The County of San Mateo resumed full services this morning after conclusion of a two-day labor strike by the Human Services Unit represented by the American Federation of State, county and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 829.
The Human Services Unit represents 915 employees in departments including the Human Services Agency, Health, the Sheriff’s Office and District Attorney’s Office. During the strike, all Human Services Agency offices remained open. Due to the staffing shortage, however, some services were centralized.
“We are glad to see our employees back at work today so that we can continue providing outstanding services. We’d also like to thank the public for its patience and our other employees for pulling together where needed to continue serving our residents with minimal disruptions,” said County Manager Mike Callagy. “We’ve come a long way in addressing many issues and we believe this offer that was accepted by 10 of the 11 representation units is generous and fair.”
The Human Services Unit of AFSCME went on strike from Tuesday, March 5 through Wednesday, March 6, 2019 after declining the new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) ratified by the 10 other AFSCME representation units.
The County’s offer to AFSCME, which the 10 representation units accepted, includes:
• Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA)/Equity Increases of 12 percent total: 5 percent effective Feb. 24, 2019, 4 percent effective Oct. 6, 2019 and 3 percent effective Oct. 4, 2020.;
• Longevity pay: 1 percent after the equivalent of five years of service and increased longevity pay of 1 percent at 10 and 20 years of service, and 2 percent at 25 years;
• Specified classifications receive additional equity increase and other specialty pays based on market conditions.
The County is also assembling an organization-wide labor management committee to review the County’s retiree health and additional benefits.
For Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and more information on the proposal, visit news.smcgov.org.