Unit 1 includes accounting officers, auditors, analysts for all
departments, employment program representatives at the Employment
Development Department (EDD), disability evaluators at the
Department of Health and Human Services (DHS), and information
technology analysts and other professional
classifications.
On February 19, our Union met with the Franchise Tax
Board (FTB) and the California Department of Human Resources
(CalHR) to discuss the implementation of an additional
fingerprint and background check process that will impact about
3000 of our members who work at FTB.
Our fight for economic justice continues as we set the stage for contract negotiations.
On February 27, our GeoPay Task Force presented the acting director of CalHR and a team of state representatives with an in-depth report recommending solutions to the economic challenges many state workers face caused by the high cost of living in the communities they live and work in throughout the state of California.
On January 22, 2019, our Union met with the State Compensation Insurance Fund (State Fund) to discuss the introduction of a monthly Quality Assurance (QA) form and process for Medical Provider (MP) phone agents located within the Claims Processing Center.
Some of the major details from the negotiations regarding the monthly quality assurance form and process include:
On January 22, 2019, our Union met with the State Compensation Insurance Fund (State Fund) to discuss a revision to the Performance Standard to Quality Assurance (QA) in the Claims Processing Center (CPC) Bill Review Unit and the implementation of a performance standard for QA in the Scan Indexing Unit.
Some of the major details from the negotiations include:
When management fails to respect our contract, to recognize
the work we do and the fair compensation we deserve, we protect
our members with professional representation and deliver
results.
No Saturday Service in Field Offices on Veterans Day and
Thanksgiving Weekends
On August 29, 2018, Local 1000 and DMV continued negotiations
regarding the department’s intent to open field offices on the
Saturday before Veterans Day (November 10) and the Saturday after
Thanksgiving (November 24). After long discussions around
our negotiation team’s proposals, DMV has rescinded the
requirement that the field offices be open on either
day. This victory allows our DMV members to enjoy their
upcoming holiday weekends.
SEIU Local 1000 met and conferred with the Department of Motor
Vehicles (DMV) on August 29, 2018 to continue negotiations
regarding the impacts of the implementation of the RealID
program. The primary focus of the discussions was around the
increased hours and locations of operations at DMV field offices.
On August 7th, 2018, our union met with the California Department
of Human Resources (CalHR) and California Department of
Corrections and Rehabilitation Department of Juvenile Justice
(CDCR DJJ) to discuss the implementation of the Cellsense
Contraband Detector program within the DJJ Facilities in the
state.
Local 1000 members are using the power of our union contract to
address a wide variety of economic factors that deeply affect
those we represent. With the support and help from members across
the state, the team is already working to build the power and
leverage we will need to be successful when we bargain our next
contract.
Due to new IRS rules regarding fingerprinting and background
checks, the Employment Development Department (EDD) implemented
new policies impacting about 5500+ of our members. Local 1000 met
multiple times with EDD and the California Department of Human
Resources (CalHR) to ensure the implementation was not overly
broad and did not impact any of our members unnecessarily.
Some of the major results of our team’s negotiations include the
following:
More than 150 newly-elected and returning bargaining
representatives, members of the Statewide Bargaining Advisory
Committee (SBAC), came together on July 14-15, taking important
steps on the road to contract negotiations that will begin next
year.
Also elected was the 58-member Bargaining Unit Negotiating
Committee (BUNC)—representatives from each of the nine bargaining
units in Local 1000—the bargaining team responsible for
negotiating our new contract.
On May 30, 2018, SEIU Local 1000 met with the California
Department of Human Resources (CalHR) to discuss the proposed
consolidation of the Research Analyst, Research Program
Specialist, Operations Research Specialist and Tax Research
Specialist Series. This proposed consolidation will reduce
the current 37 duplicative parenthetical classifications down to
7 generalized classifications. The consolidation is part of
the Governor’s Civil Service Improvement (CSI) Project to reduce
the number of existing classifications.
On June 6, 2018, the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Heat Team
met with management to continue to negotiate the impact of the
implementation of Real ID. Discussions were productive and
positive as the team brought up a variety of concerns about
workload, staffing levels, improving the Real ID process and
providing Californians a better experience at the DMV field
offices.
Specific issues that the DMV Heat Team raised were:
Due to new IRS rules regarding fingerprinting and background
checks, the Department of Child Support Services (DCSS)
implemented new policies impacting about 400+ of our members.
SEIU Local 1000 met multiple times with DCSS and the California
Department of Human Resources (CalHR) to ensure the department’s
implementation was not overly broad and they did not impact any
of our members unnecessarily.
Some of the major details from your team’s negotiations include
the following:
Bargaining unit representatives Susan Rodriguez (Unit 1,
Alternate Vice Chair) and Sophia Perkins (Unit 4, Chair) met with
State Fund and CalHR to negotiate impacts to existing performance
standards and the creation of new performance standards for
Workers Compensation Claims Adjusters (WCCA), Workers
Compensation Insurance Technician (WCIT) and Program Technicians
(PT) being implemented by State Fund.
The BOE and CDTFA Joint Committee met on November 29, 2017, with
representatives from the Government Operations Agency (GovOps),
the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) and the
Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA).
“Working with the department for four months allowed us to
establish a more productive working relationship” said Joel Chan,
a Business Taxes Specialist I in Oakland. “As
CDTFA and BOE enter an era under new leadership, we want to
continue to build upon what we have developed during this
process.”
The BOE and CDTFA Joint Committee met on November 9, 2017 with
representatives from the Government Operations Agency (GovOps),
the California Department for Human Resources (CalHR) and the
Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA).
The employees who work in the Alcohol division will have their
functions and work embedded in CDTFA, and the state made it clear
that the resources and authorities for these employees to do
their work would be in place.
Just weeks after sending our notice of opposition of CalHR’s
Reclass plan, CalHR was compelled to return to the bargaining
table.
On Nov. 1, our IT Reclass Team met with the state and fought to
win pathways for the Information Systems Technician and Computer
Operator classifications to move into the new IT classification
series.
