On April 11, the state finally brought an economic proposal to the table. After two counter proposals, we arrived at a tentative agreement with the Commonwealth for a one-year extension of the current contract, which includes:
- A 4% raise with retro pay to the first full pay period of January 2023
- A 4% raise in the first full pay period of July 2023
- A $4.2 million dollar pool for class allocations, new or existing differentials/incentives, and training (distribution to be negotiated within the first 90 days following a ratification)
- This agreement would expire on December 31, 2023
We got this far by sharing testimonies, signing petitions, and talking to our coworkers—and our fight is not over. Because over 4,000 of our members showed our power and signed a petition demanding a fair wage proposal, we saw movement at the bargaining table. Still, we know that our workers, agencies, and clients are impacted by recruitment & retention issues that require a meaningful solution from the Commonwealth.
On September 6, we will begin negotiating with the Commonwealth again. We know the work that it takes to build a strong union and win strong contracts. Over the next five months, we will need to make sure we work together to build power so that we can fight hard for the issues that we care about the most.
The next step is for us to take a ratification vote. Our tentative agreement cannot take effect until our membership has voted on whether to accept it as our new union contract. We will be holding in-person ratification votes at locations statewide. Stay tuned for more information.
In Solidarity,
Your SEIU 509 State Bargaining Committee
