San Mateo County employees demand higher pay

The union represents about 2,200 county employees who have been working under an expired contract since October after both parties failed to sign a new agreement. The county’s final offer was a 2% raise the first and second years with a third year raise based on the increased cost in consumer goods at the time. It was an offer County Manager Mike Callagy said was the best the county could do while balancing other community priorities.

But given the region’s growing cost of living, the union is asking for a 3.5% raise in the first year followed by another 3.5% raise in the second year and a 5% raise the third year. Additionally, the union has asked for a $2,500 bonus to account for the hardships employees faced during the pandemic to which the county has countered with $1,500. 

Shannon argued the higher raises were also necessary to account for a policy change that would direct .7% of an employee’s salary toward a retirement health care plan. The new policy would replace the current practice which only offers an employee a month of health care for every eight hours of preserved sick leave, a practice Shannon argued either encouraged employees to show up to work sick or discriminated against those who needed to take the time off. 

Shannon pointed to the county’s record high property tax revenue stream, healthy reserves and nearly $150 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds as indicators the county has enough money on hand to cover the union’s demands. 

But Callagy pushed back on assertions the county has the funds to cover the larger pay raises. While the county did see another year of historic tax revenue growth, Callagy said figures are still down from years past and argued that a 1% increase in property taxes brings in about $4 million in revenue while a 1% raise for employees across all unions would cost the county about twice that amount. 

“I think that we’ve been very clear with the union and very fair with the unions on what we can afford and I think there’s some misconception that the county is flush with money,” Callagy said. 

As for federal relief funds, Callagy said the first half of those dollars have already been directed toward other community needs borne out, of or exacerbated by, the pandemic including homelessness and housing issues. 

Addressing the region’s high cost of living, Callagy noted that factors outside of the county’s control have exacerbated the issue like a growing housing crisis. 

He cast doubt that any company or organization could offer all its employees high enough salaries to keep them living in “one of the most expensive places in the world” and said the county is challenged with balancing the needs of employees with those of some of its most underserved citizens who have been hardest hit during the pandemic. 

“Our main objective is to make sure we maintain services for those that need it the most and we’re trying to do that with an eye on the great value we put into our workforce,” Callagy said. 

But Shannon pointed out that many county employees are struggling residents in the area. And many employees, whether they live in the county or not, have had to work in person during all stages of the crisis without benefits like emergency pay aside from additional time off and overtime pay. 

Shannon argued that while county officials publicly lauded employees for their hard work, they deserved more than verbal praises during the peak of the crisis and still deserve more now as the holidays approach.

Unable to come to an agreement, Shannon said the groups are likely to come to an impasse with a strike potentially to follow. 

Gaelan Ash, the union’s representative, said the organization is looking to act quickly in assessing member interest in a potential strike. Depending on the assessment, a vote on whether to move forward with a strike will likely take place within a week, he said.  

Given that those represented by the union are spread out through the county, Shannon said the group has had to work hard to educate its members and will have to continue to do so until a favorable resolution is achieved.  

“We’re going to keep scheduling actions and putting pressure on the county and elected officials to do the right thing. We’re really not that far apart,” Shannon said. “The county has the money to do it so let’s get it done.” 

Some county employees at Wednesday’s rally cheered at the mention of a strike and verbally agreed to discuss the matter with fellow employees in hopes of building support for the action. 

Callagy acknowledged the union has a right to publicly demonstrate but said the aggressive picketing like events held by the union at Callagy’s home in Foster City, and strikes are ultimately ineffective and unproductive. 

“We’d rather sit down at the table and talk and work things out,” Callagy said. “We’re ready to do that any time.” 

sierra@smdailyjournal.com 

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