The CDTFA Joint Committee met on October 11, 2017, to continue
discussions regarding the restructure of the Board of
Equalization and the formation of the California Department of
Tax and Fee Administration. The majority of the meeting was
dedicated to addressing the issues that are impacting our members
who work at BOE. After weeks of worksite meetings at BOE and
CDTFA and a phone banking campaign to contact BOE employees, the
team identified and brought to the table those issues that have
been affecting our BOE members.
Some of the BOE issues that the team raised include:
On September 27, 2017, the SEIU Local 1000 committee met with
representatives from the California Department of Human Resources
(CalHR), the Government Operations Agency (GovOps) and the
California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) to
discuss the issues raised by our members regarding the
restructure of the department.
Tamekia Robinson, our Vice President of
Organizing/Representation met with Sen. Cathleen Galgiani and
department representatives at the CDTFA/BOE headquarters building
for an update on the repairs and upgrades underway at 450 N
Street in Sacramento.
The tour included a meeting with Nick Maduros, the new department
director, who is working with our CDTFA Joint Committee to
preserve our members’ rights during the current BOE
reorganization.
Professional development and upward mobility are key priorities
for our union, and our members, and an innovative new Information
Technology (IT) Apprenticeship Program offers Sacramento-area
members an opportunity to improve their state careers.
Our union leaders have established a Joint Committee with the
state to preserve and protect members’ rights during the upcoming
restructuring at the Board of Equalization (BOE).
After the passage of the Taxpayer Transparency and Fairness Act
of 2017, the state reorganized BOE into separate entities:
California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA), and
BOE. In 2018 the Office of Tax Appeals (OTA) will be established.
On August 16, 2017, SEIU Local 1000 met with representatives from
the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR), Government
Operations Agency (GovOps) and the California Department of Tax
and Fee Administration (CDTFA) to continue to mitigate the impact
of the restructure.
Our union met with representatives from the California Department
of Human Resources (CalHR), the California Department of Tax and
Fee Administration (CDTFA) and the Government Operations Agency
(GovOps) to kick off the Joint Labor Management Committee that
will address the recent restructure of the Board of Equalization
(BOE).
2016 was a historic year for our members, our union and all
Californians. We came together to fight for a contract we can all
be proud of and nearly went on strike for the first time in 44
years.
As a result, we won the largest labor contract ever negotiated
with the state, and we did it by standing together in our union.
You can view our contract here.
Starting August 1, we’re receiving our first paycheck reflecting
our 4% general salary increase—one of the many outcomes that we
won in contract negotiations.
SEIU Local 1000 Establishes a Joint Committee with CalHR and the
California Department of Tax and Fee Administration to Ensure
that Member Rights and Working Conditions are Maintained During
the Restructure
Our union negotiated with the state to establish a committee to
identify and make recommendations on the impacts that will result
from the restructure of the Board of Equalization. With the
passage of the Taxpayer Transparency and Fairness Act of 2017,
the state is reorganizing the Board of Equalization into three
separate entities – the Board of Equalization (BOE), the
Nearly 600 Local 1000 members working at CalPERS now have the
opportunity for more career mobility after our union negotiated
to protect and preserve the rights of Retirement Program
Specialists (RPS) who are offered the chance to move laterally
into new classifications.
As you may know, one of our big gains we made through bargaining
involves geographic task force, which will look at how workers
who do the same job and work in high cost-of-living regions are
compensated.
The State and our Union will participate in a task force to
evaluate how the cost of living in certain areas creates
recruiting and retention problems for certain state jobs.
We are looking for members to participate in the Geographic
Compensation Work Group who are deeply connected and have direct
experience dealing with this issue. Are you interested?
SEIU Local 1000 Met with the State to Negotiate Impacts of the
“Lift and Shift” on the Psychiatric Programs at Vacaville,
Stockton and Salinas
On June 5, 2017, SEIU Local 1000 met with representatives from
the Department of State Hospitals (DSH), California Correctional
Health Care Services (CCHCS), California Department of
Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and the California
Department of Human Resources (CalHR) to negotiate the impacts of
the transfer of the Psychiatric Programs from DSH to CDCR and
CCHCS at Salinas Valley State Prison – Salinas, California
Medical Facilit
On March 1, 2017, the Employment Development Department,
Unemployment Insurance Division will offer the 68 most senior
Permanent Intermittent (PI) employees conversion to full time
status. If an employee rejects the opportunity to convert, the
department will move to the next most senior PI.
This conversion will be immediate unless the impacted employee
elects to delay the date to July 1, 2017, because they are
enrolled in the Flex Cash Option for health and/or dental
benefits, and they do not want to forfeit that benefit.
Governor Jerry Brown today signed Senate Bill 28 (Pan), the bill
authorizing the Memorandum of Understanding between the state and
SEIU Local 1000, our union representing 96,000 employees, about
40% of the state’s workforce.
The deal was reached between the state and Local 1000 on Dec. 3,
2016, after eight months at the bargaining table and just two
days before an impending strike.
In a big step forward, our Tentative Agreement (Senate Bill 28)
cleared the Senate on Feb. 17 with a 26-7 vote.
Our TA cleared two previous hurdles earlier in February by being
approved by two Senate committees.
The bill now moves to the Assembly. SB 28 will first be heard in
the Assembly Budget committee on March 2 upon adjournment of the
Assembly floor hearing that day. The bill will be voted on by the
Assembly floor at a future date, then on to the governor’s desk
for his signature.
Our Tentative Agreement cleared two hurdles this week as it
makes its way through the Legislature and closer to the
Governor’s desk.
Vice President for Bargaining Margarita Maldonado testified
before two Senate committees in support of our agreement, and
both committees voted to move the TA forward.
Speaking on Feb. 6, Maldonado told the Senate Public Employees
and Retirement Committee that we represent about 40% of
California’s total state employees and provide a broad range of
valuable services to California and our communities.
After nearly eight months of negotiations, we have reached a tentative agreement with the state, early Saturday morning, on a contract we can all be proud of.
Below is a basic overview of what we won on compensation. This overview does not include any information on the non-economic improvements that were agreed upon, or how we plan on addressing some of the concerns we raised about the state’s conduct during bargaining. As we work to finalize and compile all of the tentative agreement we will send you additional details.
We have been in negotiations with the state for six months and
have reached agreement on many items. Our intention is to
continue to negotiate in good faith on all remaining terms.
