Yuba County supes OK COLA increases
May 25—Due to increased costs and the need to retain qualified workers, the Yuba County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved Tuesday cost-of-living increases of 5 percent for county employees.
While previous agreements were already in place, county representatives were seeking amendments to those agreements in order to keep pace with rising inflation and to help keep quality employees working for the county.
Up for consideration were three different groups looking for a change. They included the Yuba County Employees' Association (YCEA), the Deputy District Attorneys' Association (DDAA) and non-represented miscellaneous management employee classifications.
On Tuesday, the YCEA was seeking an "amendment to the Master Labor Agreement between the County of Yuba" and the association.
"As your board is aware, in September 2021 you approved a contract with our Deputy District Attorneys' Association and the Yuba County Employees' Association," Jill Abel, human resources director for Yuba County, said Tuesday. "That contract did not include a cost of living adjustment (COLA) in the first year of the contract."
According to a staff report, employees received a one-time lump sum payment of $1,000 during the first year of the contract.
"In the second and third year of the contract, the agreement included a COLA with a minimum of 1.5% and a maximum of 2.5% increase to the base salary, based on the April California Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers," according to a staff report.
The county said "based on economic indicators," there was a "need to increase the COLA in the second year of the contract (FY 22-23)."
Abel said not having proper COLA increases has impacted the county's ability to retain and attract workers.
"We have had really significant issues with recruitment and retention," Abel said. "The fact that we didn't offer a COLA last year, exacerbates that."
As a result of the action taken by supervisors on Tuesday, all YCEA represented employees will receive a cost of living adjustment equal to 5 percent of their base salary starting July 1.
"This is based on recent economic indicators that cost of living is definitely increasing beyond what was anticipated when we were negotiating this agreement," Abel said.
On July 1, 2023, all "YCEA represented employees will receive a cost of living adjustment with a minimum of 1.5% and a 2.5% maximum increase based on the April 2023 California Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers," a staff report said.
Similar language was used for the DDAA and non-represented employees with 5 percent COLA increases set to go into effect on July 1.
The county said the increased costs will be addressed in the final fiscal year 2022/23 budget package.
"I want to thank the board for the support they just showed ... with the raises. I know the public may view that as, 'Oh, why do the employees need to get more?' The employees are delivering services to the residents of Yuba County and frankly, the employees, there's a lot of investment the county makes to get an employee to a point where they can provide those services," Yuba County Administrator Kevin Mallen said. "Sometimes it takes years of training to get that employee to the level that they need to be at to provide those services to the public. If we don't stay competitive with other businesses in the area, we will lose that employee to the other businesses and they will take advantage of that training we just invested in that employee. I applaud the board for making sure as a business we're retaining that talent pool here so we can provide those services."
