Building our union power in our chapters and bargaining campaigns allows us to make major gains for our members across Local 21. We understand that these wins don’t just benefit our members — they strengthen our ability to serve the public with high-quality essential services.
2023
In July 2023, the IFPTE Local 21 Alameda County Chapter unanimously ratified their newly won contract.
Term of MOUs: November 13, 2022 through November 22, 2025.
Wages: 15% COLAs over three years (15.75% with compounding)
Effective June 11, 2023 6%
Effective February 4, 2024 5%
Effective February 2, 2025 4%
All Public Defender and County Counsel attorneys get an additional 5% special adjustment effective 6/11/23, for a total first-year increase of 11%.
Eight CEMU classifications get special adjustments effective 6/11/23 ranging from 1%-7%.
New Longevity Increases Effective December 24, 2023.
Employees who have completed 10 years of full-time service in paid status will receive a 1% additional salary differential.
Employees who have completed 20 years of full-time service in paid status will receive a 2% additional salary differential.
One-Time Lump Sum Payments: All employees in paid status on 6/20/23 – from $1,000-$4,000 depending on bargaining unit.
Holidays: Juneteenth is finally added.
Dental Benefit – Effective Plan Year 2024, the maximum annual coverage benefit will increase from $1,750 to $1,900.
Vacation Sellback – All bargaining units can now sell back up to 15 days per year.
Public Works Engineers and Environmental Compliance – Brand new Safety Boots/Orthotic Inserts reimbursement of $300 every three years. And first-time language mandating provision of all required safety gear when worksites require it.
Public Works Engineers and Environmental Compliance – Effective Plan Year 2024, County-paid Life Insurance benefit increases to $20,000 and members can now purchase supplemental insurance for themselves, spouse/RDP, children.
County Counsel and Public Works members – Telework Policies will be implemented for first time.
County Counsel attorneys – First time Dress Code Policy for business casual dress when not in court or other formal hearings. Suits no longer mandatory!
Public Defenders – Professional Development expanded with office to pay for 10 attorneys to attend Capital Case Defense Seminar each year, 6 attorneys to attend the Basic Trial Skills Training, and 20 attorneys to attend the Homicide Training each year.
Public Defenders – Creation of a new Attorney Well-Being Program with a committee composed of 3 Union members 3 members from management. The committee is tasked with doing an office-wide assessment, identifying resources, and creating a plan to monitor and improve attorneys’ well-being.
2022
San Francisco members voted 96% in favor of ratifying our new contract, which will last from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2024
Below are highlights of the wins that will help recruit and retain staff to make our public services strong. Read the full TA summary here: IFPTE21.org/sfTAsummary
- 10% Wage Increase Over 2 Years: Across the board wage increase of 10% over two years for all members: 5.25% in Year One (effective July 1, 2022) and 4.75% in Year Two.
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Health & Safety: New language for workplace safety: In the presence of an imminent hazard, employees shall not perform duties until an evaluation is complete.
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Temp Conversion: By December 31, 2023, employees who are improperly classified as Temporary Exempt or Permanent Exempt will be converted to a Permanent Civil Service (PCS) position through a process.
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Juneteenth Day Off: Juneteenth on June 19th added to the list of recognized holidays.
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Comp Time Rollover: Eliminates the 120-hour compensatory time rollover cap, effectively allowing all earned comp time hours up to the 160-hour cap to carry over each fiscal year.
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Telecommuting: Arrangements will not be denied or ended for arbitrary or capricious reasons. Employees may telecommute more than two 2 days per week, with approval of the Appointing Officer and the HR Director.
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Retirement: Additional 1% reduction in our pension contribution, per the funding status of SFERS.
Cupertino IFPTE Local 21 members recently won a 1 year contract from the term July 2022 to June, 30, 2022.
The highlights of our contract are:
- No takeaways
- 5% wage increases for our members to help with the current inflation
- $3800 appreciation bonus to help with gas prices and other costs
- Juneteenth Holiday
- Better bereavement language
- Teleworking added to MOU per policy
- Wage reopeners for years two and three
- Where we can propose a step increase, healthcare proposal, bilingual pay, call back pay
- We will reopen the items above when the tax audit with Apple and the state is resolved but no later than March of 2023
Our IFPTE Local 21 Oakland members won a 3-year contract, with the term enacted from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2025. Below are highlights of the wins that will help recruit and retain staff to make our public services strong:
Wages
We have fought for competitive wages and won an across-the-board wage increase of 14% over three years for all members.
