Unit 1 Bargaining Updates
Bargaining Unit 1 Recap: Tuesday, May 30, 2023
Frustration reigned at today’s Unit 1 bargaining table.
One of Local 1000’s long-fought battles to improve our service to California through EDD—a battle lasting more than 15 years—was again rejected by State negotiators. Contract section 13.15.1 was yet another effort to change and improve the UI determination schedule.
After more than a decade of discussion, education, conversation, and relationship building, the State once again refused to consider any changes. The State’s reply indicated the program is too complicated to change and with current projects in place it would have an upstream impact.
Meanwhile, a post-pandemic backlog remains. Claims responses are taking from 20-40 days when the system should be providing an answer in 7-10 days.
“I was hopeful that both EDD and the state could recognize that it’s not the best fit and to hear that EDD has other priorities and this [the people we serve] is not the priority,” said Unit 1 Chair Susan Rodriguez.
“I’m very disappointed that after so many years EDD doesn’t want to reflect and consider changes. EDD staff will be extremely disappointed. We have proposed reasonable improvements to management that they won’t consider because of their own priorities,” added Joyce Wheeler-Owens of the bargaining team. “EDD is ignoring the need to allot sufficient time to provide quality service to EDD clients.”
Unit 1 also proposed a new section that reflects the professional and FLSA-exempt status of its represented employees. It’s an effort to improve the working conditions faced and to ensure the opportunity for a reasonable work-life balance.
Unit 1 team member Vincent Green works in IT at DVA. “We understand work has to be done and sometimes it will be long hours. When the state shut down, it was people like me who were told ‘we need to have everyone work from home; servers have to be accessed’. Fast forward 3 years people are now coming in 1-2 days a week, so now more work needs to be done. We understand operational needs. But what is a pain point for us is we cannot have work-life balance.”
Our Unit 1 team continues to press the State to advance the workers we represent, but a lack of response to our proposals (now a total of 22) is an ongoing theme. “The State’s not demonstrating interest in our efforts, and they’re not acting like they’re interested in becoming a better employer,” added Green.
You can read the details of these and all current contract articles at contract.seiu1000.org
Unit 1’s next meeting with the State to win a contract that Respects Us, Protects Us, and Pays Us is set for June 6. To read about what happened our other bargaining sessions, please visit the Contract Action Center page at seiu1000.org
There’s real truth to the Local 1000 slogan, Stronger Together. We only win a great contract with a strong Local 1000 membership. So, if you’re not already a member, we encourage you to join us today.
And be sure to save your spot for the upcoming June 8 March to the Governor’s mansion here.
Bargaining Unit 1 Recap: Tuesday, May 23, 2023
Unit 1 is a diverse group of professional classifications who are committed to providing vital state services, taking pride in their work.
Today, the Unit 1 team focused its efforts on stronger language governing our performance reviews (contract section 13.7.1 – Performance Standards). Our goal was to ensure that the State acknowledges that neither duty statements, expectations memos, nor performance standards require error free work.
“We are not machines, and we want to make sure the departments understand that,” said Susan Rodriguez, Unit 1 Chair. “At the worksite level, there has not been a lot of grace surrounding something as simple as a typographical error.”
“Error-free standards slow down productivity, and this is why we have checks and balances to help develop and cultivate employees,” said Beth Bartel of the Unit 1 team.
After our presentation, the State caucused and came back with a flat rejection of our changes, proposing to “roll over” the existing language. Why? The State’s team claimed the language change would diminish their ability to “write employees up” and claimed they weren’t using references to “error-free” in their job communications.
We fought back. Several team members read currently-issued department communications that proved the State wrong, including one expectations memo from DMV that said, in part, “free from typographical errors…”
Shelia Byars, a DMV employee on the Unit 1 team said, “We would like to understand how that is possible. As someone that has been writing hearing decisions for years, I do my best, but I don’t know how I can guarantee there will be no typos. This has never been in an expectations memo before.”
Myriad examples of the State’s frustrating behavior surfaced; team member Karen Devoll shared instances where CCRAs precisely followed department orders in calculating release dates, then were written up for errors those instructions caused. “I take pride in what I do,” said Karen. “I’m also a human being, not a machine.”
We will continue to demand that the State Respect Us!
Today’s other key bargaining theme was the State’s continued lack of response to our proposals. While Unit 1 continues the effort to advance our represented employees, the State’s lead negotiator says he’s “not authorized” and “doesn’t have the direction to move forward.” Still, the June 30 deadline looms large, and Unit 1 Chair Susan Rodriguez continues to press the State for responses to 20 unanswered proposals.
