With contracts between LA County and its largest employee union set to expire at midnight on September 30, more than 2,000 LA County employees called on the Board of Supervisors to support an agreement that protects services in the economic downturn.

Photo: Cat Clark, a clerk at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, in a photo that ran in the Los Angeles Times

More than 55,000 LA County employees are negotiating a new contract that will protect the County's ability to serve 10 million residents in this economic crisis. SEIU 721 represents RNs, public health, park employees, social service workers, library employees and others who work directly with the public.

County employees gathered on Tuesday morning, September 29, for a march and rally at the Hall of Administration. They filled a giant puzzle box with pieces representing the crucial services that they perform, asked County Supervisors to help build a better LA County -- then sent County representatives and employees to the LA Convention Center for a final round of talks before the September 30 deadline.

"This economic crisis is an opportunity to really make our County work better for residents. It's a totally new approach, and residents will see the results," said Linda Dent, an intermediate clerk in the Treasurer-Tax Collector's office and vice president of the SEIU 721 executive board.

SEIU 721 bargaining teams' proposals represent a new approach to bargaining and aim to streamline and improve direct services to the public and reduce costs for County taxpayers:

• Better libraries through decentralized book buying to reduce costs and provide more relevant selections for local patrons
• Shorter lines at the Registrar Recorder's office for residents who are seeking a birth, death or marriage certificates;
• Safe parks by providing uniforms for employees to help deter crime and graffiti at County parks
• Safer animals and communities by giving animal control officers the right, simple equipment like boots to rescue animals in the fires and keep people safe from vicious animals
• Cost-savings by training county staff to do the work instead of spending on expensive contracts.

SEIU 721 bargaining teams hope to reach an agreement with the County by midnight Wednesday, September 30. Members will then have to vote to ratify the agreement...we'll bring you updates as they come in.

Over the last week and a half, SEIU Locals in California, New York and Oregon have reached new or tentative contract agreements that will benefit nearly 13,000 workers. Contract highlights include lessening the impact of budget cuts on workers' jobs and pocketbooks, and wage and benefit increases.

CALIFORNIA
Largest Vote in SEIU Riverside History leads to Contract Agreement
Roughly 6,000 public service workers of SEIU Local 721 reached a contract agreement with Riverside County on September 1, ending a five-month-long negotiation process. Union members overwhelmingly voted 93 percent to approve a one-year ratified agreement, making this the largest ratification vote in SEIU's history in Riverside County. With the new contract, members gain overtime rights, limited furloughs and a fairness agreement among all county employees. More details here.

Calexico City Employees Win Huge Victory
California City Employees who are members of SEIU Local 221 won a huge victory this week, pushing back on budget cuts proposed by the Calexico City Council that would have made drastic cuts to pay and benefits, along with implementing 18 furlough days. The City Council listened as members found other cost-saving measures the council could use to fill their budget gap instead of making up the difference on the backs of workers. This victory was a real demonstration that when members stand up for themselves, positive change can happen. Read more.

2,600 Workers at Stanford University ratify new contracts w/ wage, benefit increases
Members of SEIU Local 2007 ratified a new five-year contract on September 3 that includes a 12.5 percent wage increase, preserves jobs and increases training by implementing an apprenticeship program with the trades. According to BNA Daily Labor Report, the jointly-developed apprenticeship program--$120,000 of which Stanford will fund--will allow workers to move up the career leader in their fields (such as electricians) as well as provide the kind of training which would give them the opportunity to move to a different career.

1,450 SEIU-UHW hospital workers at the Palo Alto facilities, Stanford Hospital and Lucille Packard Children's Hospital voted overwhelmingly to ratify a new two-year contract on August 28 that offers 4 percent wage increases and ratification bonuses. Stanford employees had been working for several years without a contract, and bargaining had been stalled by management. More details on the victory at SEIU-UHW's website here.

NEW YORK
Workers at Presbyterian Senior Care Centers Overwhelmingly Ratify New Labor Agreement
Approximately 270 1199SEIU workers employed by Presbyterian Senior Care at its two facilities, Harbour Multicare Center and Hawthorn Multicare Center, overwhelming voted in favor of a new labor agreement on August 31. Highlights of the new contract include pension improvements; annual wage increases, and improved holiday pay for part-time employees. More here.

OREGON
OR University System Members Reach Tentative Agreement on Two-Year Contract
"You stood up, hung tough, held out and adhered to principle," said an special email from the SEIU Local 503 bargaining team after reaching a settlement on a two-year contract late Friday night, giving 4,000 members in the Oregon University System a special reason to celebrate Labor Day. Contract highlights include fully-paid health care premiums for full-time employees and withdrawn proposals for unlimited furloughs and an across-the-board pay cut. The agreement includes essentially matches the deal struck six weeks ago on behalf of state workers and assures that the workers, their clients and the services they provide will not take an excessive hit as lawmakers work to close a multi-billion budget gap.

