Published: July 30, 2019

Our bargaining team has fought hard and now we have won a historic tentative agreement that will give state workers 10-15% raises, stop increases in healthcare costs, add additional steps for longtime staff, help us deal with workplace abuse, and so much more. Because we came together and stood united we did what many people thought impossible, and the power of the union changed the lives of thousands of workers.

There is still one issue we would like to bring to your attention about the raises people received on July 1st. We had a commitment from the state during bargaining that the first raise of 2.15% would be reflected on August 1 paychecks. Since bargaining ended we have learned that the state had to be late on this raise. Your raise that is effective July will show up on October 1st, but you will still get your retroactive pay all the way back to July 1st, ensuring you end up with that July raise. We shared our disappointment with the state and put pressure on them to try to make this happen, but could not get those immediate raises. We are happy that everyone will still be getting all of that pay, though it will be a couple of months behind where we would have liked it to have been  All of this is dependent on this contract being ratified, so vote YES to make sure you get that big raise on October 1st and all the back pay you are owed!

 

Now we need to ratify this contract so that we can see all of these changes and pay raises implemented!

 

Online voting will begin on Monday, August 5th and will go out to all members who we have an active personal email address for. If you do not vote online in the two weeks that follow, then you will receive a ballot in the mail around Labor Day that you will have to return by the 19th of September. On September 20th we ratify the election, and that vote will determine whether or not this contract will go into effect. That is why it is critical for you to cast your ballot to certify if these are the changes that you want to see in your workplace.

 

 

Only union members can vote on whether or not this new contract will be approved, so you will need to make sure your membership is up to date so that your voice can be heard. This is the perfect time to stand and become a union member so that you can raise your voice and receive your pay increase. The more members join our union the more powerful we become, and that is how we are able to secure these kind of regular improvements that make the state such a great place to work.

 

Click here to become a union member!