KERN COUNTY, Calif. (KERO) — SEIU Local 521, which represents more than 4,000 workers in Kern County, have ratified a tentative agreement, the union announced on Tuesday. The deal avoids a pending strike.
The agreement will now go to the Kern Board of Supervisors for final approval at their Dec. 14th meeting.
“We are extremely proud to have stood resilient throughout these negotiations,” said Tiffany Sagbohan, SEIU Local 521 Kern County Chapter Vice President, in a statement. “As a result, we have an agreement that will improve retention by increasing compensation for every county worker represented by SEIU. While we are pleased that a majority of voting members voted to approve this contract, we would be remiss not to recognize the serious commitment made by our fellow Kern County members who rejected the TA.
"There still is serious work to be done to address ongoing challenges facing our workforce, but we strongly believe this is an important step towards meeting the critical recovery needs of our community and workers. These negotiations demonstrated the resolve of county workers’ fight for accountability and change. Building a real partnership between management and our workforce to ensure the County of Kern can be the best place to live, work and raise our families is our priority following this ratification.”
The tentative agreement is for three years, the union said in a statement.
