Chula Vista, CA – On July 1, employees of the Sweetwater Authority (Authority) Middle Management and Confidential bargaining units will receive a six percent salary increase as part of a new three-year contract that went into effect on January 1, 2024. The cost of living adjustment was agreed upon during collaborative negotiation efforts between the two bargaining units and the Authority’s Governing Board (Board).
Additional future cost of living adjustments are scheduled as a 3 percent increase effective July 1, 2025, and another 3 percent increase effective July 1, 2026.
The Authority’s third bargaining unit, the Sweetwater Authority Employees’ Committee (SAEC), has been offered the same cost of living adjustments, as well as the additional benefits secured by the Middle Management and Confidential groups, including parental leave and increased compensation for certifications and skills. These offers have been rejected.
"The Board and Management are disappointed that the SAEC has continued to reject the Authority’s offer, stating their rejection is based on two rounds of voting by the SAEC-represented employees, and the unit has now declared that negotiations are at an impasse,” said General Manager Carlos Quintero. “We appreciated working collaboratively with the other bargaining units to come to an agreement that balances the needs of the agency, its ratepayers and its employees. We hope that we can come to a similar agreement with SAEC in the near future, and that their members can enjoy the additional benefits now available to other agency employees.”