Every three years, your elected bargaining team negotiates with the State over wages, working conditions, health, and safety.
So how does the team decide what to bring to the table?
It starts with input from multiple sources:
- Joint Labor Management Committees, including Food Service, CDCR/CCHCS, Custodial, and Upward Mobility
- Member surveys that identify widely shared concerns
- Recurring grievances over the past contract cycle
Each JLMC includes a bargaining team member who helps elevate issues to the full team. From there, the team reviews trends and begins drafting proposals.
This process takes time and coordination across the entire team.
Once proposals are ready, the Chair schedules when articles are presented. Bargaining sessions are often organized by topic. For example, one day may focus on special salary adjustments, while another focuses on upward mobility.
For high priority issues, the team may bring in subject matter experts and present supporting data.
Not every proposal is won right away, but each cycle builds a stronger foundation for future gains.
Even after a contract is ratified, the work continues. The team immediately starts preparing for the next cycle by identifying areas to improve and new opportunities to strengthen the unit.
Karen Maddox-Long, Custodian I with DGS and BUNC member, shared:
“I want to thank the team for their dedication. The long nights and hard work are making BU 15 stronger. I’m proud to be part of the 2026 bargaining team and grateful for the opportunity to serve.”
Francis Vierra, Correctional Supervising Cook at CHCF and BUNC member, added:
“We’ve built a strong working relationship with the State through JLMCs and ongoing discussions, but there is still more work to do. We all need to do our part by encouraging coworkers to become members and standing together at our worksites to raise awareness and push for change.”