Using the Power of our Contract for Members Assigned to Contact Tracing

If the COVID-19 crisis has done nothing else, it has certainly reiterated the importance of workplace safety and security. Creating standards that will be fairly applied to protect everyone’s jobs is our goal as we negotiate with the State on contact tracing.

On Tuesday, September 8, our Contact Tracing team met again with the State for what turned out to be a series of productive conversations focused on the worker’s ability to step up to this state-wide challenge. Although there are still some outstanding items, the negotiations are progressing towards an agreement.

The latest meeting saw the Contact Tracing team receive the State’s counter proposal. So far, the State has agreed to performance appraisals, no loss of seniority, no outsourcing as a result of departments assigning employees to contact tracing, and no loss of compensation such as bonuses or differentials for employees selected. However, we still have more work to do regarding out-of-class compensation, use of state equipment, ergonomic evaluations, and return options. 

We are fighting for an agreement that not only demonstrates the critical need for contact tracing to our communities but also reflects the value our members bring in stepping up to meet that challenge. As we schedule another meeting with the State, we look forward to continuing our productive conversations and fighting for the security of the workers who have made it possible for all of us to recover.