New agreement clears legislative hurdle

Our ratified agreement is expected to be heard by the Assembly Appropriations Committee this week.
 
The bill – AB 88 – passed its first hurdle when it was approved by the Assembly Public Employees, Retirement and Social Security Committee by a 4-2 vote.

Local 1000 & DPA together
Local 1000 President Yvonne Walker joined representatives of the Department of Personnel Administration speaking in support of the bill. “The committee recognized the hard work by Local 1000’s elected bargaining team,” Walker said.

Two-thirds vote 
In order for our ratified agreement to take effect, the bill must be approved by a two-thirds vote of the Assembly and the state Senate, and then signed into law by Gov. Schwarzenegger. If approved by the full Assembly next week, AB 88 would then be introduced to a Senate committee a week or so later.

Local 1000 members voted overwhelmingly last month to ratify a new contract that provides the strongest layoff protections state workers have ever had in return for a temporary 4.6 percent pay cut.

“I’m pleased that our members ratified an agreement that will provide some stability in these uncertain times,” Local 1000 President Yvonne Walker said. “This agreement gives our members layoff protections at a time when California’s unemployment rate is above 10 percent and the state’s budget deficit continues to mount. Our members voted to protect their jobs and their families during this economic crisis.” 

The agreement was supported by 91 percent of voters.

Here are some of the major provisions of the new agreement:

1.  The agreement provides new guarantees that workers represented by Local 1000 can only be laid off when their departments are eliminated or when the entire office or facility where they work is shut down.

2.  The new contract reduced the governor’s demand for two unpaid furlough days per month, which equaled a 9.2 percent pay cut, to a temporary reduction of 4.6 percent. As part of the agreement, each worker accrues one personal day off per month that can be used similar to vacation time.

3. In another cost-saving feature of the agreement, Lincoln’s Birthday and Columbus Day were traded for two personal holidays, which are similar to vacation days. State offices will be open for normal business and employees will no longer receive premium pay for working on those two days.

4. The agreement excludes sick leave from overtime calculations, but Local 1000-represented employees can still count all other leaves toward the 40 hours in one week that must be worked before overtime pay kicks in.

5. The agreement freezes employee contributions for health insurance at roughly 2008 levels though 2010.

6. The agreement includes a new career enhancement program with the state initially contributing $1 million.

Download the TA here.