Unit 11 Bargaining Update for Monday, August 5th, 2019
Unit 11 Bargaining Team Secures Key Professional Certification Reimbursement

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Our Unit 11 bargaining team signed an important Tentative Agreement (TA) on Monday, August 5, 2019, that “rolled-over” a current contract provision, allowing Unit 11 workers to receive reimbursement for the cost of professional certification or registration.

Unit 11’s Engineering and Scientific Technicians represent a number of classifications that require them to pass examinations in order to obtain professional certifications or gain occupational registration. And it’s these very workers who develop and test much of the public infrastructure that Californian’s rely on every day.

Ensuring the state values the licenses and certifications obtained by Unit 11 members is something that provides incentives for career advancement, which explains why Unit 11 made protecting this contract provision a high priority.

The Professional Certification and Registration provision that was tentatively agreed to at the bargaining table on Monday says in part that:

  • The State shall provide to a permanent Unit 11 employee application reimbursement and up to eight hours Compensatory Time Off (CTO) time at straight rate upon successful completion of a Professional License or Certification as listed: Engineer-in-Training, Engineer, Land Surveyor-in-Training, Land Surveyor, Landscape Architect Registration, Structural Examination Architect Registration.

“We accomplished something important at the table on Monday,” said Ann Hutson, Unit 11 vice chair. “We protected a contract provision that reimburses workers for making the effort to gain professional certification and registration. Now we need to get out to the Capitol on August 13 to make sure we win a great contract.”

The Unit 20 team returns to the bargaining table on Wednesday, August 7th.