News
June 2022
TA 2022-2025 Contract. -- An unusual year in bargaining. MCMEA chose to expedite bargaining and participated in a confidential package deal over 3 sessions due to the lack of HR leadership. It took 4 sessions, but we were able to come to agreement. Voting through June 9, 5pm.
January 25, 2021
Tentative Agreement Reached on Contract Extension
Your bargaining team has now reached a Tentative Agreement with the County that would extend the MOU for 12 months through June 30, 2022.
Please review the TA HERE. We will be having membership meetings to discuss the TA, answer any questions, and review voting procedures on Tuesday, January 26 at 9 a.m. and Thursday, January 28 at 2 p.m. (Please scroll down for Zoom invitation. You must register by the deadline below to attend the zoom membership meeting).
The TA would provide for a one time non pensionable payment of $1200 (in a separate check), increase to fringe for benefit year 2022 for employee + 1 and employee + family tiers up to 5% tied to the lowest cost HMO increase, continuation of access to the Teamsters 856 Health and Welfare PPO plan, ability to roll over any unused COVID 19 sick leave to use through June 30, 2021, and no layoff/furlough protections through January 2022. It also means existing language and side letters of the current MOU would remain in full force and effect, with the exception that terms that specifically sunset (as in terms that specifically reference an end date, for example, the hold harmless payments), will expire as specified in the MOU and will no longer be paid after the final pay period of June 2021.
The agreement also includes settlement intent language to match any other labor group’s negotiated Cost of Living Increase (if any), additional fringe benefits (if any), any and all one time payments in excess of $1200, and/or additional COVID 19 leave or extension on time to use such leave, should the County reach a tentative agreement with any other bargaining unit for an extension or successor agreement now through June 30, 2022. This would not apply to any COLA currently planned to go into effect in existing agreements that are not set to expire in 2021.
Why did we choose to extend rather than negotiate our new contract? The County initially approached MCMEA and other unions with a $1000, 18 month extension. Even with the pandemic, that felt like too long of an extension. MCMEA continued discussions with the County and the parties eventually came to terms for the 12 month extension as outlined above. Even during the best of times, the County presents MCMEA with a long list of takeaway proposals. While this may be a tactic to limit our ability to improve your working conditions, the current environment is not conducive to any “normal” bargaining. Signing a one year extension feels like the proper path to your Board, and for these reasons your Board and bargaining team recommend a Yes vote.
Following the membership meetings on Tuesday, January 26th at 9 a.m. and Thursday, January 28th at 2 p.m. we will send out online voting instructions via a secure third-party system. Please contact Nicole Casey at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. as soon as possible if you are not receiving emails from Teamsters 856 as voting instructions for online voting will be coming from an @ibt856.org email address and are not able to be forwarded due to the unique voting ID. As a reminder, you must be a current dues paying member to vote. To update your membership, please contact Nicole Casey at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
In solidarity,
Your MCMEA Bargaining Team
Pre-Register for MCMEA Membership Meetings
Click here to register
Please pre-register no later than Wednesday, January 27 at 3 p.m.
Click here to register
MCMEA Membership Survey
MUNIS Training
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Medical Benefits Renewal Discussion – July 31, 2019
Double Supplemental Life Insurance Premium
Freeman Suen - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Meloni Page - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Suzanne Griffiths - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Effective 1/1/19 all Double Supplemental Life elections for MCMEA will be pre-tax;
- To the extent an employee has unused Fringe, those amounts will be eligible for use towards the premium;
- To the extent an employee is receiving Paid Unused Fringe, that amount may be impacted by the additional use of Fringe towards premiums;
- To the extent an employee is receiving Hold Harmless, that amount may be impacted by the additional use of Fringe towards premiums;
- Fringe is used first. Hold harmless will be reduced if all fringe has been used.
- All employees in MCMEA that elect Double Supplemental Life will be incurring Imputed Income for the total life insurance benefit over $50,000 (includes Basic Life)
- Any claim processed will be subject to taxation when paid to the beneficiary since the premiums are paid on a pre-tax basis.
Attention MCMEA members:
Our County’s healthcare consultant, Segal, negotiated an 8.2% rate decrease for the County’s VSP renewal beginning with the 2019 plan year (and a 4-year rate guarantee). VSP has included some out-of-network benefit enhancements in its plans for 2019, and as a participating employer, the County of Marin will enjoy these enhancements with no impact on the renewal rates or guarantee. Starting with the 2019 plan year, County employees who use an out-of-network provider for vision services will enjoy increased reimbursement levels for the specific services described below:
|
Benefit |
2018 |
2019 |
|
Out-of-network reimbursement for exams |
$45 |
$50 |
|
Out-of-network reimbursement for single vision lenses |
$45 |
$50 |
|
Out-of-network reimbursement for bifocal lenses |
$65 |
$75 |
|
Out-of-network reimbursement for trifocal lenses |
$85 |
$100 |
|
Out-of-network reimbursement frames |
$47 |
$70 |
Negotiations Updates
July 2, 2018
June 29, 2018
June 22, 2018
April 3, 2018
March 15, 2018
February 27, 2018
Negotiations Survey
Our contract with Marin County ends in June, which means we will begin negotiations for a new contract in the coming weeks. As affiliates of Teamsters 856, we will have the assistance of professional negotiators and attorneys throughout the bargaining process. To determine our bargaining priorities, it is important that we receive input from all MCMEA members.
Please take a moment to complete our survey.
Marin County Employee Wildfire Relief Fund
October 16, 2017 – The recent wildfires in nearby counties have been devastating to so many, including some of our own Marin County employees. So far, we know at least six Marin County employees who have lost their homes. The Marin County Employee Wildfire Relief Fund has been created with the Marin County Federal Credit Union with full support from the Department of Finance, and they are working through YouCaring.com as a collection mechanism for credit card donations. Click here to donate online.
The credit union can accept checks delivered by hand to its office at 30 N. San Pedro Road, #115, in San Rafael, written to Marin County Employee Wildfire Relief Fund.
Checks may be mailed to:
Marin County Federal Credit Union
Marin County Employee Wildfire Relief Fund
PO Box 4218
San Rafael, CA 94913
Please note donations are not tax deductible. Thank you.
Health Benefits Labor Discussion Part 2 – August 4, 2017
Health Benefits Labor Discussion Part 1 – July 20, 2017
Diversity Hiring Toolkit for Managers and Supervisors
Hearing On Working Conditions for Employees at Marin General Hospital on Saturday, May 6, 2017 at 9:30 a.m. at the Terra Linda Recreation Center. Please click here for more details.
California Public Agency Labor & Employment Blog: Writings Concerning Public Business Are Public Records – Even If They Are Sent, Received, Or Stored On An Employee’s Personal Email, Phone, Or Computer – March 2, 2017
PEPRA Case Overview from MCMEA's Attorney Gregg Adam – Update as of January 19, 2017
The Labor Beat Blog: Petition for Review Now Fully Briefed Before the California Supreme Court in MAPE v. MCERA – October 26, 2016
Sacramento Bee: California court opens door to changing public employee pensions – August 22, 2016
Marin Independent Journal: Court rejects Marin unions’ challenge to ‘pension spiking’ reforms – August 18, 2016