MCMEA Board President Eric Swift and Treasurer Felix Meneau
MCMEA, an association of over 300 public employees in Marin County, recently voted overwhelmingly to affiliate with Teamsters 856.
MCMEA members are County professionals in public works, health and human services, the County sheriff’s office, information technology services, and more. Teamsters 856 has a long history of advocating for working people in Marin County – the Local also represents the County’s district attorneys and probation officers, as well as more than 400 health care workers at Marin General Hospital.
The addition of MCMEA continues the union’s steady growth. Local 856 has doubled in size in the last 10 years
“Our union is growing, and with it, our ability to provide strong representation for public employees,” said Peter Finn, 856 Secretary-Treasurer/Principal Officer. “We look forward to getting to the bargaining table to fight for a strong contract for MCMEA members.”
Increased responsibilities for MCMEA’s Board led them to seek out additional support from a larger union that could represent their members’ best interests.
Felix Meneau, MCMEA Board Treasurer
“We were looking for power in numbers,” said Felix Meneau, MCMEA Treasurer. “We want to enhance our existing involvement with our membership and engage them more. It will be great to have extra support and professional negotiators at the bargaining table.”
The Board took into account the Teamsters’ strength, capacity, and history of winning for working people when they voted unanimously to recommend affiliation to their membership.
“We want Marin to be a place people respect and want to work,” said Meneau. “We want to retain the best employees and seek out the best new employees. The Teamsters can help us be competitive and a place people want to stay. “
MCMEA Board President Eric Swift
According to MCMEA President Eric Swift, immense competition from other agencies and businesses has caused Marin County to consistently lose staff to other counties or the private sector. With negotiations for their next contract beginning in the coming months, MCMEA’s leadership and board want to add improvements that will help them retain talent in Marin.
“This will be our first contract together,” said Swift. “I’m looking forward to going through the equity studies and making sure our members are up to par with our counterparts in other counties.”
“We’ve been on our own for 25 years,” continued Swift. “Now we have the best of two worlds, and we’re able to do what’s best for our members.”