However, we have not yet reached agreement on a livable wage
that values our work and respects the services we provide to all
Californians.
Local 1000 members provide valuable services to the state of
California and our communities. We believe everyone who works
hard for a living should be able to provide for their families.
Our bargaining team met with the state for the first time in
three months and ended the week frustrated by a continued lack of
movement by the state on key issues.
Earlier in the week, our team presented eye-opening information
illustrating the gender pay gap in state civil service. Our union
is 66% women and 34% men. The seven unions the state has reached
agreement with, overwhelmingly comprised of men, are paid a
staggering 43% more than Local 1000 members.
Our bargaining team worked hard today with the state’s
negotiators to achieve a common understanding of the state’s
Civil Service Improvement (CSI) initiative – a broad-based
strategy to reform civil service employment, including
recruitment, training, and a much-needed revamp of outdated
classification specifications.
Our team is working to solve some deep frustration with the
state’s slow progress and the lack of involvement with our union
to create a real plan with real timelines.
Our bargaining team met with state negotiators today for a
detailed discussion about the cost of retiree health care – one
of the key issues remaining to be settled as we work for a
contract we can all be proud of.
“We’re challenging the assumptions the state is using to
calculate the costs of this benefit and the share our members
will be asked to pay,” said Yvonne R. Walker, Local 1000
President.
Boosted by the actions in our workplaces over the last few weeks,
our bargaining team returned to the table today with state
negotiators and called for a pay raise that respects the valuable
services we provide to all Californians.
We reminded the state that in the months since we last bargained,
we heard from thousands of members who said at town halls and in
surveys that the state’s offer doesn’t recognize our hard work;
that working families shouldn’t have to live paycheck to
paycheck.
As we continue to take actions in support of a strong contract,
we are still fully protected by our existing contract. Each of
our hard-earned rights, achieved in past negotiations, is still
in force.
Our stewards are still providing real representation to enforce
our hard-earned rights. And as we show our strength and pledge
our support to take all Local 1000 authorized actions, management
will threaten and try to intimidate us in an effort to weaken our
cause. We’re not falling for it.
I’m writing to you with a very important message about contract
negotiations.
During our July 30 executive session, our SEIU Local 1000 Board
of Directors voted unanimously to authorize a statewide
membership vote on any and all concerted actions, up to and
including a strike, in support of bargaining our contract.
In short, we are exploring every option available to win a
contract we can all be proud of.
After three months of bargaining in good faith, our negotiations
with the state have reached a crossroads. In an era of healthy
state finances, our bargaining team feels that the state’s offer
does not meet the priorities that you shared with us through town
halls and bargaining surveys.
Beginning Friday July 8, we’ll be holding a series of town
halls up and down the state where members will hear the details
of the state’s offer and have an opportunity to share their
thoughts and opinions.
Your actions are working and making the difference at the
bargaining table!
After CalHR Director Richard Gillihan insulted us and said we
were only worth a 10% increase over four years and a
3.5% contribution to retiree healthcare, you stepped up the
pressure and took immediate action. We responded the next day by
holding worksite actions up and down the state and flooding
Gillihan’s phone with the message that we are worth MORE than 10%
and we will not stop until we get a great contract.
It worked. Our collective action pushed the state.
Our Unit 1 bargaining team returned to the table today for a
productive day, making significant progress on a number of issues
of importance to our Unit 1 members at EDD:
In a productive day of negotiations, our Local 1000 bargaining
team made significant advances Saturday, moving more of our
members’ priorities into the contract and fine-tuning proposals
to maximize our rights and protections.
Our Local 1000 bargaining team returned to the master table today
for the first time after thousands of members gathered Wednesday
at the state capitol to rally for a great contract.
We met with the state briefly to review and understand the scores
of proposals previously presented by Local 1000, and still
requiring a response from state negotiators.
One day after thousands of Local 1000 members gathered at the
Capitol to rally for a great contract, our Unit 1 bargaining team
met with state negotiators today to press for resolution on a
number of still-outstanding contract issues, including career
mobility proposals.
Still frustrated after the state took unprecedented action by
rejecting a series of Unit 1 compensation proposals at the master
table on Tuesday, the Unit 1 team pressed for more explanation
about the state’s reasoning. There was no satisfactory answer,
and no alternative solutions proposed.
In complete disregard for the important work that we do and the
vital services we provide to California, the state today flat-out
rejected our salary proposals.
The Unit 1 bargaining team returned to the table today and, after
a full day of negotiations, walked away frustrated by the state’s
lack of action.
State negotiators have yet to respond to many key proposals we
presented to them on behalf of Unit 1 members over the last six
weeks of bargaining. Many of those proposals have been in the
state’s hands for at least 30 days, and some were presented as
far back as April 19.
Last night, Local 1000s leaders signed an agreement that allows
us to avoid arbitration and means the state will have to pay $1.5
million to employees of the California State Lottery who were
wrongly denied overtime pay.
Two years in the making, the settlement affects current and
former employees who worked between October 2010 and October 2013
as District Sales Representatives, Key Account Specialists and
Route Sales Representatives. The state wrongly treated these
employees as exempt from overtime and we filed a grievance
Local 1000 leaders met with the state on Monday to finalize a
settlement that has been two years in the making. The agreement
we signed allows us to avoid arbitration and means the state will
have to pay $1.5 million to employees of the California State
Lottery who were wrongly denied overtime pay.
The Unit 1 bargaining team went to the table with the state today
and presented proposals to make the compensation our members
receive more reflective of the valuable work they do, and to
create a partnership designed to update and improve the civil
service system.
Over the past four weeks of negotiations, our bargaining team has
presented our proposals on the themes of working conditions,
health and safety, leaves and upward mobility. All of this has
built to this week’s theme: compensation.
Unit 1 went to the table today and began putting salary
adjustments on the table.
Our Unit 1 bargaining team went to the table May 4 to continue to
press the state for improved career development opportunities for
our members. The team shared more information to reinforce the
importance of earlier proposals they presented that would
increase opportunities for training and career development.
