - countywide, there are too many vacancies in SEIU 521 bargaining unit positions across Kern County. This puts unsustainable stress on workers and lowers the quality of our services to the community. Addressing this crisis will require higher general wage increases, increases in differentials for jobs with high turnover, and comprehensive solutions to address working environments that make our jobs unbearable.
Please share examples of how short staffing has affected you as a worker and/or the people you serve in your department or worksite (for example, new hire retention challenges, inadequate patient/client care, lack of permanent codes to meet growing demand in services)
*Indicate how you feel about making each of the following top priorities as part of solving the staffing crisis:

Higher General Wage Increases
Additional Wage Adjustments for Hard to Fill Jobs
New/Higher Differentials for Places/Shifts/Other Situations Where Working Conditions Make Jobs Harder to Fill:
Please share which departments/worksites/shifts or situations you believe that new or higher differentials are needed (for example: re-alignments, retention bonuses, etc.)
Please share any thoughts you have on steps that need to be taken to address the staffing crisis.
Providing real pathways to promotions - workers have expressed that they feel stuck in lower-paid jobs when, with the right training and opportunities, they could advance within the county. Current support for workers who want to advance lags far behind other employers – even some in the private sector. Getting this right will improve the county’s ability to fill higher-paying jobs more quickly with workers who will stay. Addressing this issue will require better contract language, more funding and paid time for education and training, and changes to the County’s merit system rules.

How do you feel about making this a top priority in this round of bargaining?
Temporary workers (Pathways to permanency) Temporary Employees (Extra Help) currently pay more for healthcare benefits, are denied pensions, and have limited workplace rights while doing the same jobs as permanent workers. We do not believe it is fair to Temporary workers or the public, nor is it the way to solve the staffing crisis.
How do you feel about making this a top priority in this round of bargaining?
Please share any thoughts on how your work is impacted by the lack of permanent employees and need to constantly train Temporary staff, and/or challenges posed to those we serve.
Are there issues in your department or at your worksite that need to be addressed, such as hazardous conditions, lack of respect, or unfair treatment?
ADDITIONAL ISSUES WE NEED TO FIGHT FOR

If there are other changes that you and your co-workers believe we should fight for in this round of negotiations, please describe them in the appropriate section below.
Economic Issues
(Changes in paid time off, paternity leave, student loan debt, benefit plans, uniform allowances to cover full costs, required job training funds, premium pay, and other non-salary items that you believe that you and your co-worker are willing to fight for)
Why do you and your coworkers believe we need to fight for this?
Non-Economic Issues (Changes in policies and procedures like job bidding, shift selection, telework, discipline procedures, and work rules like canceled shifts or flexed off work' and 'working out of class)
Why do you and your coworkers believe we need to fight for this?
Are there any other issues not outlined above you would like to include in your bargaining survey?
ORGANIZING TO WIN

Kern County workers across every department are already conducting worksite meetings and organizing around workplace issues. We know these negotiations with Management will be tough, but we also know what we can accomplish the change we deserve when we unite as one voice through our union. Our ability to win a strong contract depends on our collective strength. The time to join the fight for a strong and fair contract is now.

Check all the following union activities that you will participate in to be part of winning a fair contract for all Kern County workers.
You're about to submit your survey. Before you do so, we want to share that we've developed a contract campaign webpage that we'll use to share updates, upcoming events and alerts about negotiations. We encourage you to save, bookmark and share it: seiu521.org/kerncounty