Santa Clara County spent more than $4.4 million to give its
employees the day off in honor of labor activist Cesar Chavez last
Wednesday.
Santa Clara County spent more than $4.4 million to give its employees the day off in honor of labor activist Cesar Chavez last Wednesday.
About $3.3 million was paid in holiday wages to county employees who did not work that day, according to Santa Clara County Senior Accountant Jesus Perez. Another $905,400 was paid to employees in “24-hour shops,” such as the Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Corrections, who had to work the holiday, Perez said.
Those who worked were either paid time-and-a-half overtime wages, or they were given an extra day of vacation, depending on their respective union rules, Perez said. County employees are represented by 28 different unions. About 15,400 people work for the county.
The county has celebrated Cesar Chavez Day since 2003. The county celebrates a total of 12 official holidays, and Perez said each one costs “pretty much the same” in employee wages.
Supervisor Don Gage voted against declaring Cesar Chavez Day a county holiday when it first came up for a vote.
“It cost too much, and we didn’t do any negotiations with the unions,” Gage said. “Normally if you give another extra holiday, you get something (back), like wages or benefits.” He said the county did not receive any concessions from the unions.
Gage and Supervisor Liz Kniss voted against the holiday.
