Sacramento Unions Demand Pension Benefits.

• Position: Labor relations - Brief Article - Statistical Data Included

Labor unions representing most of Sacramento County, California's, 12,000 employees are banding together to bargain for increased retirement benefits. The unions want to negotiate a "global" deal instead of holding separate talks for each bargaining unit. The joint effort is rare for the county, the second-largest employer in Sacramento, but the stakes are high, as local-government employees consider the perks gained by colleagues who work for the state. Since January, retiring earlier has become easier for members of the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS). New rules allow most to retire at age 55 with 2 percent of their highest annual salary for every year of service. Labor relations experts say CalPERS has sparked a trend of enhanced retirement benefits that is sweeping the state. The city of Sacramento has approved labor agreements lowering the 2 percent retirement rate from age...