Napa County Approves Union Contract For 11 Percent Pay Increase

Press release from the Napa County Government:

NAPA COUNTY, CA— The Napa County Board of Supervisors approved a three-year contract agreement Tuesday with Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1021, the county’s largest union representing over half the county government’s workforce.

This agreement, designed to increase pay and benefits for SEIU members over three years, will support the county’s employee retention and recruitment efforts, address inflationary pressures, and uphold the county’s responsibility to manage public funds prudently.

Key elements of the agreement include:

• An 11 percent cost-of-living pay increase over three years (4 percent in 2024, 3.5 percent in 2025 and 3.5 percent in 2026).
• Annual increases in county deferred compensation match to employee 401A accounts
• An increase in bilingual pay
• Observance of Indigenous People’s Day (the second Monday of October)
• Winter Recess (all non-essential operations will close December 26-31)

“There is no public service without dedicated public servants," said Joelle Gallagher, chair of the Board of Supervisors."Their efforts are vital and enhance our county in countless ways. The salary adjustments in this agreement will boost our competitiveness for top talent by aligning our pay and benefits with those offered by other cities and counties in the region."

SEIU represents more than 1,000 allocated positions and extra-help workers in all departments within the county. These employees hold a variety of roles, including clerical, maintenance, technical, professional and supervisory positions. SEIU Local 1021 ratified the contract in a vote held June 4, 2024, with 92 percent of participating union members supporting the agreement.

Additionally, the agreement includes changes to various benefits that may apply to different employees, such as cell phone allowance, standby pay, uniform allowance, retirement cost sharing, and bereavement leave. The deferred compensation match will remain unchanged until January 1, 2025, in accordance with IRS rules.

“Napa County endeavors to be a model of excellence in managing our workforce," said Ryan Alsop, CEO. "Keeping pace with the compensation requirements necessary to compete for, recruit, and retain the most qualified and talented employees is an essential practice that ensures the highest quality of service delivery for our county’s residents."

The new Salary Resolution and copies of the new contracts with each union will be posted on the county HR website by Wednesday.

"I believe the Agreement demonstrates our Board of Supervisors' commitment to excellence in managing our business and workforce," Alsop said. "And I want to extend a special thanks to each of them for their leadership in pursuing that important endeavor."

This press release was produced by the Napa County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.