Beginning the compensation discussion, the Unit 1 team presented
four proposals yesterday:
Local 1000’s Unit 1 bargaining team met with state negotiators
today, representing the interests of our members who are
Professional Administrative, Financial and Staff Services
employees.
Today’s bargaining session focused on professional development
for Unit 1 members. Career and upward mobility is a high priority
of our members and is a theme throughout bargaining this week.
Local 1000’s Unit 1 bargaining team met with state negotiators
for the first time today, representing the interests of the
Professional Administrative, Financial & Staff Services workers
we represent.
The team shared their diverse backgrounds and deep job experience
with the state’s negotiators, describing the work they do to keep
California moving forward, healthy and strong. In all, our Unit 1
team is comprised of members from more than 14 state agencies
with 360 years of combined service to the state.
Local 1000’s bargaining team met with the state today in our
first day of contract negotiations – backed by thousands of our
members who “purpled up” and participated in worksite actions up
and down the state in support of a great contract.
On March 25, 2016 committee members from ten (10) Local 1000
impacted classifications, members of the Unit 1 Bargaining Team
and representatives from CalHR and multiple departments met to
finalize their report on recommended solutions to the recruitment
and retention problems those classifications currently face.
These recommendations will be presented to Richard Gillihan,
Director of CalHR, and ultimately to the State Administration.
Negotiations for our 2016 contract begin in April, and Local
1000’s 63-member bargaining team is in place and deep in
preparations, training and strategizing to bring the 95,000 state
workers we represent the best contract we’ve ever had.
The bargaining team represents the union at the negotiating table
and is made up of members from the nine bargaining units
represented by Local 1000. Issues that affect all represented
employees such as pay, benefits and retirement are negotiated at
the master table while each of the nine bargaining teams
negotiate unit-specific issues.
Over the last few months the Unit 1 Bargaining team members and
members in over 34 classifications prepared expert testimony
to present to the California Human Resources (CalHR) department.
Listed below are the members who are doing excellent work
in representing your classification group during this process.
The last classification group presented their testimony and
proposal to CalHR on February 4th.
As we prepare for 2016 Contract Negotiations, state employees all
over California are getting ready to step into the arena and
fight for a good contract. We will need an active and
informed membership to do battle at the bargaining table, at the
ballot box, and in the legislative budget battles to fund state
services.
This is no time to sit on the sidelines. It’s Our
Union. Our Union. Our Future.
A Bargaining Unit One member received a $25,000 lump-sum
settlement in arbitration after a grievance filed with the
support of Local 1000 members and staff was denied at every
level. The member, a Health Program Specialist I at the
California Department of Public Health (CDPH), was being denied
extra work assignments—Duty Officer Positions–that were
rightfully his due to seniority.
Local 1000 has launched its 2016 contract campaign with these
words from President Yvonne R. Walker: “Our contract will be
about the strength and the power of our members to win something
amazing.”
Speaking to members statewide on a conference call for Local 1000
stewards and hundreds more who heard the call at listening
parties, Walker looked forward to the upcoming negotiations
feeling confident about the preparation that’s gone before.
On November 20 and 24 teams representing the District Sales
Representatives (DSR), Personnel Specialists, Tax Auditors,
Workers Compensations Claims Adjusters (WCCA) and Financial
Institution Examiners (FIE) series met with the California Human
Resources Department (CalHR) under Article 5.17.1 to discuss
recruitment and retention problems the series is encountering.
Each of these teams were comprised of member leaders from the
classification series and BUNC representatives.
Two representation wins for members who were initially denied
sick leave prove, once again, that the collective strength of
Local 1000 can make all the difference for members facing the
indifferent bureaucracy of state government during a time of
personal need.
Local 1000 met with CalPERS management on October 26 to discuss
changes to the CalPERS Actuarial Study Program. This
program provides support for employees in the Actuarial Office
who are preparing to take their certification exams. Local 1000’s
team included Stuart Bennett (Unit 1 DBUR and Senior Pension
Actuary), Latreece Smith (President of DLC 781), Tony Cuny
(CalPERS Actuarial Assistant) and Wandra Pitts (Vice President of
DLC 781).
In accordance with Article 13.7.4 of our contract, State
Compensation Insurance Fund (State Fund) notified the Union of
their intent to implement performance standards for some Program
Technicians and Worker’s Compensation Insurance Technicians
working in the Claims Processing Centers. Per the contract, State
Fund requested a meet and confer over the issue.
On August 24th and 25th a team representing Correctional Case
Records Analysts (CCRAs) met in Sacramento to negotiate with the
state regarding the Recruitment and Retention issues they were
currently experiencing.
The teams consisted of the following members:
Karen Devoll, CDCR, Sierra Conservation Center
Michelle Pantages, CDCR, Out of State Bed Unit
Gwendolyn Crawford, CDCR, Chuckawalla Valley State Prison
Cathy Reabold, DSH, Coalinga State Hospital.
On August 24th and 25th a team representing 3 classifications met
in Sacramento to negotiate with the state regarding the
Recruitment and Retention issues they were currently
experiencing.
The teams consisted of the following members:
Environmental Planners:
Claudia Gambaro, Military Department, Sacramento
Edvard Isaacs, Department of Transportation, Los Angeles
Lindsay Vivian, Department of Transportation, Oakland
Our 63-member Bargaining Unit Negotiating Council (BUNC) recently
spent three days training intensively for upcoming contract
negotiations. Local 1000’s contract expires July 1, 2016 – just
ten months from now.
Bargaining strategies and tactics were key topics, along with
discussions about member engagement. The focus: honing the skills
necessary to negotiate a fair contract that protects our
hard-earned rights from previous contracts while improving our
wages, working conditions and benefits.
Nearly 200 bargaining representatives from across the state voted
this weekend to elect Local 1000’s 63-member Bargaining Unit
Negotiating Council (BUNC). These member activists and leaders
will be responsible for negotiating the successor contract. The
current contract expires July 1 of 2016.
Representatives from each of the nine state bargaining units met
Saturday afternoon and evening to elect their bargaining teams.
When Job Steward Lonnie “Tony” Owens attended a Joint Labor Management Committee (JLMC) meeting last year, he came prepared to present management with the concerns of his CalPERS coworkers in the Information Technology Services Branch (ITSB).
