The Colusa Courts General Unit membership ratified a new MOU following multiple months of stalled negotiations that were due to the Court's insistence that employees pay 7% more of the PERS Member Contribution.  Employees already pay 1% of the 8% required for their 3% @ 60 formula that was carried over from County employment when the Courts were restructured state-wide to be separate employers from County government.

That log jam broke loose last Friday when a new Court Executive Officer took over bargaining direction and agreed to partially offset the additional 7% PERS increase with a 4% salary increase.  Members respect the new CEO, Kevin Harrigan, and decided to step up to the plate to help him with a structural deficit forecast for the 2014/15 budget by front-loading a concession to help the Court save payroll cash flow.  Details include:

• Term through September 30, 2016
• $2,000 Settlement stipend, paid by separate check in the next pay period
• 5% additional employee paid PERS partially offset by a 2% salary increase 7-1-14
• 2% additional PERS offset by a 2% salary increase 7-1-15
• Reopen discussions on medical and salary September 1 or 2014 and 2015

The discussion reopener is intended to provide an opportunity for the court to increase it's contribution to medical premiums and/or offer additional salary in the event court revenue becomes stable and positive.  Those involved in Court negotiations are very aware of the ongoing dispute between the Legislature, the Governor's Office, the Judicial Council and the AOC over trial Court funding.  This dispute has had a significant, detrimental affect on many local Court's revenue and made negotiations all the more tougher than it usually is.

UPEC 792 is being joined by UPEC 777 from Southern California for a two-day "Sacramento Lobby Day" coordinated by 792 Business Manager Chris Darker and our Union lobbyist Liberty Sanchez to take the plight of our local courts to Sacramento politicians.  Hopefully, that effort will help in attaining stable funding for the North State rural courts where we represent court workers in Colusa, Glenn, Shasta, Modoc and Trinity counties.

Chief negotiator Steve Allen would like to thank Bargaining Team members Stephanie Gomez and Astrid Fernandez for their patience and perserverance in negotiating this settlement.