Here is the breakdown:
- Year 1: 5% (effective July 1, 2022 or upon council adoption)
- Year 2: 5% (2.5% in July 2023, 2.5% January 2024)
- Year 3: 4% (2% in July 2024, 2% in March 2025)
(Wage increases will come in the first full pay period after the first of that month.)
Special Equities and Parities
As we all know, many classifications in the City are behind the market average and the City struggles to fill vacancies and keep them filled. Many equity adjustments were achieved in this contract fight that bring these classifications closer to market.
Benefit Improvements and Other MOU Changes
The City started the conversation around benefits with a proposal for an employee contribution to healthcare. We were able to beat back employee contributions, and win improvements to current benefits and other incentives.
You can read more wins in the contract here.
This year, City of San Jose Local 21 members won a pensionable wage increase of 4.5% in a wage reopener that maintains our current contract through June 2023. This is the largest wage increase our union has received since the 1990s.
Sunnyvale IFPTE Local 21 members recently won a four year contract, effective July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2026. 70% of the membership participated in the vote with 87% voting in favor of the contract.
Important highlights include:
Wages:
- Effective July 10, 2022: 6.0%
- July 9, 2023: 4.0%
- July 7, 2024: 3.5%
- July 6, 2025: 3.5%
Effective the first full pay period following City Council approval, increase City’s contribution from 80% of the average of family monthly premium for Region 1 (Bay Area) CalPERS Blue Shield Access HMO and the CalPERS Kaiser HMO plan to 85%.
Read the full wins in the contract here.
Our EBMUD Chapter recently ratified a 4-year contract containing the following wins:
- Duration: 4 years – April 26, 2021 – April 20, 2025
- Signing Bonus: $1000 one-time signing bonus (Covid Appreciation)
- Wages: Effective retroactively to April 26, 2021 – 4% wage increase
Year 3 – CPI +.50% (Floor of 2%- Ceiling of 6.5%) wage increase
Year 4 – CPI +.50% (Floor of 2%- Ceiling of 6.5%) wage increase
- Holidays: Addition of Juneteenth to current holidays and floaters, with a new total of 16
- Deferred Compensation: New annual employer match of up to $1000 for PEPRA employees effective 1.1.2023
- Deferred Compensation Administration Fees: Increase to District paid portion of Deferred Compensation Administration Fees from $105,500 to $150,000
- Work Out of Class: Day for day work out of class compensation (employees used to have to perform WOC for 2 days to be compensated)
- Tuition Reimbursement: Increase to tuition reimbursement from $3500 to $5000
- Computer Loan Program: Increase to computer loan amount from $2500 to $3500
- Bilingual Differential: Improved language to allow greater access to bilingual differential
- Telecommuting Policy: Improved language on telecommuting including the creation of a multi-union telecommuting subcommittee. This committee has been negotiating with the District over its Telecommuting Handbook throughout the bargaining process.
- Grievance Procedure: Expanded timeline for grievance procedure from 15-20 days in Step 2
- Overtime Meal Stipend: Increase to overtime meal stipend from $15 to $25
- Supplemental Benefits: Increase to Supplemental Benefits from $915 to $1000
- Uniform Stipend: Increase to Uniform Stipend from $215 to $265
- Vacation Sellback: Increase in maximum hours of vacation sellback from 120 hours to 200 hours annually
- Equity Adjustments– Equity Adjustments for 2 classifications, Supervisor of Water Conservation (10%) and Facility Supervisor (2.5%)
The SF Official Court Reporters’ Association and the SF Court Professionals Chapter voted to ratify their new contract, which will last 3 years from August 31, 2021 to September 30, 2024. Below are some highlights of what we won:
- Wages: Effective retroactively to July 1, 2021- 5.0% wage increase
Effective July 1, 2022- 4.0% wage increase
Effective July 1, 2023- 4.0% wage increase
- Floating Holiday: Addition of 1 floating holiday to be used by 12.31.2022
- Vacation Cash-Out: Ability to cash out of up to 40 hours of vacation before June 30, 2023.