What he provided was perspective regarding the staff’s frustration with the department’s lack of communication concerning their critical skills and training. That vacuum of communication too often leads to work being outsourced that could have been done by existing state staff.
Seventy Local 1000 members at the Employment Development
Department (EDD) stepped up to soften the blow for some of their
coworkers who faced reduced hours. As a result, what would have
been a major reduction in work and pay for a few people was
distributed among a larger group for a much less significant
negative impact.
Swift and decisive action by Local 1000’s legal department shut
down a hostile manager’s suppression of our members’ right to
conduct union activities at Department of Social Services (DSS).
The union’s determination to not let bullying behavior stand
forced DSS to agree to completely withdraw spurious charges
against our members.
“We’ll do whatever it takes to get these kinds of bogus adverse
actions removed,” said Tamekia N. Robinson, vice president for
organizing/representation. “There’s no way we will tolerate
bullying of our stewards.”
Local 1000 has launched a comprehensive survey that will advance
the effort to review job specifications that have not been
updated in decades.
We have made it a high priority to resolve the problems
with IT classifications, training, compensation and
outsourcing. The state has committed to working with the union by
modernizing the IT classification system. Both parties recognize
a mutual interest in adapting to the changes in a field with a
highly competitive labor market.
When the State Compensation Insurance Fund (SCIF) imposed a
new set of performance standards without consulting the union,
they violated our contract as well as state labor law and Local
1000 took them to task.
Ensuring good working conditions for our members is a key element
of Local 1000’s contract enforcement efforts, so when workers
reported a pattern of harassment at the Modesto DMV over sick
leave, the union stepped in to stop it.
Three members at Centinela State Prison used Local 1000’s
grievance system to win back pay and certification after working
out of class for a year.
Though all three are in the classification of Senior Account
Clerk, they were working out of class as Accountant Trainees,
apparently with the prison’s knowledge though our contract
expressly requires prior CalHR approval.
Thanks to a grievance filed by a Local 1000 member and
aggressively pursued by the union, Correctional Training Facility
(CTF) management agreed to stop using electronic monitoring for
timesheets, a practice expressly forbidden by our contract.
This week, Local 1000 and CalPERS worked together to clarify the
language in CalPERS’ Systems and Work Place Privacy policy, in
order to make sure that it was no more expansive than necessary .
The Union was represented by Brenda Modkins, Bargaining Unit 1
chair, Karen Jefferies, a Unit 4 Bargaining Unit Negotiating
Committee member, Latreece Smith, the president of DLC 781 and
CalPERS representative and the contract department staff.
Persistent pressure from Local 1000 paid off for 125 Permanent
Intermittent workers at the EDD’s Unemployment Insurance branch
who will be converted to full-time status on May 1. Our members
have been vigilant in demanding the department comply with our
contract and recognize longtime EDD employees with the benefits
and career advancement opportunities that come with full-time
status.
Recruitment and retention is moving forward in Bargaining Unit
1. Local 1000 has set a May 5 meeting with CalHR to discuss
ground rules and the order in which to discuss information about
the various classification and classification groupings.
The Bargaining Unit Negotiation Committee members have been
assigned to the classifications/groups and are working on
organizing those groups and building support in the field for the
groups to which they have been assigned.
The BUNC members who have been assigned to each group are as
follows:
Thanks to the persistent efforts of organized members at the
California Board of Equalization (BOE), employees no longer have
to contend with an unnecessary and patronizing “motivational”
program.
Called “The Four Disciplines of Execution”, or 4DX for short, the
program is the work of an outside consulting firm which used
ineffective and sometimes insulting graphics and acronyms in a
failed attempt to inspire workers to meet goals.
By enforcing our 2013 contract, a determined group of stewards
has forced their division of the Department of Social Services
(DSS) to accept joint labor management committees (JLMC)
statewide and at all of its regional offices.
Local 1000 fought for JLMCs through a stewards’ grievance,
affirmed by CalHR in a March 10 decision entitling 1200 DSS
employees in the Disability Determination Service Division (DDSD)
to actively participate in workplace change.
In a huge win, Local 1000’s DMV “HEAT Team” signed up 1000 new
members.
“Our DMV HEAT Team is doing some amazing work,” said Local 1000
President Yvonne R. Walker.
“Our DMV member leaders are setting an example—and raising the
standard—for everyone in Local 1000. It really shows the power of
effective workplace organizing.”
Hannah Konnoff grew up with a mother who was active in the civil
rights movement, a feminist and an anti-war protester. Although
she had been raised to act on her values, life compelled Konnoff
to put her activism on the back burner.
“I just kind of got wrapped up in trying to survive,” she said.
Building power in the community, facing challenges and developing
union leaders were key themes of last week’s meeting of the
Statewide Bargaining Advisory Council (SBAC) in Southern
California.
Nearly 200 elected bargaining representatives from up and down
California—including the 60-plus members who negotiate our
contract with the state—meet three times each year to develop
strategies for bargaining and to understand and respond to issues
that affect our lives at work and at home.
Thanks to an agreement negotiated by Local 1000, nearly all
represented workers at the State Compensation Insurance Fund
(SCIF) will receive a 2.4 percent performance award this year.
Announced on February 20, the annual award will go to everyone
who is qualified to receive it.
Effective January 1, 2015, the personal vehicle mileage
reimbursement rate for state employees will increase to 57.5
cents per mile. This reflects an increase over the 2014 rate,
which was 56 cents per mile.
In 2006, Local 1000’s bargaining team successfully negotiated
contract language that would more fairly reimburse members for
their personal vehicle usage.
As a result, the state’s mileage rates mirror those established
by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), which are modified
annually to reflect variations in gasoline prices and vehicle
maintenance costs.
Local 1000 is aggressively pushing a grievance over the ratio of
Permanent Intermittent (PI) employees at the Employment
Development Department (EDD) to arbitration after the California
Department of Human Resources (CalHR) recently rejected our
claim.
Our contract has long-standing language limiting the number of PI
employees to no more than 20 percent of the number of staff
positions in each of the EDD departments.
On September 23, 2014, the Local 1000 negotiating team came to an
agreement with CalHR and California Correctional Health Care
Services (CCHCS) regarding the 2014 Phase 3 Staff Reductions.
