California City Correctional Facility (CAC) Closure
California City Correctional Facility (CAC) Closure
California City Correctional Facility (CAC) is scheduled to close as of March 31, 2024.
Our Union is working on this issue closely and will be sharing additional information as we receive it.
The first phase of this closure will be the Voluntary Transfer Process (VTP) which is a process impacted employees may choose to participate in which assists them in transferring to a different facility well before the final closure. Our Union is currently negotiating the parameters of this process and will provide updates on that agreement once it has been finalized.
You also can direct questions via email to: cacclosure@seiu1000.org
We encourage you to check this page regularly for updates.
Closure Update: LVN Classification Added to CAC Closure Mitigation
We recently learned from CCHCS that they have expanded their In-County mitigation process related to the closure of CAC to include employees in the LVN classification. Inclusion of LVNs in this process means that the LVN classification will not be part of the layoff process when CAC closes as there are enough vacancies in Kern County for impacted LVNs to fill so all impacted LVNs will be placed at a different facility in Kern County.
CAC/CMC VTP Agreement FAQs
Q. What is VTP?
A. VTP is a Voluntary Transfer Process that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and its division – California Correctional Health Care Services (CCHCS) use as part of the institutional closure procedures. VTP allows employees who may otherwise be at risk of going through the layoff process to select a vacant position elsewhere.
Q. Who is eligible to participate in VTP?
A. All employees at California City Correctional Facility (CAC) from both CDCR and CCHCS as well as CCHCS employees at California Men’s Colony (CIM) in the Dental Assistant and Laboratory Assistant classifications.
Q. What positions are available in VTP?
A. Vacant positions statewide in CDCR or CCHCS. All available positions will be located outside of Kern and Riverside counties.
Q. Why can’t I transfer to somewhere inside Kern County?
A. The goal of VTP is to remove as many employees as possible from the area impacted by the State Restrictions of Appointment (SROA) process. If employees transferred into positions within Kern County, they would remain in the area of layoff.
Q. Why can’t I transfer to somewhere inside Riverside County?
A. Chuckawalla Valley State Prison is slated for closure in March 2025 meaning that this process will be carried out in Riverside County related to that closure in the coming year. If employees transferred into positions within Riverside County, they would remain in the area of layoff for that later closure and would run counter to the goal of removing employees from the layoff process.
Q. Why are Laboratory Assistants and Dental Assistants at CMC included in this process?
A. CMC will have one of the West Yards deactivated
Q. What positions can I transfer to during VTP?
A. Any position for which you have held permanent status at CDCR or CCHCS – either for your current position or a position for which you have a mandatory right of return. The position must also be the same time base as your current time base. (For example, if you are permanent, full-time, you would transfer to a permanent, full-time position. If you are a permanent intermittent, you would transfer to a permanent-intermittent position.)
Q. I’m in a Limited Term position right now. Can I participate in VTP?
A. If you have a right to return to a permanent position at the impacted facilities, you will be able to participate in VTP as related to that permanent position previously held. If you do not have permanent status in any classification, then you will not qualify to participate in VTP.
Q. Will the only positions offered during VTP be at other institutions?
A. No. Vacant positions at CDCR and CCHCS headquarters and regional offices will also be offered.
Q. What happens if another institution (besides CVSP) is announced as slated for closure during the VTP?
A. While the Department doesn’t anticipate closing an additional institution besides CVSP, our Union negotiated protections for our represented employees, noting that if an employee uses VTP to transfer to an institution that is later slated for closure, those employees who transferred through this process will have the right to have the first pick in the VTP phase of the later closure that will continue until one year from the date of the closure of CAC.
Q. What support can I receive if I have to move to take a new position?
A. We have negotiated a one-time payment of $1,500 for employees who are relocating more than 50 miles from their current residence. We also have negotiated for employees to have Administrative Time Off (ATO) that they can utilize to make arrangements for their relocation.
Q. When will I know what new position I am awarded?
A. The departments plan to inform employees of their award by September 1, 2023. Some employees may learn of their award sooner.
Q. Will my transfer be immediate?
A. The timing of your transfer will depend on the staffing needs at the facilities. When you are informed of the position that you have been awarded, you will also receive the effective date of your transfer. If the transfer requires that you relocate your residence, you will receive at least 30 days’ notice and up to 45 day’s-notice of your report date for your new work location. You also are able to mutually agree with your current supervisor and your new supervisor to make your report date earlier.
Q. What happens if I’m in the process of moving and the Department changes my transfer date?
A. Per our negotiated agreement, the Department will not move an employee’s transfer date if that employee has already suffered costs related to moving.
Q. Why does my VTP packet have information about other employee seniority scores in Kern County?
A. Our Union wants to ensure that all employees have all the relevant information in front of them to make their decision about participating in VTP or not. Having access to seniority scores for other Kern County employees will allow employees to get a broad sense of where their seniority would put them if they were to go through the SROA process.
Q. What happens if I don’t want to participate in VTP?
A. You will then be placed into the SROA process related to the closure.