The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted both the economy and workforce in unforeseeable ways. In order to combat a shortage of workers, on Nov. 9, the CSU Board of Trustees approved the new two-year Student Worker UAW 4123 union contract that ensures better wages, rights, and working conditions. 

UAW (The Union of Academic Student Workers) Local 4123 is a union representing over 10,000 Academic Student Employees which includes Teaching Associates, Graduate Assistants, and Instructional Student Assistants at the 23 California State University campuses.

The wage increases would take effect on July 1, 2021, which means that student workers would receive this as back pay. The exact timing of this back pay depends on the CSU’s payroll, but will most likely occur in early 2022. The 2021-2022 academic year increase of the wage scales will go in effect on Jan. 1, 2022. 

Also going into effect Jan. 1, 2022 is an increase of the hourly minimum wage in Santa Rosa. Santa Rosa’s current minimum wage is $15.20 and will increase by 65 cents to $15.85 

Petaluma’s minimum wage of $15.20 went into effect Jan. 1, 2021. The city of Sonoma’s minimum wage will increase to $16 for businesses with 26 or more employees and $15 for businesses with 25 or fewer employees at the beginning of the new year. 

“The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified Sonoma County’s already high cost of living, further exacerbating persistent and unsustainable economic inequality,” said Rogers, according to Patch.com. “As we recover, we can’t afford to leave our low-wage workers behind.” 

The state of California’s minimum wage is set to increase to $15 for businesses of 26 or more employees and $14 for employers with 25 or fewer employees starting in January as well. 

Last March, Rohnert Park’s Graton Resort & Casino gave a minimum 10% pay raise for salaried employees and hourly wage increases for tipped and non-tipped workers. Tipped employees now earn $17.50 an hour and hourly workers are paid $18.50 an hour. All employees are also eligible to receive a $1,000 guest services bonus each quarter after satisfying all of the requirements. 

“Families in Northern California struggle to get by on the minimum wage,” said Greg Sarris, tribal chairman for the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, in a press release. “A wage increase seemed only fitting to help our team members after a difficult year.” 

Much like the Graton Resort & Casino, many businesses are offering pay raises and other incentives to keep current employees satisfied and to attract more employees, especially for the upcoming holiday season.

According to the New York Times, Mark A. Cohen, the director of retail studies at Columbia University’s business school said, “We’re coming out of a crisis we have no experience in dealing with, in which millions of people were furloughed or laid off or removed from the workforce. Some people are still fearful about coming back to work, especially in a job in which they would be exposed to large numbers of the public.”  

 Retailers are finding it difficult to recruit staff to an industry that has been hit particularly hard by the pandemic’s various obstacles. Employees were exposed to COVID-19 on a regular basis, were involved in customer disputes about wearing masks and were inconsistently offered hazard pay or other adequate compensation for their efforts. 

According to Scott Mushkin, who founded the financial consultant R5 Capital, it is especially critical for retailers to hire temporary help this season as “the workforce is tired out” after nearly two years of pandemic conditions. 

Sonoma State’s Director of Career Services, Audra Grady Verrier said, “We definitely see a shift in employers and companies addressing wages and other benefits like a four day work week to address the concerns raised by the workforce during the pandemic. We also know that students are being offered higher wages for part-time jobs with many jobs starting at $16/hour or more including Culinary Services increasing their starting wage for students to $16.25 in January.”  

Last week, the Santa Rosa City Council approved new contracts, which include pay raises and a one-time cash bonus of $5,000 for most employees. These pay raises are in response to the price of housing and the cost of living increasing within Sonoma County and are set to be in place through 2024.

Negotiations for pay raises have been going on since last March with agreements recently being reached with rank-and-file police officers, police leadership, maintenance and utility workers and executive and mid-level managers. Four bargaining groups that represent civilian staff at the police department, city transit workers, city attorneys and fire department management officials, continue to work out negotiations. 

According to the Press Democrat, Chris Rogers, the mayor of Santa Rosa said, “We’re trying to make it so we’re paying people what they’re worth and what the market demands,” in response to the pay raise. 

Santa Rosa employees will receive an 8% raise that will roll out over the course of the next three years. The first raise will be effective immediately and two more raises will follow within the next two years. The city will also grant employees Cesar Chavez Day as an additional holiday for an added bonus.

Employees in Rohnert Park, including Sonoma State faculty and staff, will not be included in this pay raise or receive the bonuses as they are outside of  Santa Rosa city limits.