Some of the highlights of the agreement include:
The Bargaining Unit 1 Recruitment and Retention (R&R) Team
has completed reviewing the applications and have selected the
classifications that will be presented to the California
Department of Human Resources (CalHR) for assessment. The
R&R team would like to thank the 500 members that took the
time to complete these applications and represent their
classifications issues.
The following are the ten classification/classification series
that have been selected to be presented to CalHR for review:
California Correctional Health Care Services (CCHCS) has mailed
more than 600 State Restriction of Appointment (SROA) letters to
Local 1000 members in seven of our nine bargaining units in
anticipation of just over 200 planned layoffs scheduled to occur
on December 1, 2015.
The majority of the layoffs affect bargaining units 17 and 20;
the other affected bargaining units are 1, 3, 4, 11, and 15.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
(CDCR) has implemented the Realignment Wave 5 layoff process. The
layoff date will be effective September 30, 2014. CDCR sent over
800 SROA letters out to Local 1000 members across the
state.
Local 1000 representatives met with the State Controller’s office
(SCO) and California Human Resources (CalHR) to discuss the
continued resolution of the now-discontinued MyCalPays program.
The State made it clear that although they were close to
identifying and correcting the numerous over- and underpayments
during the 8 months the system was active, but still had
additional work to perform – with a goal of settling all of the
accounts by December 2014.
Local 1000 representatives are welcome in any meeting where an
impacted employee requests one.
The Unit 1 Recruitment and Retention (R&R) application
process closed on April 30, 2014. There were slightly fewer than
500 submissions from members.
Local 1000’s research department is compiling the information
provided into the individual classifications, and will provide
the results to the Unit 1 bargaining team. Local 1000 may present
up to 10 different classifications to the state for a discussion
of issues that impact the recruitment and retention of employees
in that classification.
The selection process is targeted for completion by June 30.
After months of collaboration with state officials to address
issues facing EDD, Local 1000 hosted new Director Patrick Henning
Jr. in a meeting with Local 1000 stewards, to hear first-hand the
comments and concerns of rank-and-file workers now in his charge.
He came to underscore his commitment to “helping Californians
when they are at possibly the lowest point in their lives.”
In accordance with Section 5.17.1 of the recently agreed upon
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), your Statewide Bargaining
Action Committee (SBAC) has finalized the application process for
selection of the classifications presented by the Recruitment and
Retention (R&R) Committee. “This application is the first
step in finally resolving so many of the retention and
recruitment problems that our Unit 1 classifications continue to
experience,” explained Brenda Modkins the Chair Unit 1.
Local 1000’s bargaining team signed the first tentative agreement
of our new contract at the master table today, one that provides
a huge advance in our fight against outsourcing.
More than 40 Local 1000 members have received up to $8,000 in
tuition reimbursement in the first year of a new educational
program at the State Compensation Insurance Fund (SCIF).
The program was developed at the bargaining table as Local 1000
negotiated the effects of layoffs and restructuring at SCIF in
2012. Local 1000 argued that SCIF wasn’t doing enough to prepare
its work force to be leaner, more educated and highly skilled -
goals that SCIF identified as a necessary part of its
restructuring.
Nearly all Local 1000-representedworkers at the State
Compensation Insurance Fund (SCIF) will receive a 2 percent
performance award later this year thanks to an
agreement Local 1000 negotiated with management at the
state-owned worker’s compensation insurer.
Contract implementation and fighting for working families were
the focus of a recent gathering of Local 1000’s Statewide
Bargaining Advisory Council – held Feb. 8 and 9 in Manhattan
Beach. More than two hundred elected Local 1000 members attended
– our unit bargaining teams, along with other District Bargaining
Unit Representatives (DBURs) and Classification Bargaining Unit
Representatives (CBURs).
Contract implementation and fighting for working families were
the focus of a recent gathering of Local 1000’s Statewide
Bargaining Advisory Council – held Feb. 8 and 9 in Manhattan
Beach. More than two hundred elected Local 1000 members attended
– our unit bargaining teams, along with other District Bargaining
Unit Representatives (DBURs) and Classification Bargaining Unit
Representatives (CBURs).
Member Profile: Shelia Byars
A Local 1000 activist for more than 15 years, Shelia Byars is
stepping up once again and volunteering for campaigns that go
beyond the worksite–working toward a better life for all
Californians.
After a seven-year campaign, aviation consultants win a much
deserved pay raise.
Aviation consultants, a small group of Unit 1 members in Caltrans
whose job is crucial to public safety, will receive a 7.5 percent
pay increase under terms negotiated by Local 1000; this pay raise
is retroactive to July 2, 2013.
“This has been a long time coming – we’ve been pressing Caltrans
for this raise for seven years,” said Bargaining Unit 1 Chair
Brenda Modkins. “We owe this win to the aviation consultants who
fought so hard to make this possible.”
A new Injury and Illness Prevention Program – developed with
input from Local 1000 – will roll out over the next year at Napa
State Hospital (NSH). Designed to improve the safety and
well-being of NSH employees, the new program features education
and training, risk assessments, safety inspections, comprehensive
reporting and an emergency response and action plan.
Local 1000 fights to protect our members and sees results
A new Injury and Illness Prevention Program – developed with
input from Local 1000 – will roll out over the next year at Napa
State Hospital (NSH). Designed to improve the safety and
well-being of NSH employees, the new program features education
and training, risk assessments, safety inspections, comprehensive
reporting and an emergency response and action plan.
Ed Diprosper helps unemployed Californians for EDD. A Local 1000
member was honored for his work as a part of National
Disability Employment Awareness Month – a national campaign that
raises awareness and celebrates the many contributions of
America’s disabled workforce.
Ed Diprosper, a 15-year veteran of state service is a Unit 1
member who helps to connect unemployed Californians with their
much-needed benefits through his work at EDD, was praised for his
efforts as part of a presentation at the Capitol by
Assemblymember Dr. Richard Pan.
MeShan Rachal brings a history of organizing to Local 1000
Even before she began working for the state, MeShan Rachal was
always an activist, but after seeing the power of her union in
action, she stepped up for her fellow workers and the middle
class in many ways.
