Tentative Agreement Reached on Contract Extension

As you know, our MOU with the County is set to expire in June 30, 2021. The County and several bargaining units including MCMEA, Teamsters DDA, Teamsters Probation, and PMA, have been in discussion over the last few months regarding an extension of the current MOU until June 2022.

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 ncasey@ibt856.org 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 ncasey@ibt856.org. 

In solidarity,

Your MCMEA Bargaining Team