Bargaining Unit 21, the unit representing our Educational Consultants, Child Development Consultants, Librarians, Archivists, and Specialists, met with the State on Wednesday, July 15, to continue advocating for Unit 21 priorities in our 2026 Contract negotiations.
Despite the challenges at the table, we secured two important tentative agreements (TAs) that reflect the strength of our bargaining unit and union, and the persistence of our fight:
- 10.7.21 Protective Clothing
- 19.19.21(a) Guidelines for Applying Work Week Group E Policy
We reached an agreement protecting Archivists at the Secretary of State by placing the responsibility on the State to maintain equipment used when working with potentially hazardous materials, rather than expecting employees to maintain state-owned equipment with their own personal funds and resources, beyond the scope of their professional responsibilities.
We also secured a major victory by preserving the existing contract language governing Section 19.19.21(a) of our Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), protecting our FLSA-exempt status and the professional standards of our classifications. This victory was made possible because Unit 21 members organized, petitioned, and showed the State we were united in defending our rights. This is proof that when we stand together, we strengthen our power at the table and we must apply even more pressure to continue fighting for our remaining Unit 21 priorities and broader Contract proposals at the Master Table.
“My mom used to tell me that you get in life what you fight for,” said Bobby Roy. “If we want to get the contract that we deserve, we are going to have to fight for it. Fortunately, none of us are fighting for it by ourselves—and when we fight, we win. I really believe that, and everybody needs to believe that too.”
Our Unit 21 Bargaining team, led by Chair Bobby Roy, Vice Chair Danielle Fiore, Alternate Vice Chair Melissa Tyler, Joycelyn Ward-Richardson, and Monica Grimes, will continue fighting for what we deserve.
As our fight for a fair Contract continues, Master Table negotiations are also taking place. We are sharing updates on negotiations regularly, so be sure to watch your inbox every Thursday morning around 9 a.m. for the latest bargaining news and opportunities to stay involved throughout this fight. If we do not get the Contract state workers deserve, we are prepared to hold the line.