COUNTYWIDE : Mediator Called In to Resolve Talks
- Share via
Service Employees International Union Local 998 and the Ventura Regional Sanitation District, union officials said Monday.
Larry Wear, associate director of the 40-member union, said the mediator will begin work Wednesday, and the union hopes to reach a settlement by Friday.
The unit, which includes maintenance and construction workers, heavy equipment operators and weighmasters, is looking for a one-year contract that would establish fairer grievance and layoff procedures and a better employee evaluation process, Wear said.
The union’s two-year contract with the sanitation district expired Jan. 17.
At the start of bargaining, union negotiators asked for a 10% salary increase to match wages earned by comparable employees in surrounding areas, Wear said.
Negotiators also sought increases in health-insurance benefits to match those paid to county managers and non-represented employees last November, he said.
Sanitation district officials were unavailable for comment.
More to Read
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.