- Bilingual Stipend: Increase to bilingual stipend from $50 to $100 and from $75 to $150.
- Telecommuting: Removal of language requiring work on a special project in order to telecommute.
- Bereavement: Effective January 1, 2022, a usage cap of three times per calendar year.
- Health Benefits: Increase to the employer contribution of healthcare premiums.
100% of those who cast a ballot in our ratification vote voted to APPROVE our new MOU with SFUSD.
In a time when widespread layoffs were a significant threat and other Unions were willing to simply extend their existing MOUs, our Chapter leadership stayed strong and managed to avoid any give aways, obtained guaranteed COLAs and reduced health care costs, and made some additional improvements.
Here are the highlights:
- Two year agreement effective July 1, 2022-June 30, 2024
- 6% COLA raises effective July 1, 2022
- 6% COLA raises effective July 1, 2023
- 30% decrease in cost of health plan contributions via stipends in each of the two years
- $500 stipend to employees who are not receiving a health care stipend
- Added ability to rollover unused floating holidays
- Added significant limitations to District’s ability to subcontract bargaining unit work
- Added Union membership card language to the MOU
- Increased opportunity for Civil Service Exempt employees to take Civil Service exams to transition to Permanent status
- Improvements to catastrophic leave and standby pay
- Improved language regarding work stoppages
2021
Over the course of the pandemic we rose to the challenges of providing essential and emergency services, both behind the scenes and on the front lines. Through our union, all of us working together and advocating with one voice, we have taken a measure of control over our working conditions. We have fought to protect both our members in the workplace and the very funding of our essential public services. And we are winning.
- Against threats of cuts and layoffs, we have protected all of our jobs.
- We have secured 3.515% wage increase in 2021, as guaranteed to us by our contract.
- COVID safety policies, including access to PPE, telecommuting, and additional sick days. We continue to advocate for stronger health and safety standards in our workplaces, including better ventilation, access to masks for the public, air purifiers, continued telecommuting, and more.
- $217 million in additional revenue for the City, through our campaign for progressive revenue measures, including Props F, I, and L. The most recent projections show the City has an unexpected $157 million surplus to begin this fiscal year.
Our members were able to build support and connections in San Mateo County before negotiations and that resulted in a series of wins in the City of East Palo Alto for our new chapter, Management Employees Association (MEA).
- Prior to joining Local 21, our members were only receiving 1.5% or 2.0% increases in recent and previous contracts.
- The City started off bargaining by offering us only $1,500 cash bonuses and to extend the contract for a year which we rejected. The City came back and only offered 1% for 2021 and 1% for 2022.
- Our union members then started a robust campaign turning out our members to call into City Council meetings to ask for a fair contract with a real living wage increase. For many members, this was their first advocacy experience calling for pay equity. We showed up each week, and every time we spoke at Closed Session, our members moved the needle to win better wages. The City stuck with 1% in the 2nd year because Council cited concerns with economic outlook in Year 2.
- We finally ended up with $500 COVID-19 stipends to be paid to all members in September 2021 and a 3% raise effective in January 2022, allowing our members to get more in one year than what the City originally offered for two years.
- Additionally, we won standard Gold Card union security language, Labor Management Committee (LMC) meetings, no furlough language, a remote telework policy, and alternate work schedule rights.
Throughout contract negotiations, the City was surprised that our members would not settle until we had a fair agreement. For a first contract, our members were able to win 3% by working together and advocating for Council to give us a fair contract. MEA’s win with Local 21 highlights the union difference and our fierce dedication to fight for what our members deserve. We will be back at the table in 2022, but we have made a strong impression and lasting connections.
We are pleased to announce that after months in coalition with our union siblings, a tentative agreement was reached between IFPTE Local 21 and the City of Hayward in August 2021, for a new three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Pursuant to the negotiated MOU, employees in the Local 21 represented bargaining unit will receive cost of living adjustments totaling 10% over the next three years.
