Message to OPEIU Local 8 members in Trades Section Master Agreement sent on March 31, 2026 –
We’re excited to share that after four bargaining sessions, our bargaining team reached a tentative agreement (TA) with the Trades Section! The next step to ratifying our new union contract is for members to review and vote. The team fully recommends a YES vote.
You can click here to view the full TA (new language is bolded and underlined, language to be removed is struck through) or review the highlights below.
INFO MEETING TOMORROW
An information meeting will be held at 6:00 pm on Wednesday, April 1, via Zoom. Join us to review the TA and ask any lingering questions before you vote.
Click here to join the meeting
Meeting ID: 250 506 6115
Passcode: 9832543288
VOTING NOW OPEN
You may choose to wait until after attending the information meeting or you may vote immediately after reviewing the materials provided. Voting is open now and will close at 4 pm on Friday, April 3. To cast your ballot, please click the link we sent via email or contact your Union Rep, Valarie Peaphon, at valarie@opeiu8.org.
TA HIGHLIGHTS
- 3-year agreement running through March 31, 2029
- 3% annual wage increases each year of the contract (2026, 2027, 2028)
- $250 ratification bonus
- $2/hour bilingual pay differential for employees required to utilize a language other than English in the performance of their work (so long as they are not already compensated above the contractual rate)
- New $50/month cell phone reimbursement or employer-provided phone, if required to use it perform job duties (e.g., two factor authentication, unlocking doors, etc.)
- Increased employer contributions to the Western States Pension Fund by an additional $1/hour
- Increased employer contribution into the OPEIU supplemental retirement account (401K) by .50 cents per hour (new contribution is $1.50/hour)
- Protections against AI replacing workers or reducing hours/pay
- Increased vacation accrual for employees with 20-24 years of service from 24 days to 25 days
- Ability to cash out up to 50% of vacation (by mutual agreement)
- Limits on workplace surveillance
- Improved overall ability to convert sick leave to vacation leave (by both lowering the threshold of days an employee must maintain in their bank from 84 to 74 days and eliminating the condition around not having used three or more sick leave days in the past year)
- Creation of new Office Assistant job classification
- Just cause language strengthened and clear progressive discipline standards
- Weingarten rights clarified
- Strengthened the grievance process
- Strong new gender identity protections and support
- New immigration-related job protections and leave rights
- Job postings extended from 3 to 5 days and notices to be provided digitally
- Clearer distinction between promotion and probation protections
- Creation of a joint Labor/Management Committee to evaluate outdated job titles and job duties