The Bargaining Unit 15 Upward Mobility Joint Labor Management Committee (JLMC) met on April 2, 2025, with State Department representatives from CalHR, CCC, EDD, DSH, CHP, CDCR, CalVet, DMV, and DGS, to discuss their upward mobility programs.
These programs are a great opportunity for state employees in Low-Paying Entry-Level (LPEL) classifications to advance to Entry-Level Technical, Professional, and Administrative (ELTPA) classifications.
If you are interested in participating, you should reach out to your department’s Upward Mobility Program Coordinator. If you need help identifying your department’s UMP Coordinator, your Equal Employment Opportunity Officer can assist you.
By law, Government Code section 19402 and California Code of Regulations, title 2, section 599.985, departments are required to develop effective Upward Mobility Programs in compliance with CalHR’s Upward Mobility Program Guidelines. Our contract (Article 13.11.15) protects our right to have a voice and participate with the departments in developing and improving both the effectiveness and access to the Upward Mobility Program. More information can be found on CalHR’s website Upward Mobility.
To improve and expand the Upward Mobility Program we need to first understand the current programs’ productivity, effectiveness, and the number of Bargaining Unit 15 members participating. This initial meeting was primarily collecting data and setting the goals and expectations of our committee. We have collected over a dozen State departments’ policy and guidelines for BU 15. The state will provide more details soon, and we are analyzing the data as it comes in.
“We are proud to collaborate with the state and advocate for Bargaining Unit 15 members to advance their careers through upward mobility programs.” ~Bill Suhar, DGS Custodian
Unit 15 Upward Mobility JLMC Team:
The JLMC team, including Bill Suhar, Garth Underwood, Mike Williams, Teresa King, and Eric Murray, BU 15 Chair, are committed to improving upward mobility and communication with employees and departments. The next JLMC meeting in July 2025 will focus on enhancing the programs.