| In the interest of speed and timeliness, this story is fed directly from the Associated Press newswire and may contain spelling or grammatical errors. |
STOCKTON, Calif. (AP) San Joaquin County employees have ratified a new three-year contract with the county, ending weeks of heated negotiation and rolling strikes.
About 1,058 members or 79 percent of the Service International Employees Union Local 790 voted Tuesday and Wednesday to approve the contract. County supervisors are expected to vote on the contract Tuesday.
While union members and the county still need to solve health-insurance costs, union leader Stephanie Batey said the outcome was productive. The new contract covers about 3,000 county employees.
``It's a phenomenal victory that the members produced for themselves,'' she said.
Healthcare coverage stalled negotiations, causing hundreds of union members to strike at least five times in various departments this summer. County officials wanted employees to shoulder some of the rising costs. Union members have said they would contribute more in co-pays for doctor visits and prescription drugs, but wouldn't share costs for hospital stays and medical procedures.
Under the deal struck with the county, Batey said the union and the county will create a panel to spend the next year reaching a compromise on how to cover those costs.
Despite a majority vote, some union members didn't like their new contract, complaining that a 2.5 percent raise wouldn't kick in until October.
``I think we caved,'' said Glenda Freitas, 54, who works with crime victims in the district attorney's office. ``And we lost three days' pay.''