Politics & Government
RivCo Reaches Agreement With Some Union Workers
Terms of new agreement not released; deal still needs to be ratified by union.
Riverside County reached a tentative labor agreement with its largest union today, a deal that improves salaries and benefits in return for pension reform that could save more than $60 million per year once fully implemented.
The four-year agreement, which still must be ratified by members of the Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA), would begin with the new fiscal year in July.
Board of Supervisors Chairman John Tavaglione lauded the agreement and said it would not have been possible without cooperation.
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"This is what happens when both sides sit down with realistic goals that honestly consider the county's budget picture and the needs of our employees," Tavaglione said.
LIUNA’s business manager, Stephen Switzer, said the agreement addresses the current budget crisis in a meaningful way while acknowledging the value of the employees and the worth of the work they perform.
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“LIUNA and the county realize that we still have difficult economic times ahead but this agreement will help move us closer to a condition of financial stability,” he said.
The tentative agreement with LIUNA addresses pension reform that was a key point for the county, which has asked miscellaneous employees to contribute 8 of their salary to cover the employee’s share of pension costs. Terms of the proposal were not released Tuesday because the agreement is tentative.
The agreement came the same day as a strike by about 1,394 members of the county's second largest labor group, Service Employees International Union. County departments shifted personnel to cover for employees who did not show up for work and county operations were largely unaffected Tuesday. The Community Health Agency and Mental Health Department reduced their appointments with clients to compensate, and planned to resume normal appointment schedules. Riverside County Regional Medical Center also canceled elective surgical cases, stopped taking transfers, postponed some diagnostics and cancelled a portion of outpatient clinics.
