Dear Honorable Mayor and City Council,

We are writing to demand fair and just compensation for City Management’s undue delay in implementing the PEPRA ramp-down for all City workers.
During an interview with the City’s CalPERS agent, we learned that CalPERS could have implemented the change within 2 or 3 days of receiving the approved motion saying the City Council adopted the successor agreement. SEIU 1021 CSU/PTRLA’s membership voted to specifically demand the following regarding PEPRA, but the City has thus far been unwilling:

● Back Pay Commencement: The City must recognize and begin backpay on July 29, 2021, the date the PEPRA ramp-down should have begun.
● Back Pay Interest: Affected workers deserve at least 10% interest on their back pay.
● Comprehensive Coverage: The City should ensure that all affected workers, regardless of union chapter, who were employed during the aforementioned period are included.
● Admission of wrongdoing: the city needs to admit that it could have effectuated the ramp-down earlier.

Making workers whole is about more than just correcting a procedural error; it is also about upholding Berkeley’s cherished values of transparency, integrity, and justice.

This situation has far-reaching consequences for workers’ faith in the City’s commitment to fairness. As a result, we urge the City Council to act decisively to ensure that City employees are treated with the dignity and fairness they deserve.

Sincerely,

James Chang
Berkeley SEIU 1021 CSU/PTRLA

Julia Heath
Berkeley Public Employees Union, AFSCME Local 1

https://berkeleyseiu1021.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/PEPRA-Council-Letter-Request-Nov-2023.pdf