Another highlight: The 14 part-time recyclers at Portland State University, who became Oregon's first unionized undergrads when they voted unanimously to join SEIU, are covered by the contract. Read more about the agreement here.

Please feel free to offer congratulations to these workers and the bargaining teams that worked so hard on their behalf in the comments section below.

Watch a short video* documenting the June 15, 1990 incident

June 15th has been observed for 19 years in the U.S. as Justice for Janitors Day, a day when janitors and other workers who secure, clean, and maintain office buildings demonstrate for justice. The original Justice for Janitors Day was established after janitors in Los Angeles were beaten by police during a peaceful demonstration on June 15, 1990. The incident generated intense public outrage and resulted in the cleaning contractor recognizing the L.A. janitors in a union. In remembrance of that monumental day, SEIU janitors and supporters take action every June 15 in cities nationwide. This day is also observed around the globe as International Justice Day.

On Monday, SEIU Local 49 janitors held a rally and march in Portland in remembrance of Justice for Janitors Day and to send a message to Portland real estate interests that even in tough economic times, the men and women who keep the city's buildings clean expect their contract to be followed.

Last year, SEIU Local 49 janitors won a major improvement in their multi-employer union contract -- company-paid health coverage for their children. This July, the janitors are supposed to receive a $0.50 per hour raise in pay. Local elected officials Jeff Cogen, Multnomah County Commissioner; Sam Adams, Portland Mayor; and Nick Fish, Portland City Councilor, attended the J4J rally to echo the janitor's concerns that low-wage workers can't accept any steps backwards to help wealthy property owners balance their budgets.

Since 1985, more than 225,000 janitors in 30 cities throughout the U.S. and Canada have united through SEIU's Justice for Janitors (J4J) campaign.

The "first contract arbitration" portion of the Employee Free Choice Act seeks to stop employers from using endless foot-dragging against workers who have voted for a union, but have yet to secure a contract. The legislation says that if employers and workers can't reach an agreement in a reasonable amount of time--120 days--either side can bring in a neutral, private-sector arbitrator to settle the dispute.

In March of this year, the Chamber of Commerce called Consumer Arbitration, "Fair, Inexpensive, and Unbiased."
Many corporations--like the Chamber-- are happy to support arbitration when it's in their best interest, and put arbitration provisions into 75 percent of consumer contracts.

But when it comes to creating a contract that works for workers, companies often refuse to negotiate a first agreement, or use stall tactics and gimmicks to delay the process for years. They praise arbitration when it favors them, but oppose it in settling first contracts--and will use any tactic they can to avoid paying their employees better wages and benefits.

Under the NLRA, 44 percent of new unions still don't have contracts two years after they are certified because companies refuse to even negotiate in good faith. Our current labor system for workers trying to form a union has proven its inability to defend workers' rights in a timely manner time and time again. Supporters of the freedom to form unions are fed up with delays that favor employees, and American Rights at Work has launched a campaign to point out the hypocrisy of Big Business on arbitration.

American Rights at Work launched their first print ad last week demonstrating how corporations are attacking the idea of arbitration when it involves their employees--while supporting arbitration in a variety of areas where it benefits them. Today, the second print ad in their series is out. Here's a preview of the ad that is running in Politico, CQ, Roll Call & The Hill:

Ad text:

Big Business is happy to support arbitration when it's in their best interest. But when it comes to negotiating contracts with their workers, Big Business would rather use delay tactics to avoid paying better wages and benefits. It's only fair that corporations agree to arbitration for workers who are trying to negotiate a first contract after forming a union. Arbitration is a key part of the Employee Free Choice Act that will let both sides reach a fair agreement.

In today's Washington Post, political columnist Harold Meyerson explains the importance of first contract arbitration in the Employee Free Choice Act, which is the second main plank of the legislation.

"But the kind of democratic choice that business favors is choice without consequence -- a position made clear by its opposition to the other key component of EFCA: binding arbitration between company and union if they've been unable to agree on a contract within 120 days of a union winning the election. A study of first-contract negotiations by John-Paul Ferguson and Thomas A. Kochan of MIT's Sloan School of Management makes clear why such arbitration is needed. After surveying 22,000 unionization campaigns between 1999 and 2004, the authors found that even after a majority of workers voted for a union, they actually reached a contractual agreement with management (which is currently under no legal obligation to come to an agreement) only 56 percent of the time.

"Heads, management wins. Tails, the employees lose."

It's ironic that businesses rely on arbitration all the time as a means of resolving differences; in this regard, arbitration is a tool for business success. Yet when it comes to giving workers recourse to an arbitrator as a means of getting a first contract between their newly-formed union and the employer, big business is suddenly opposed to arbitration. They praise arbitration when it favors them, but oppose it in settling first contracts.