San Rafael, CA - The County of Marin has reached tentative labor agreements with the Marin County Association of Public Employees (MAPE) General Unit and the MAPE Health and Human Services Unit. The agreements will be presented to the Board of Supervisors on September 15.
The parties began negotiating in January 2015 and agreed to terms on August 25 that provide income stability and needed health care enhancements for employees while reducing the County’s pension contribution made on behalf of employees, called the Employer Paid Member Contribution (EPMC).
The three-year tentative agreements, which affect approximately 1,450 County of Marin employees (the equivalent of 1,169 full-time employees), include a 3 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in each year of the agreement, and increases in the County’s contribution to health care costs for employees who are enrolled in employee plus one and family medical coverage.
The agreement also phases out the 2 percent employer paid pension contributions over the term of the agreements, which was an important priority established for this round of negotiations. Other terms reached include equalizing bilingual pay across the County, ensuring that MAPE classifications are equitably compensated, and agreement by the parties to work together on County Equal Employment goals. Overall, the agreements will result in a 10.7 percent increase over the next 3 years.
“I am proud of the work both sides put in to reach these agreements,” said Angela Nicholson, Interim Director of Human Resources. “The terms of the agreements provide much anticipated salary adjustments, but also include changes in the County’s health care contribution structure and reductions in the County’s pension contributions which were both high priorities for the County,” she continued.
For financial details of the two new agreements, view MAPE General Costing and MAPE Health & Human Services Costing, prepared by the County Administrator’s Office and the Department of Human Resources. The agenda for the September 15 Board of Supervisors meeting includes the staff report and details for each agreement.
The agreements with MAPE are the latest to go before the Board this year. On July 14 the Supervisors approved agreements with Teamsters Local 856 (Probation Department workers) and the Probation Managers Association. Agreements with Teamster Local 856 (Deputy District Attorneys) and the Sheriff Staff Officers Association were approved at the August 11 Board of Supervisors Meeting.