On May 22, 2024, UPE met with Merced County to negotiate the successor agreement for our Unit 3 members. During this session, UPE entered multiple proposals for important benefits such as Healthcare, Salary Increases, and Educational Incentives. These changes are meant to give members the support they need and ensure they have affordable healthcare, better pay, and opportunities for learning and career growth with educational rewards.
UPE proposed to the County that the employer contribution rate CAPS towards healthcare be substantially increased by an additional 10% of what the current CAPS rate is right now. Additionally, UPE pushed for an 8% salary increase for public employees and proposed further salary increases tied to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for 2025 and 2026, ensuring meaningful adjustments between 3% and 6% annually to help keep up with the rising cost of living. UPE remains dedicated and prioritizes providing cost-effective healthcare and fair wages, ensuring the financial well-being and health security of our members and their families.
We appreciate all those who attended or spoke at the Board of Supervisors meeting on May 21, 2024, where UPE demanded livable wages and affordable healthcare benefits. We need your continued support! Join UPE on June 04, 2024, at 10:00 AM in the Board Room on the third floor of the Merced County Administrative Building, located at 2222 M Street, Merced, CA, 95340. Your presence is crucial as we voice our concerns and call on the Board of Supervisors to meet our demands for an increase in the employer contribution rate towards healthcare and an increase in our public employee salary. Together, we can make a difference!
Remember to support your fellow members and raise your voice together with the union. For more details on joining the union or getting involved, please visit our website at www.upe1.org or email us at info@upe1.org.
UPE Bargaining Team Members:
Ted Somera, UPE Executive Director; Carlos Alcala, UPE Business Agent; UPE Governing Board members Lisa Sykes, Stephanie Bryant, Monica Lerma, and Mayra Ybarra.