“Unit 1 comes to the table prepared to bargain in a professional and productive manner, and we are deeply disappointed by the State’s response,” said Joyce Wheeler Owens of Unit 1’s team.
We did reach agreement on three earlier proposals, all rollovers of previous contract wins:
- 12.16.1 – Aviation Safety Officer (Unit 1)
- 12.24.1 – Extended Travel, Department of Insurance (Unit 1)
- 13.10.1 – Education and Training (Unit 1)
Unit 1 returns to the table next week, on Tuesday, May 30. To see updates on other bargaining sessions, please visit the Contract Action Center page at seiu1000.org
There’s real truth to the Local 1000 slogan, Stronger Together. We only win a great contract with a strong Local 1000 membership. So, if you’re not already a member, we encourage you to join us today.
And be sure to save your spot for the upcoming June 8 March to the Governor’s mansion here.
Bargaining Unit 1 Recap: Tuesday, May 16, 2023
In a day marked by highs and lows, our Unit 1 bargaining team— Professional Administrative, Financial, and Staff Services—returned to the table with State negotiators, continuing the fight to demand recognition and respect for the Unit 1 employees we represent.
Facing untenable workloads because of a unit-wide vacancy rate of 1 in 4 jobs, we arepleased at reaching tentative agreement on contract section 5.17.1 – Recruitment and Retention Committee (Unit 1).
“This R and R committee is an important tool for Unit 1, and retaining the committee in our contract empowers us to talk about solutions before the situation gets worse,” said Susan Rodriguez, Unit 1 Chair. You’ll recall that just last week, we used the work of the committee established by 5.17.1 to inform a range of economic proposals presented.
On the other side of the day’s ledger, we were shocked by a State-originated proposal to delete contract section 18.2.1- EDD PI’s Conversion and Ratio (Unit 1).
The battle over the use (and numbers) of Permanent Intermittent employees is a long one, stretching back more than a decade. The State claims the deletion of the entire section allows the department to respond to unexpected workload demand brought on by recession or pandemic. Here’s the challenge: across the long fight and many “economic challenges,” EDD has struggled to comply with the conversion and ratios spelled out in the contract.
“This an unacceptable affront to our demand for respect,” said Carolyn Alluis, Unit 1 bargaining team member. “It’s another example of ignoring the full-time staff, already overworked, without new full-time hires. Who will do the work when qualified employees leave due to a lack of respect?”
In addition, we gave the State a counter proposal on Section 13.15.1 – EDD Determination Scheduling Standard. “We will continue the fight to achieve reasonable workloads and the respect the EDD workforce deserves for their commitment and service,” added Unit 1 Chair Susan Rodriguez.
We reached tentative agreement on four additional contract sections, “rollovers” that keep our hard-earned rights intact.
- 13.16.1 – Employee Recognition and Morale Program – Franchise Tax Board (FTB), Board of Equalization (BOE), California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA), and Office of Tax Appeals (OTA) (Unit 1).
- 13.17.1 – Independent Research/Professional Papers (Unit 1)
- Side Letter 8.1 – EDD Tax Tools October 19, 2000
- Side Letter 9.1 – EDD Quality Assurance Review (QAR)
You can read the details of these and all current contract articles at contract.seiu1000.org
Unit 1’s next meeting with the State to win a contract that Respects Us, Protects Us, and Pays Us is set for May 23. To read about what happened in Tuesday’s other bargaining sessions, please visit the Contract Action Center page at seiu1000.org
There’s real truth to the Local 1000 slogan, Stronger Together. We only win a great contract with a strong Local 1000 membership. So, if you’re not already a member, we encourage you to join us today.
And be sure to save your spot for the upcoming June 8 March to the Governor’s mansion here.
Bargaining Unit 1 Recap: Tuesday, May 9, 2023
Unit 1 is our Union’s largest and most diverse bargaining unit, representing classifications in Professional Administrative, Financial, and Staff Services … and today, one in four Unit 1 positions are vacant. Workloads are untenable, driving the loss of qualified employees and diminishing our service to the state.
Today, we proposed a series of pay adjustments intended to reward the value of our Unit 1 employees, and we did it with presentations made by four members of our bargaining team and five additional Unit 1 subject matter experts from across the state.
We believe that our path to respect is to tell the real story of state workers and to prevent the State from considering us as line items on a spreadsheet.
“I’m proud to serve the public with these people,” said Susan Rodriguez, Unit 1 Chair. “Today they will tell you (the State) about the work they do and how they serve our communities and our constituents.”
