SACRAMENTO COUNTY: Settles Contract Issues with Union

      After four days of state mediator-assisted talks, Sacramento County settled contract issues last night with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Local 146, the Sacramento Bee reports. Union members seeking pay increases went on strike last week, repeatedly rejecting offers from the County the workers felt were insufficient. The union called off the strike after the County agreed to bring in an outside mediator, who succeeded in helping the parties reach an agreement between the two sides on salary issues. Felix Huerta, union chief negotiator, said, "More classes of employees are getting equity raises, and some of the raises are more than the county offered previously." Huerta added that the proposal was "a move in the right direction," but the negotiating team has not decided whether to officially endorse the agreement, and will "put the settlement to a membership vote," set for Oct. 10. County Labor relations chief Steve Lakich said the Board of Supervisors is "in agreement with the settlement," and supervisors will take "formal action" on Oct. 11. Huerta called last week's strike a "success," and said, "The [union] put the county to the test and brought them to mediation sooner instead of later" (Davila, Sacramento Bee, 9/28).