New California state worker contract gives 5% raises right away with more to come

Nearly 6,000 California state health and social workers will get a 5% pay raise this month under a new three-year contract their union recently reached with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration.

The 5.06% pay raise kicks in retroactively effective July 1 for the members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 2620, which includes physical therapists, pharmacists and behavior specialists. Workers will get another 2.5% pay raise on July 1, 2022.

The union’s previous contract had expired in July 2020.

More than 2,000 of those workers will get even more pay raises next year under the new contract. Adoption specialists, for instance, will get 8% pay hikes. Some pharmacists and physical therapists at the top of their steps will also get 8% raises.

The contract also doubles the bonuses workers get for working nights and weekends, said Cliff Tillman, a senior business agent for the union. Those working between midnight and 6 a.m, for instance, will now be paid $2 an hour extra, up from $1 an hour extra they were paid before.

Read more: https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/the-state-worker/article252735123.html