This means that everyone will receive:
- 3% raise effective upon the City Council’s approval of the new agreement
- 2% raise effective July 1, 2022
- 5% raise effective July 1, 2023
In addition to these base-building salary increases, we won the following improvements over the last MOU:
- Reimbursements for home workout equipment
- Acting pay after two days of assignment higher classification work (decreased from 5 days of higher classification work)
- Increased reimbursements for safety boots and glasses
- Greater protections against subcontracting of bargaining unit work
- Less restrictive access to Professional Development reimbursement funds
- Prohibiting denial of salary step advancement without notice and opportunity to improve
- Additional protections against layoffs
- Increased available educational reimbursement for individual employees
Our Oakland chapter overcame threats of layoffs and budget cuts during the pandemic, and we came out of our contract campaign with an unprecedented victory. Our one year contract extension included a 3% wage increase upfront, with no takeaways or reductions to healthcare. For the first time in recent memory, we have settled before our contract expiration date.
It took a lot of work, by a lot of members to bring home this win:
- We worked to elect a more progressive, pro-worker City Council in 2020
- We trusted our independent budget research and challenged the Mayor’s revenue projections
- We connected our working conditions to the residents we serve, and built public pressure through the press, social media, and an unprecedented paid media campaign
- We organized car caravans, gathered hundreds of petition signatures, and spoke at many City Council meetings
- We stood together — our Members, our Union Coalition, and our Community Allies
A Victory for Mid-Managers and Executive Managers
We know the value and urgency of our public services. Our union was able to make collective strides to win a fair contract for our frontline city workers.
In the City of Richmond, our Mid-Managers and Executive Managers bargaining units fought hard to win a four (4) year contract from July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2025. Highlights from our new contract include:
- 13% cost of living adjustment (COLA) salary increases over 4 years (5% effective January 1, 2023, 4% effective January 1, 2024, and 4% effective January 1, 2025). The COLAs are for all Local 21 bargaining unit employees.
- A monthly healthcare contribution decrease for employees from $125 to $50 per month ($75 per month savings) was won in addition to an economic reopener during the contract to negotiate for possible salary adjustments (only up) for Unit classifications based on the results of the city-wide classification & compensation study.
- A one-time lump sum payment of $3,800 for all Mid-Manager and Executive Unit employees.
These are just a few of the major wins that continue to help strengthen the vital public service pipeline for city workers. The union difference is what gives our members union pride.
After 5 months of bargaining with the City of San Jose, our union members were able to win a two year contract with historic voter turnout. By working with our union coalition and community allies, we built people power and used that momentum to turn out 150 members and allies to call into Council meetings, to turn out 500 people to attend our Rally for Equity, and to gather hundreds of signatures for petitions to support our bargaining campaign. We were able to share our public service stories to local media and launched a paid social media campaign. San Jose union members haven’t been able to get above 3% wage increases in over two decades. In this fight, we were able to achieve that and more.
Contract highlights:
- Our members are getting a 3.25% wage increase in Year 1, 3% guaranteed in Year 2, and a Wage Only reopener if the budget is not in deficit by June 2022.
- 2.5% Commendable, 2.75% Outstanding for Management Performance Program (MPP)
- Wage studies for Engineers/Architects and Recreation Supervisors
- 2.5% additional equity in Year 1 for Recreation Supervisors
- Retroactive to July 1 upon ratification in August
- $1,000 bonus. Everything except this bonus is pensionable.
- No givebacks on pension, healthcare, contract protections.
- 160 hours of parental leave (40 hours of new bank of paid leave and 120 hours of sick leave for parental leave)
- Improved protections in MPP policy to protect members from “surprise” ratings
- Inclusion of the 4 hour rule defined in the MOU.
- Political fund check off
- Reallocation appeal to Civil Service returned AND bargaining new process
- Juneteenth added as the 15th paid holiday
Despite the District digging their heels in, we’ve managed to negotiate changes that will result in significant increases in pensionable salary and other take home pay for our members through a combination of two changes:
- Increases in longevity pay starting at 5 years and every 5 years thereafter, to a maximum of 35 years. We are more than doubling monthly longevity pay starting at 5 years.
- Salary schedule standardization and expansion, ensuring that each step represents a minimum of 5% more than the prior step and increasing the top step for several classifications from 2.5% to 5%. We also created additional ranges for future salary placement.
Other highlights:
- We won a $3250 cash stipend
- We added Juneteenth as a recognized holiday
- We defeated an attempt to cut sick leave benefit by three days
- We maintained the District’s 80% contribution towards employee healthcare
- We incorporated a 4/10 work schedule for the summer period in future years
- We are adding a significant number of new positions and employees to the bargaining unit
