Dear AFSCME Local 88 Members,
I am excited to share with you that after months of bargaining and on our fourth day of mediation with the County, we reached a Tentative Agreement (TA) for our local 88 contract! It has been a long and frustrating process, longer and harder than we had hoped, and we appreciate you sticking it out with us.
From the beginning, our Bargaining Team and entire union remained focused on advocating for an agreement that took on the issues most important to us. This was a difficult and hard fought process with the County- especially knowing what the County has stated regarding their budget deficit and poor economic outlook. We worked hard and tirelessly to bring you a contract that represents the best possible agreement we were able to negotiate and we recommend you vote yes to ratify the agreement.
We know you, our members, want to know about wage increases and some additional major wins. We will be sending out a final bargaining update next Monday that highlights more details and wins with links to the TA for your review. It’s a big list but here are some highlights:
- Wages:
- A 2.4% COLA or $1/hr increase (whichever is more), retroactive to July 2025, and correcting the wage table to ensure an actual 3% between steps
- A 3.5% COLA effective July 1, 2026. And increasing the minimum wage to $21/hr and unfreezing the wage scales. This part is important, as minimum wage increases for some employees have kept their wages frozen- sometimes for years- but not anymore.
- And effective July 1, 2027, a 1%-4% COLA. But if inflation is below 1% or over 4% this year, we get to renegotiate wages with the County. This will help protect us if inflation goes over 4%.
- A new Longevity Benefit for long term employees
- 6 month trial service for new and promoted employees- down from 1 year!
- Recall rights extended up to 36 months, with additional rights to remain on the recall list
- Guaranteed pay for required work travel
- And much more
In order for all of these changes to take effect, we need to vote to ratify the agreement. Voting will take place electronically Jan. 12th-18th. Only members are eligible to vote. All members will also receive a complete set of article changes prior to the vote. We will also be hosting a number of virtual and in person info sessions for members to ask questions and learn more about the agreement. In person info sessions are being scheduled and we will notify you of those dates and locations soon. Here are the details for the sessions scheduled so far:
Virtual info session #1
Tuesday, January 6, 2026 · 12:00 – 1:00pm
Google Meet joining info
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/mwf-fswm-zex
Virtual info session #2
Thursday, January 8, 2026 · 6:00 – 7:00pm
Google Meet joining info
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/fmg-jjyc-yhv
In person session #1 (more to come)
Wednesday, January 7th, 12-1pm
Central Courthouse, Rm 4221
We look forward to seeing you at these sessions, sharing more information and answering your questions.
A quote from one of our bargaining team members, Robin Easton-Davis, on why she joined the bargaining team: “I didn’t realize until the first time I joined the bargaining team, that the County doesn’t give us anything, unless they have to; our Union has had to fight to get everything we have—we’ve had to struggle to win the smallest of rights–and I want to be in that fight. What we win, not only directly benefits our members, they benefit other locals/unions, other workers, and our broader community. “
Robin is absolutely right, we had to fight for every win in this TA. I appreciate the work that every member of our bargaining team put in to reach this agreement. Though there are things we wish we could have gotten and places where the County showed us their unwillingness to fully embrace equity or do what is right for employees, we were able to make gains in most areas of the contract.
We invite you to stay engaged and active in our union. Our union is a workers collective and it takes all of us together to support each other, stand up for each other and fight together for what we want and what is right. Our power is our solidarity!
I hope each of you has a safe and Happy New Year and see you in 2026!
In Solidarity,
Jackie Tate
Local 88 President