Rachal became a Local 1000 activist after a complicated
bureaucratic snafu caused her to be underpaid for a week every
month. She pressed her case to her supervisors and to the
Department of Personnel Administration. When that failed, she
sought contract enforcement help from her union.
Brown signs contract transparency bill after push by members
After receiving 3,397 letters from Local 1000 members, Gov. Jerry
Brown signed into law a bill that adds legislative muscle to our
ongoing fight to protect jobs and prevent wasteful government
spending.AB 906, authored by Assemblymember Dr. Richard Pan
(D-Sacramento), increases public scrutiny of private vendor
contracts that are out of control and receiving little
oversight.
A wage increase, a guarantee of no new furloughs and a range of
other improvements to our rights and working conditions lead the
advances secured in our new 3-year Master Agreement. The
agreement was reached between the Local 1000 bargaining team and
representatives of the state, ratified by 90 percent of voting
members and signed into law by the Governor. Language is also
included pertaining to each individual unit.
Our Unit 1 team – representing Professional Administrative,
Financial and Staff Services – spent 18 hours negotiating with
the state Friday and Sunday, and signed tentative agreements
addressing several of the priorities of Unit 1 members.
The Unit 1 bargaining team – representing Professional
Administrative, Financial and Staff Services – presented a series
of powerful witnesses to support our proposal to address equity
adjustments for Unit 1 classifications.
The presentation included eight witnesses representing different
classifications or department.
Today, Local 1000 returned to the negotiating table to meet with
representatives from the state and continue bargaining for our
new contract. The state spent the last two weeks reviewing the
proposals we gave them in April – 29 Master Table proposals
affecting all Local-1000 represented employees, and 50 different
proposals affecting our nine individual bargaining units.
Local 1000’s bargaining team – more than 200 member-elected
representatives – worked through the weekend to review the
results of bargaining surveys and develop conceptual proposals
that will drive our upcoming contract negotiations with the
state, which are slated to begin April 10.
On March 1, 2013, SEIU Local 1000 reached an agreement with the
state on mitigating the impact of CCHCS layoffs set for March 31,
2013. These provisions may help you if you are slated for layoff,
or have been transferred or demoted in lieu of layoff. Below,
please find an explanation of the provisions of the agreement and
tips on how to use it.
The Local1000 Statewide Bargaining Advisory Committee–consisting
of more than 200 elected members from throughout the state–came
together Jan. 12-13 to map out a strategy and timeline to guide
our upcoming fight for a fair contract.
Their agenda included development of an aggressive plan to gather
member input and to engage and mobilize thousands of state
workers to support the bargaining process.
Expensive private vendors to be replaced by Unit 1 IT
professionals
Local 1000’s fight against wasteful outsourcing has tallied
another win: CalPERS has agreed to hire 86 skilled workers,
mostly information technology (IT) professionals in Bargaining
Unit 1, to reduce the agency’s reliance on contractors. The
positions should be filled early this year.
Transferring work to employees
CalPERS, the state’s massive public pension system, is back in
hiring mode, big time.
The fund’s board of administration moved Wednesday to create 86
new positions ASAP.
If all of the new jobs are filled – and that’s not a given – the
new hires would add $16.3 million to CalPERS’ $357.6 million
administrative budget and bring its total headcount to just shy
of 2,600 employees.
In the time it took to read this, some of you have done the math:
The new hires would cost nearly $190,000 each. So why might the
state have trouble hiring?
On November 30, 2012, the Department of Human Resources (CalHR)
Benefits Division released the following information:
Effective January 1, 2013, the personal vehicle mileage
reimbursement rate for all State employees will be 56.5 cents per
mile. The relocation/moving mileage reimbursement rate for all
current State employees and New-Hires to State service will now
be 24 cents per mile.
Darlene Estey first got active in Local 1000 because she was
mad–at her union.
“I used to be a fee payer, and I was angry about a dues increase
so I became a member and got active,” said Estey, a Bargaining
Unit 1 senior compliance representative with the Franchise Tax
Board. “Once I saw how the union worked to help people, I just
got more and more involved.”
Pressure from Local 1000 returns work to state employees
Local 1000 members and staff successfully identified and
challenged two instances where contracting out would be wasteful,
and the State Compensation Insurance Fund (SCIF) has agreed to
cancel two outsourcing contracts providing 93 jobs for Local
1000-represented employees.
After receiving complaints about the contracts from rank-and-file
members, Local 1000 pressured SCIF to insource the work. This
included filing a challenge with the State Personnel Board
questioning the legality of the contract.
Also, new scholarships for the children of State Fund
employees
During negotiations last spring over proposed layoffs, Local 1000
argued that State Compensation Insurance Fund (SCIF) wasn’t
doing enough to prepare its work force for the State Fund of the
future – an organizational model which will be leaner, more
educated and highly skilled.
State Fund heard our concerns and has announced new educational
programs for SCIF employees – major steps in the right
direction.
Tuition Reimbursement Program
Volunteers made the difference
Members & staff defeated billionaire blitz
Local 1000’s success at the polls on Nov. 6 came down to one
thing: Volunteers.
“Without our member and staff volunteers we would not have
succeeded in so many races,” said Local 1000 President Yvonne R.
Walker. “We were up against billionaires, corporate special
interests and anonymous contributors who wanted to buy this
election. We won because we have something they will never have:
an army of committed volunteers.”
At 10 a.m. on October 10, hundreds of Unit 1 and Unit 4 members
in EDD unemployment branches statewide silently stopped working,
stood up together and waved their pendants, banners and flags
which read CAUTION: EDD Workloads out of control (see image to
right).
Local 1000 Joint Labor Management Committee (JLMC) members from
the DDSD of the California Department of Social Services met on
August 30, 2012 to review the results of the recent Case Receipt
survey. Communication has become a challenge due to DDSD’s
reconfiguration of email addresses. The JLMC is awaiting
the state’s response for the next meeting - leaders are
prepared with an agenda and the team has been identified.
Local 1000 provides skilled, professional representation for the
members of Bargaining Unit 1. Watch the video below as Local 1000
members speak about why it’s important for all state workers to
have a union that has their back.
