After months of negotiations, stalled talks and a two-day strike, the members of AFSCME Local 829’s Human Services Agency unit won a new contract this month and brought about a number of changes that will make working conditions better in San Mateo County.

The new contract ensures that our brothers and sisters who work in San Mateo County's Human Services Agency, County Health Department, Sheriff’s Office and District Attorney’s Office receive a 12% raise over three years—the same deal reached by the rest of our San Mateo County brothers and sisters in February.

The new contract also takes into consideration the difficult working conditions that members face in the Human Services unit.

Local 829 member Daniella Tobey said workers decided to go on strike because many felt burnt out, and county management wasn't listening to their concerns about caseloads, overtime pay and the need to address the county’s worker retention issue for key social services positions.

“We want to put the word ‘human’ back into the Human Services Agency because it’s missing, and workers are shouting at the top of their lungs that we need change and we need to be treated like humans,” Tobey said during the strike.

In addition to a wage increase, Local 829 members won an agreement with county management to reevaluate an archaic rule that tied their healthcare to their retirement security.

The county also agreed to create a new agency-wide Labor Management Committee to find remedies on a number of working conditions that were brought up during negotiations.

A number of members who are social workers, mental health clinicians and program specialists also received adjustments in their pay.