We proposed Special Salary Adjustments (SSA) for 56 classifications in 27 different series. Members of the Unit 1 Bargaining Team who made presentations were:
- Carolyn Alluis, Management Services Technician, DIR
- Delores Bonner, Staff Services Analyst, DOT
- Jean Colyer, Right of Way Agent, DOT
- Gina Crawford, Research Data Specialist II, CalPERS
They were joined by five additional Unit 1 subject matter experts:
- David Aguinaldo, Business Tax Specialist I, CDTFA
- Cloria “CJ” Barnes, Personnel Specialist, CDCR
- Dan Gargas, Aviation Safety Officer II, DOT
- Michelle Levy, Senior Legal Analyst, DOJ Attorney General’s Office
- Tommy Rico, Television Specialist, CDCR
“I’m advocating for a change in a classification that hasn’t been touched by the state since 1990, the year I was born.” – Tommy Rico
“I’m stressed by the changes over many years that have made my classification more demanding, and more in demand.” – Michelle Levy
“We’re demanding Respect for our contribution, to Pay Us for our commitment, and to Protect Us to keep the quality of our life from slipping further behind in this economy.” – Jean Colyer
“One machine can do the work 50 ordinary men, but no machine can do the work of an extraordinary Personnel Specialist.” – Cloria Barnes
Another new proposal addresses Recruitment and Retention adjustments in 10 different series and a total of 29 classifications. These were identified in a report jointly created by a team from Local 1000 and CalHR. You can read the report here on the Unit 1 website. Of note: This committee and the report was itself the result of Article 5.17.1, a win from our 2020 contract, addressing this important issue.
We presented one additional proposal, Article 11.XXXX.1 – Operational Availability Incentive Program, DWR (Unit 1). This mirrors an existing program in Unit 11. And, keeping our negotiations moving forward, we reached a tentative agreement with the State on Article 21.6.1, Hearst Castle Night Tours.
You can read the details of these and all current contract articles at contract.seiu1000.org
Unit 1’s next meeting with the State to win a contract that Respects Us, Protects Us, and Pays Us is set for May 16. To read about what happened in Tuesday’s other bargaining sessions, please visit the Contract Action Center page at seiu1000.org
There’s real truth to the Local 1000 slogan, Stronger Together. We only win a great contract with a strong Local 1000 membership. So, if you’re not already a member, we encourage you to join us today
Bargaining Unit 1 Recap: Tuesday, May 2, 2023
Back at the table with the State today, our Unit 1 Bargaining Team continued to present contract proposals that reinforce our demand to be Respected, Protected, and Paid.
Overall, the State has been slow to respond to proposals our Unit 1 team has been presenting over the last three weeks. One response was received today, on language we proposed that would enable EPRs working at EDD the ability to manage their workload, do their job better, and improve the quality of the service EDD provides.
The State pushed back on Article 13.15.1 – EDD Determinations Scheduling Standard—with a counter offer, and worse, without clear justification for their pushback.
“The State continues to disrespect our EPRs demand for a change in working conditions by saying ‘no’ while failing to make any effort to bring an idea of any kind,” said Joyce Wheeler Owens, a long-standing member of the bargaining team who works at EDD/San Diego.
Bargaining Chair Susan Rodriguez, added “This critical issue has been on the table for more than a decade, and the State, once again, fails to understand how their ignorance of the issue and their failure to act impacts us.”
Today, we presented two new proposals with origins in a hard-fought, two-year reclassification campaign for members working in six different Actuary classifications. You can read more about the reclass campaign here.
One new proposal calls for a five percent pay differential for a range of professional credentials and certifications held and maintained by an Actuary, along with the costs of education, testing, and certification.
Another new proposal calls for the establishment of an Incentive Award Program for employees in the various Actuary Classifications.
“Our goal has been for the employer to reward our professional expertise and the quality of the work we do,” said Stuart Bennett, an Actuary at CalPERS who also worked on the reclass campaign. “These articles are an extension of the reclass agreement that recognizes our skills and places additional value on the goal of recruitment and retention.”
