Press release

Inyo County Superior Court employees and the Superior Court of Inyo County have arrived at an agreement regarding wages, benefits, and working conditions.

Court employees, represented by AFSCME Local 315, unanimously ratified the two year agreement on Friday, December 2.  The agreement includes wage adjustments of approximately 4.6% retroactive to July 2016, with an additional 2% cost of living adjustment in October of 2017.

Following state-mandated changes to Trial Courts funding, Inyo Court employees accepted six years of wage freezes in order to protect public services and prevent layoffs.  In spite of a 6% increase in 2015, Court employees had continued to lag their counterparts at the County, creating a significant staffing challenge.
In addition to wage adjustments, the agreement facilitates Career Ladder mobility, in order to improve the retention of skilled Court employees.
“We believe this contract is not only good for employees, but will also benefit the public by supporting a stable and experienced work force, “ explained Linda Burton, a 12 year Courtroom Legal Services Clerk III. “We are pleased that the Court recognized our mutual interest in arriving at this fair agreement.”
The agreement also recognizes Martin Luther King Day and Cesar Chavez Day as holidays, and reinstates bilingual pay for qualified employees utilizing language skills needed by the Court.
The parties will bargain again in the fall of 2018.

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