Marion County Employees Association Bargaining 2026

Marion County gave us notice today that it intends to implement its Last, Best and Final Offer on September 13th.

We are now at a critical point in this bargaining fight. Because the County has made this announcement, we are now pivoting from a strike pledge to a strike vote.

Now we need every member to make the decision. Find out more here!

This vote is not whether you like the idea of a strike. It is a vote on whether you are willing to accept Marion County’s Last, Best and Final Offer, or whether you are willing to strike to demand a better agreement.

The County’s Last, Best and Final Offer includes:

2% COLA in the first year with no retroactivity to July 1st

2% COLA on July 1^st, 2027

$50 toward premium increases for the 2026 plan year

$204 toward premium increases for the 2027 plan year (with the insurance rate increases this will mean no out of pocket increases to the employee’s cost in 2027 – employee costs will remain about the same)

$150 toward premium increases for the 2028 plan year (Based on the projected increases we’ve been discussing, workers could see their monthly health insurance costs increase by roughly $100–$150 even with the increase to the employer’s portion).

Approximately 3-4 additional vacation days per year (depending on tier)

Choice between the Day after Thanksgiving or Christmas Eve as a paid day off

Longevity protections that would start 01/2028

Latest News

September 2, 2026

Marion County Workers: Strike Vote – Vote by Sept. 4!

September 1, 2026

MCEA Workers,

The pressure is building and now is the time to turn it up! Hundreds of messages have already been sent to Marion County commissioners demanding fair wages and affordable healthcare for MCEA workers. But commissioners still haven't moved enough to get us to a fair agreement.

As bargaining heads toward mediation, we need to make one thing crystal clear: we will not settle for less than what we deserve.

Before we show up and pack the Marion County Board meeting this Wednesday at 9:00 a.m., let's flood commissioners' inboxes with messages from MCEA workers and supporters.

We've made it easy.

Click the purple button below to send a message using our online action tool — it only takes a minute.
Help spread the word! Download, print, and share this flyer in your workplace to get even more people involved.

Let's fill their inboxes. Then let's fill the room. See you Wednesday at 9:00 a.m.

Send a Message to the Board of Commissioners

Send the message as is or make it your own! The important thing is that the commissioners hear from you and know we're united in this fight.

In solidarity,
MCEA Bargaining Team

Where Bargaining Currently Stands

Priority	Union proposals	Management proposals
COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment)	2% cost-of-living increase retroactive to July 1, 2026 2% cost-of-living increase July 1, 2027	2% cost-of-living increase the full pay period following ratification of the new contract (members and Commissioner’s voting to approve the contract) 2% cost-of-living increase July 1, 2027
Healthcare	Percentage based employer contributions for premiums. 95% by the employer and 5% by the employee	$50 increase to employer share for 2026 the month following ratification of the new contract $204 increase to employer share January 1, 2027 $150 increase to employer share January 1, 2028
Longevity	Longevity protections starting on January 1, 2028. Longevity increase will not be removed in the event of promotion, reclassification or salary adjustment.	Longevity protections starting on January 1, 2028. Longevity increase will not be removed in the event of promotion, reclassification or salary adjustment.
Vacation Leave	Vacation accrual increase of 3-4 days a year (depending on tier)	Vacation accrual increase of 3-4 days a year (depending on tier)
Holiday	Choice of day after Thanksgiving or day after Christmas as a paid holiday	Choice of day after Thanksgiving or day after Christmas as a paid holiday