When are we going to strike? UPE is legally required to provide the Court with notice of our intent to strike. UPE provided the Court with a 10-day strike notice on October 16, 2025. The strike will occur on October 28, 2025 How much notice will we get before the strike? Be prepared – our initial strike may come with little advance warning. If you see a picket line at your worksite, join it! Do not go inside to your desk. If I telework and/or work in the field, what should I

On October 14, 2025, UPE met with the Department of Airports to discuss several Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Topics included Fire Call Handling, General Emergency Call Handling, Law Enforcement Call Handling, Trainer Responsibilities, Audio/Video Review and Release, Aviation Worker Screening, Airport Vacation Bidding, Communications Center environment, Overtime Selection and Assignment, and Scheduling and Leave Time. UPE is still in the process of meeting with the de

On October 15, 2025, your bargaining team met with court administrators and a mediator from the State Mediation and Conciliation Services in an effort to reach an agreement. For those who were not in attendance, the meeting did not go well.   We made several attempts to persuade the Court to increase both the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) and the longevity pay being offered, as well as to secure retroactive payments back to the end of the last agreement. Unfortunately, the

UPE will be conducting an electronic Contract Ratification vote this Friday, October 17, 2025 . UPE members will receive an electronic ballot via email to the email address that we have on file.   TENTATIVE AGREEMENT:   Wages : Year 1- 4% COLA Year 2- 5% but will decrease to 4% if the Trial Court Trust Fund Allocation decreases by $111,444.00. If the Trial Court Trust Fund Allocation decreases by an additional $111,444.00, the increase will decrease to 3%.   Medical Dental Vi

On October 10, 2025, UPE met with Merced County's Department of Public Works to discuss two proposed policies that affect our members: the Animal Feeding Policy and the After-Hours Worksite Access Policy. The Animal Feeding Policy, as proposed by the County, would ban employees from feeding any animals—stray, wild, or domestic—on County property or anywhere in the public right-of-way. That includes feeding cats, dogs, birds, or leaving out food or water dishes near buildings

UPE met and conferred with representatives from the Coroner's Office on October 7, 2025, over their plan to add security cameras to the lobby and property room. Two cameras are planned for the lobby. One providing coverage of the entrance and front counter, and another placed over the badge door facing back to the front counter. They also plan to install one camera in the property room, which is a state requirement. UPE clarified with the Department that the purpose of the ca

United Public Employees (UPE) met with Merced County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS)  on October 6, 2025 , to discuss the County’s proposed Bilingual Standards Policy . This policy outlines when employees qualify for bilingual pay and how bilingual assignments are determined. During the meeting, UPE strongly objected  to language in the draft policy that would have allowed the County to require employees who are not receiving the bilingual differential  to prov

United Public Employees (UPE) met with Sacramento County on October 3, 2025, to discuss Senate Bill 525 (SB 525) the new state law that raises the minimum wage for health care workers. During the meeting, we talked about who qualifies as a “health care employee.” This includes County workers who spend more than half of their work time providing patient care, health care services, or supporting health care operations. Under SB 525, these employees must earn at least $21 per ho

As most are aware, DHA announced on October 6, 2025, that CTO would no longer be available for OT through the end of the 2026 fiscal...

On October 7, 2025, your bargaining team met with Court Admin and the assigned chief negotiator from the Judicial Council. We have come...

On October 2, 2025, your Sutter Negotiations Team met with the Court for our 3rd negotiations session. We passed over a couple more...

On 9/30/25, your 008-bargaining team met with the department regarding their proposal for a new fraudulent document referral process for...