Sacramento Votes UPEC/LiUNA Local 792

Saturday, April 09, 2011

New UPEC Members first in line to sign up for their new union on Thursday

SACRAMENTO - The Sacramento County Bargaining Unit 028 voted to elect UPEC Local 792 as their Recognized Employee Organization yesterday. After nearly 10 months of working with 028 employees, UPEC adds a very much desired and significant bargaining unit to their local. Nearly two-dozen employees signed membership applications on Thursday following the ballot count. “This is a happy day! I feel so thankful for UPEC’s efforts and success”, said 028 bargaining unit employee Nancy Arkelain.
Unit 028 was formed as a unit several decades ago but had never petitioned the County as a bargaining unit. As local government began tightening their belts, unit 028 began to experience reductions that were moving their pay and benefits quickly in the wrong direction. Unit 028, also known as the Data Processing Professionals Association (DPPA) set out over the past year or so to find a union to represent their 280 person unit. DPPA committees conducted interviews and did their research finally recommending UPEC/LiUNA Local 792 in September 2010.
“We are very pleased and honored to be voted in as 028’s union and look forward to negotiating their first contract. “We have been preparing and training the negotiations team of ten 028 bargaining unit members over the past two months, “ said Chris Darker, Business Manager for Local 792.
This will be UPEC’s thirteenth California County where they represent public employees. UPEC Local 792 was formed June 26, 1995 and has offices in Redding, Sacramento and San Francisco. The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors is expected to formally certify UPEC Local 792 in the next 30 days.