On August 22, the IBEW 1245 members at South San Joaquin Irrigation District ratified a three-year agreement. The agreement includes general wage increases of 7% effective upon Board approval, with 3.5% in January of 2023 and 2024 (plus wage reopener language for 2023 and 2024, based on a CPI of 4.5% or higher). The union also negotiated a number of improvements, including increased matching contributions from the employer to the deferred compensation fund, an increase in boot allowance and work pant reimbursement, the addition of standby language, and increased contribution from the employer towards dental, vision, long-term disability and life insurance. We also secured an additional holiday, and expanded the ‘immediate family’ definition for bereavement leave. There was minor clean up to old language around the Janus decision, and the addition of new union leave language.
We were able to improve vacation for our Division Managers during the irrigation season, from two blocks to three blocks, and we also bargained an increase to the hours compensated when Division Managers are working the irrigation season, from 11 hours pay to 12 hours pay (four of those hours are paid at an overtime rate). WTP Operators will see an increase in shift differential, from 3% to 5%, and we revised the job description for WTP Operators to ensure that once an operator obtains their T3 they automatically move the wage rate of a T3. We also removed restrictive language about the use of CTO for the WTP Operator, allowing them to use their 40 hours of CTO any way they want (the previous language restricted their use to of the CTO to supplement holiday pay).
Special shout out to the members who joined me on the bargaining committee — Colin Sparkman, Greg Wallace, Brian Nevitt, and Ryan Thrasher. They did an outstanding job.
–Sheila Lawton, IBEW 1245 Business Rep