In today’s session, the Unit 1 team also proposed the rollover of eight different articles from our current contract which would preserve hard-won economic rights won in previous contract campaigns:
Article 11 – Salaries
- 11.29.1 Investment Officer III and II, Incentive Award Program (Unit 1)
- 11.30.1 Professional Certification Pay (Unit 1)
- 11.31.1 Chartered Financial Analyst Pay Differential (Unit 1)
- 11.32.1 Research Data Specialist III Pay Differential (Unit 1)
- 11.33.1 Hearing Reporters – California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) (Unit 1)
Article 12 – Allowances and Reimbursements
- 12.16.1 Aviation Safety Officer (Unit 1)
- 12.17.1 PERS Auditor Affiliation (Unit 1)
- 12.18.1 Professional License Fees (Unit 1)
You can read the details of these and all current contract articles at contract.seiu1000.org
Unit 1’s next meeting with the State to win a contract that Respects Us, Protects Us, and Pays Us is set for May 9. To read about what happened in Tuesday’s other bargaining sessions, please visit the Contract Action Center page at seiu1000.org
There’s real truth to the Local 1000 slogan, Stronger Together. We only win a great contract with a strong Local 1000 membership. So, if you’re not already a member, we encourage you to join us today
Bargaining Unit 1 Recap: Tuesday, April 25, 2023
Our Unit 1 Bargaining Team returned to the table with the State on Tuesday, April 25. It’s our largest bargaining unit, representing a diverse group of professionals, and today’s session focused on parts of our contract that affect the represented employees at EDD.
“The working conditions at EDD have been a Local 1000 focus for some time,” says Unit 1 Chair Susan Rodriguez. “We’ve had an ongoing discussion with the department at every bargaining cycle and numerous times in between.”
“Workloads at EDD are an issue we worked to correct today,” Rodriguez added. “We proposed language that would allow EPRs the ability to do their job better and to improve the quality of the service they provide.”
The new language in Article 13.15.1 – EDD Determinations Scheduling Standard – increases the time allotted for determination interviews.
Unit 1 made additional progress today, reaching tentative agreement on a number of articles that were either “rolled over” (leaving existing hard-won rights unchanged) or “cleaned up” (making changes to improve the accuracy or clarity of the existing language without modifying the article’s intent or impact).
Two of the articles agreed upon today preserved Joint Labor Management Committees, which are powerful tools Unit 1 uses to continue the effort to improve working conditions between contract cycles.
- 5.15.1 – Joint Labor Management Committee
- 8.23.1 – Employment Development Department (EDD) Vacation Leave Policy
- 21.8.1 – EDD America’s Job Center of California
- 5.14.1 – Guide, Historical Monument Joint Labor Management Committee
- 12.19.1 – Actuary Dues-Department of Insurance
One additional article is still pending, 20.1.1, which governs EDD’s Post and Bid Agreement.
You can read the details of these and all current contract articles at contract.seiu1000.org
Unit 1’s next meeting with the State to win a contract that Respects Us, Protects Us, and Pays Us is set for May 2. To read about what happened in Tuesday’s other bargaining sessions, please visit the Contract Action Center page at seiu1000.org
There’s real truth to the Local 1000 slogan, Stronger Together. We only win a great contract with a strong Local 1000 membership. So, if you’re not already a member, we encourage you to join us today.
Bargaining Unit 1 Recap: Tuesday, April 18, 2023
Bargaining Unit 1—representing a diverse group of classifications in Professional Administrative, Financial, and Staff Services—went to the bargaining table with State negotiators on April 19 and hit the ground running with five tentative agreements on their first day of negotiation.
“Our Unit 1 team has worked diligently since the last contract negotiations in 2019 to prepare for this,” said Susan Rodriguez, Unit 1 Bargaining Chair. “A number of taskforces, joint labor-management committees (JLMCs), and workgroups were established during that time to open up the dialogue surrounding key issues for Unit 1. We will present contract proposals that address the joint recommendation of those groups.”
“With such a diverse bargaining unit, representing many different skill sets, we’ve found the workgroups, taskforces, and JLMCs to be powerful tools to continue negotiating for better working conditions,” Susan said. “In fact, two of our agreements today keep those groups in place.”
Unit 1 presented five contract articles to the state for “rollover,” signaling our desire that the existing language remains unchanged, keeping in place the hard-won rights from previous contract campaigns. The State agreed, and thus, a “tentative agreement” was reached on these five articles:
- 11.28.1 – California State Lottery (CSL) Business Building Incentive (BBI) Program
- 5.13.1 - Correctional Case Records Analyst Workload Committee
- 5.16.1 - Disability Determination Services Division (DDSD) Joint Labor Management Committee
- 21.7.1 - Organizational Development
- 21.9.1 - Business Cards
Of particular note: in reaching an agreement on 5.13.1, the State recognized the importance of the need for continued effort in solving workload and other issues in the Correctional Case Records Analyst classification.
Unit 1’s next meeting with the State to win a contract that Respects Us, Protects Us, and Pays Us is set for April 25. To read about what happened in Tuesday’s other bargaining sessions, please visit the Contract Action Center page at seiu1000.org
There’s real truth to the Local 1000 slogan, Stronger Together. We only win a great contract with a strong Local 1000 membership. So, if you’re not already a member, we encourage you to join us today.