Unit 15
Allied Service Workers
Who We are
Unit 15 includes civil service custodians who clean various state buildings, laundry workers, supervising cooks, and food services workers in the prisons and other state institutions.
Unit 15 Leadership & Updates:
Unit 15 Bargaining Unit Negotiating Committee (BUNC)
2026 Bargaining Updates
Quarterly Newsletter
Unit 15 Joint Labor Management Committees:
Correctional Supervising Cooks JLMC
Custodians JLMC
Food Services JLMC
Upward Mobility JLMC
Our contract is the agreement between SEIU Local 1000 and the State that outlines our pay, our benefits, and our rights! Our bargaining team is gearing up to negotiate a new contract and what we win depends on how strong and united we are.
Here are the priorities our Bargaining Unit 15 team is bringing to the table:
Strong, Meaningful Raises
- A strong General Salary Increase (GSI) and Special Salary Adjustment (SSA) are essential for fairness, stability, and for keeping experienced staff in our institutions.
- A strong raise is also a sign of respect for the essential work Unit 15 workers perform every day.
Making Differentials PERSable
- Our jobs are physically demanding and often done in harsh institutional environments, which makes retirement security critical.
- Making recruitment, retention, and other differentials PERSable helps with retention, strengthens career longevity, and ensures members can retire with dignity.
Better and Lower‑Cost Healthcare, Dental, and Vision
- Lower premiums and better plan options reduce stress and improve wellness for our families.
- Stronger healthcare, dental, and vision benefits also support retention. Workers stay when their benefits are reliable and affordable.
Staff Wellness
- Heavy workloads, short staffing, and stressful environments take a real toll.
- Wellness means safety, rest, respect, proper staffing, effective training, reliable equipment, and access to mental‑health support.
Inside Unit 15
Bargaining 101
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...
LOI / LOE Language Improvements
Hello BU 15 members. My name is Garth, Vice Chair of BU 15. I want to highlight one of our key wins this bargaining cycle. I started state service in 2007 and have been part of the bargaining team for four cycles. One thing about bargaining is that...
Custodial Workforce Preservation
“Say no to RTO!” and “We want telework!” are common chants at recent actions organized by SEIU Local 1000, as the bargaining team presents telework language to the State. Members across units have shown strong solidarity around telework and its...
10.2 Health and Safety Committees
State and the Union agree that Health and Safety Committees are appropriate and shall establish at least one Joint Union/Management Health and Safety Committee. At the request of the Union, the state may establish a health and safety committee at...
Unit 15 JLMC’s
Your Bargaining Unit has 4 different Joint labor Management Committees (JLMC’s): the Correctional Supervising Cooks JLMC, Food Services JLMC, Custodian JLMC, and the Upward Mobility JLMC. The CSC, Food Service, and Custodian JLMC’s are in place to...
Why Become A Steward
"My name is Karen Maddox-Long and I’m a Custodian with the Department of General Services. I have 17 years of State service with 3 of those being a job steward and a Bargaining Unit Negotiating Committee (BUNC) member. I always remember hearing my...
A Message From the Unit 15 Chair
Summer is here, and with it comes long days, warm nights, and a reminder of why many of us love this season. There is a certain beauty in summer that brings people together, whether that is time with family, community events, or simply taking a...
Unit 15 Bargaining Update: June 4, 2026
Thursday, June 4, 2026 This week brought real momentum at the table. Your bargaining team is pushing hard and delivering meaningful improvements that impact your day-to-day work. Here are the highlights...Major Win: Article 13.9.15 Letters of...
Unit 15 Bargaining Update: May 28, 2026
Thursday, May 28, 2026 Dear Unit 15 Members, We wanted to share a quick update from the bargaining table this week. It was a shorter week due to the Memorial Day holiday, but we made meaningful progress on several key issues. Big Win at the...
Unit 15 Bargaining Update: May 21, 2026
May 21, 2026 “We’re not asking for anything excessive. We’re asking for the basics: safe working conditions, reliable equipment and the tools to do our jobs right.”– Eric Murray, Chair of Bargaining Unit 15 This week, our Bargaining Unit 15 team...
Unit 15 Bargaining Update: May 14, 2026
May 14, 2026 “The union’s goal here is stability. Stable staffing. Safer institutions. And pay that reflects the work being performed.” — Eric Murray, Chair of Bargaining Unit 15As negotiations continue, Unit 15 is focusing on the issues that...
Unit 15 Bargaining Update: May 7, 2026
May 7, 2026 Bargaining Unit 15 represents civil service custodians, laundry workers, supervising cooks, and food services workers. The members of our Bargaining Unit team officially started bargaining with the State on April 29 as part of our fight...
Sunshine Meeting with CalHR: January 14, 2026
January 14, 2026 Your bargaining team just completed our sunshine meeting with CalHR – our first step on the road to our next contract! In this meeting, we made it clear to CalHR that our goal is to negotiate a fair and equitable contract shaped by...
A Message From the Chair – Spring 2026
As we open our first Unit 15 newsletter of 2026, I want to start with gratitude. Thank you for standing with the team and for the hard work you do for the State of California every day. Your commitment keeps this unit strong, and it sets the...
DLC 707 Secures Win on Improper Work Condition Change
Correctional Supervising Cooks in the CTC kitchen at Lancaster recently stopped an improper work condition change that would have required them to escort inmate workers to and from their worksite. This duty has always been performed by Correctional...
Know Your Rights: Sick Leave (Section 8.2)
As we move through the winter months, temperatures fluctuate and holiday gatherings increase our exposure to seasonal illnesses. It’s common to catch a cold, the flu, or other sickness during this time. Remember, you have the right to use sick...
Metropolitan State Hospital Members Show Up Strong for Bargaining Survey
Unit 15 members at Metropolitan State Hospital came together in a big way for our recent bargaining survey event, hosted by Jesse Aranda and Unit 15 Chair Eric Murray. The turnout was impressive, with more than 70 surveys completed on-site. This...
Unit 15 Wins Major Contracting-Out Case in Oakland
Unit 15 has secured an important victory for our custodians and for the integrity of civil service work. The State Personnel Board’s Executive Officer has disapproved the Caltrans District 4 janitorial services contract at 111 Grand Avenue in...