Our Union’s Bargaining Unit 15, representing Statewide CSC (Correctional Supervising Cook) Food Services, recently met with CalHR, CDCR, and CCHCS to address various issues affecting our operations statewide. We raised concerns on the following topics:
- Budget Impacts
- Equipment Challenges
- Hiring Standards
- Staffing & Swaps
“We share many of the same concerns, and I’m encouraged by the responses we’ve received, even when the department is limited by budget or legal constraints. Labor and Management are working together to make our jobs safer and more efficient by exploring alternative solutions to the issues we face.” — Garth Underwood, Correctional Supervising Cook, Vice Chair, Bargaining Unit 15
Budget & Menu Planning
- Positive Budget News: Our daily food budgets remained unchanged.
- Menu Planning Improvements: With the sunset of the current food service management system, institutions will soon gain access to the more intentional and inclusive menu planning tools.
- Facilities and Equipment: Despite budget improvements, kitchen equipment remains a major concern. Many facilities are without functioning or updated tools. The JLMC is consistently fighting for a better process and communication structure for work orders as opposed to some managers responses limited to “work order is in,” with no clear timelines or solutions. Be sure to stress the essential need for the equipment to be fixed so that priorities can be realized by those that don’t do the work you do.
- Life and safety Priority: Current focus is on updating the hood vents to maintain a safe workplace and comply with regulations.
Hiring Practices & Standards
- Staffing shortages sparked changes: In response to staffing shortages, the state removed written testing requirements in 2017 to streamline hiring for hard-to-fill positions like Correctional Supervising Cook. The process shifted to a centralized qualifications assessment, followed by interviews, reference checks, and probationary training.
- Concerns raised: We expressed that removing testing may have lowered the quality and readiness of new hires. Some candidates perform well in interviews but lack basic skills like math or experience working with incarcerated individuals. This is harmful to the individual as well as the team, production and safety.
- Suggestions & Solutions: Improve recruitment flyers and outreach to better reflect job expectations to include basic math and food prep knowledge. There is an interest in revisiting outdated class specs to better align with current operational needs.
Standardized Staffing, Overtime & Incarcerated Persons Selection
- Overtime Restrictions & Cross-Covering issues: Reports from several institutions indicate Supervising Correctional Cooks are being mandated to cross-cover Correctional Supervising Cooks’ roles due to a no-overtime policy in food services. If this is happening at your worksite, please contact the Member Resource Center at 866-471-7348 to report and inform your Union Representative.
- Staffing Shortages & Vacation Denials: Institutions are struggling to fill posts, especially during vacation periods. Vacation bids are limited or denied due to lack of coverage to meet demand.
- Inmate Worker Selection Concerns: We expressed frustration over lack of input in selecting incarcerated persons (IPs) for kitchen roles. Previously, staff could choose motivated and qualified individuals, improving food quality and workplace morale. Now, assignments are made without consultation, sometimes placing individuals who are unwilling or unable to perform the work. The state must follow laws to ensure equal opportunity for all and to avoid disparate treatment and discrimination. We suggested reintroducing a selection process or interview system to ensure a better fit and program success.
- Rehabilitation & Accountability: Kitchens serve as a real-world job training environment, helping IPs to develop skills for parole success. We emphasized the need for performance accountability, including clearer disciplinary pathways for IPs who refuse to work or disrupt operations.
Shift Swaps: Contractual Rights & Institutional Barriers
- Staff reported verbal refusals to accept swap paperwork, especially during holidays, with no formal memos or case-by-case consideration. This contradicts the MOU, which allows swap requests and requires denials in writing.
- Swaps are a privilege, not a right, but they should not be denied without review.
- Staff cannot be reprimanded for requesting swaps, doing so would be grounds for grievance.
- Management emphasized that responsible swapping partners help avoid callouts and maintain program integrity. Too often when swaps are approved some individuals call out causing mandatory overtime for others.
- Next Steps: Management is investigating the practices and ensure compliance with contractual rights. Staff are encouraged to document and raise concerns of not being able to submit requests by contacting the Member Resource Center 866-471-7348, to report and inform your Union Representative.
Call to Action: Let’s continue documenting issues, sharing success stories and advocating for essential upgrades, staffing support and operational improvements. Membership matters! Click here to activate your membership!
Meet Your CSC JLMC Team
To learn more about your CSC JLMC, led by Garth Underwood, along with Eric Murray, Francis Vierra, Kevin Quaife, Pete Garza, and Monica Munguia, please visit SEIU 1000 Unit 15.
Conan Peña
Correctional Supervising Cook
Pleasant Valley State Prison
10/10/2025
To Whom It May Concern,
I am writing to express a concern regarding staff safety within the dining areas at Pleasant Valley State Prison. As a Correctional Supervising Cook, I work closely with inmates for extended periods—often between 8 to 16 hours a day. While a correctional officer is present, there are many occasions, particularly on the Level I yard, where staff are alone with groups of 5 to 10 inmates and have only keys and a radio as means of protection.
With the recent increase in staff assaults across the institution, I believe it would be beneficial for non-custody staff such as cooks to be provided with additional safety equipment. Specifically, I would like to suggest that we be issued or allowed to wear anti-stab vests or be equipped with some form of defensive tool such as OC spray. These measures would significantly enhance our sense of security and preparedness while performing our duties in close proximity to inmates.
Ensuring the safety of all staff members is essential to maintaining a secure and effective work environment. I appreciate your time and consideration of this request, and I am confident that these measures would contribute positively to both staff morale and institutional safety.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Respectfully,
Conan Peña
Correctional Supervising Cook
Pleasant Valley State Prison
A big issue for me is how OT is awarded. Mgmt does not follow appropriate protocol. Like KVSP awarded all the OT to basically only two or three cooks were awarded OT. Why on daily basis start w Seniority for OT? Seniority is important but equal opportunity is too.
Yes
This is wrong, Management should be following a perpetual overtime rotation system, where it starts each time from the last person that accepted voluntary overtime,
It doesn’t doesn’t start over new each day, it just keeps going on a rotation basis
I am the Senior Steward at Calipatria State Prison
Fee free to reach out to me if you would like to know how we run ours
What they are doing there is not correct
Here is what is happening at my institution, Calipatria State Prison
They are redirecting CSCs in order to avoid paying out some overtime
Example, I work Vegetable Room Central Kitchen 7-3, I am done before Noon most days, so if I accept an overtime shift from 3-8pm on my regular workday instead of offering voluntary overtime for 3 hours from 12-3 until I leave my post and go work the shift they have me go over at 122 so they don’t have to pay out the 3 hours of overtime
This violates our Contract language, it says Management will offer all voluntary overtime opportunities that are available, by choosing to redirect me instead of covering the overtime they are in breach of what the MOU says plain and simple, if no one wants to volunteer and they have to Mandate someone to work then it would be feasible for them to do the redirect, but they should have to at least offer it voluntary first before going that route