Unit 15 Bargaining Update for Wednesday, August 21st, 2019
Unit 15 Scores Big Win on Overtime Distribution

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Our Unit 15 bargaining team culminated another successful negotiating session with the state by reaching agreement on overtime distribution language for members working at California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR).

“We fought hard and won language that makes the distribution of overtime more fair and transparent,” said Garth Underwood, a member of the Unit 15 team. “At the same time, we’re ensuring the well-being of workers at CDCR by strengthening language on overtime shifts.”

Today’s tentative agreement (TA) includes the following provisions:

  • Each institution will maintain a single list of employees—based on seniority—from which overtime assignments will be drawn, whether those shifts are assigned on a voluntary basis or mandated. Previously, some managers were not maintaining a single list and weren’t offering or mandating overtime opportunities equitably.
  • Unit 15 employees working at CDCR won additional protections in the provisions that cap the total number of “double shifts” per week at two. A “double” of 15.5 hours or more now counts towards the two-shift cap for the week. Employees may still opt to work additional shifts on a voluntary basis.

“We need to keep pressuring the state to win a fair contract for the members we represent,” said Maria Patterson, Unit 15 bargaining chair. “So be sure to support your bargaining team with action in the workplace.”

Bargaining sessions with the state will continue daily to resolve the outstanding issues that remain.