Hundreds of bargaining unit member leaders recently met on
October 6-7 in San Diego to discuss critical campaigns for Local
1000. Representatives came from all areas of California to
discuss the importance of the November election and make over
3,400 calls to urge a NO vote on Proposition 32.
We heard from speakers from our coalition partners such as the
League of Women Voters and the Center on Policy Initiatives
regarding the importance of partnering to defeat anti worker
propositions and campaigns.
65 memos reduced to one, unfair expectations dropped
On July 11, 2012, an updated and standardized “expectations memo”
was distributed by DMV to statewide offices that included many of
the suggestions brought forth by the Local 1000 DMV team.
The DMV reclassification team is on schedule to finish their work
in Spring 2013.
Next steps of the reclassification effort were discussed during a
meeting held with the Local 1000 reclassification team, DMV
management and the California Department of Human Resources
(CalHR) on August 17. Currently, CalHR is reviewing the Unit 1
and Unit 4 job classification changes as proposed by the Local
1000 DMV reclassification team and DMV.
On Thursday, September 20, over 80 Sacramento members and staff
found a festive way to conduct some serious business – educate
voters on the dangers of Proposition 32.
Unit 1 member organizer Dee Dee Munson and Unit 4 member
organizer Lorraine Dewitt created a night of training, raffles,
poster-making and all around good fun to get more members
politically involved.
Unjust termination withdrawn after pressure from expert staff and
member leaders
After intense legal negotiations and numerous solidarity actions,
Linda Martinez went back to work nine months after being unjustly
terminated by the Department of Social Services (DSS). “The
amount of persistence and expertise used to handle my case was
impressive. I cannot thank Local 1000 enough for the work they
performed on my behalf,” said Martinez.
MyCalPays begins pilot testing at the State Controller’s
Office
As the State Controller’s Office (SCO) works to overhaul the
state’s antiquated payroll system, Local 1000’s team has been
involved at every step to monitor their progress and mitigate its
impact on state workers. The new system is called MyCalPays and
will not only affect Unit 1 employees who process payroll, but
all state employees, who will eventually have to transition to
the new system.
The new Outsourcing Task Force –created by the June side
letter–is beginning to focus on wasteful private vendor
contracts that can be eliminated, so that the cost savings can
save taxpayer money and help preserve member pay and state jobs.
Working with members on the Outsourcing Task Force Local 1000’s
Contract, Research and Legal departments are reviewing and
challenging those contracts that needlessly cost the state money.
Unit 1 member combats outsourcing with professionalism and
pride
Once a contract employee with the state, Mike Bonner now partners
with Local 1000 to help put a stop to the outsourcing of
bargaining unit work. Not only does Mike lend his unique
expertise to help identify contracts that cost the state
unnecessarily, he trains other Local 1000 members to help do the
same. During his time as a contract employee, he saw a great
amount of waste and instances of bargaining unit work being done
by contractors and he knew it had to change.
Unit 1 auditor: ‘Too much is at stake to stand still’
Even though it’s a hot day in August and the election is not
until November, Antonio Negrete joined with dozens of Local 1000
members and staff to knock on doors and contact voters at
home.
“It’s only August, but there’s too much at stake in this election
for us to stand still right now,” said Negrete, an auditor with
25 years experience at the State Controller’s Office. “If
Proposition 32 passes, we lose our ability to protect our
benefits and wages from political manipulation.”
Local 1000 gives more than 2,400 backpacks to members’ children
statewide
As schools open their doors for the new academic year, Local 1000
opened its doors to provide children the tools they need to
succeed in class–backpacks filled with school supplies. “Giving
back to our members and communities is a big part of our vision
at Local 1000. By starting these kids out right, we are investing
in their future–in our future,” said Unit 1 member leader Cruz
Naranjo (pictured right) at the Aug. 25 event in Sacramento.
Similar events took place up and down the state.
Bullying has always been a problem in the workplace, and Local
1000 has been taking steps to help members understand what it is
and how to address it.
Marie Harder, Vice Chair of Unit 1, has been busy giving
presentations in 12 different departments on “abuse in the
workplace.” She covers definitions of discrimination under
the Civil Rights Act, what constitutes workplace violence, what
is bullying, and protections in our contract and in the law.
Because of the lobbying strength of our members, the Board of
Equalization (BOE) announced Tuesday it has shelved a proposal to
outsource some accounts receivable collections to a private
firm.
The original proposal called for a portion of uncollected
accounts receivable to be outsourced to an undisclosed private
vendor. Ever since this came to light, Local 1000 members and
staff have pressured BOE to drop the proposal because this type
of outsourcing doesn’t save money and private collection agencies
are less accountable.
Your elected representatives meet three to four times a year to
plan and review issues affecting you. Here’s the full unit report
from the Statewide Bargaining Advisory Committee meeting that was
held on August 4th and 5th in Sacramento. The next meeting will
be in San Diego on October 6th and 7th.
New pact adds power to long struggle over private contractors
The tough new language on outsourcing in our ratified side letter
agreement provides our members with a strong new tool for
preventing private contractors from doing the work of state
employees.
For months, Local 1000 has told State Fund that they were cutting
“too deep,” with too many layoffs, and they finally
listened. State Fund cancelled 267 layoffs that were
scheduled for the end of May 2012, which included many Unit 1 and
Unit 4 positions.
State Fund management will delay the department’s layoff date
from April 30 to May 30
“Obviously we’re happy that management has extended the layoff
date,” said Brenda Modkins, chair of bargaining unit 1. “It gives
impacted employees more time to look for new employment.”
Modkins says she’s especially appreciative of the hundreds of
Local 1000 members who signed petitions or contacted State Fund
Board members, telling them that the layoffs are happening too
fast and too deep.
Surplus letters are now available for State Fund employees who
are scheduled to relocate in 2012. Employees impacted by the
relocation can request a surplus letter from SCIF Human
Resources.
Surplus letters give you priority hiring status. Unlike SROA
status, you are not notified of vacancies by hiring agencies and
must seek out job opportunities on your own.
Important dates for you to know:
May 15-31:
Time period to cash out 80 hours of accrued time if you’re
relocating more than 35 miles (Article 13).
The Unit 1 DMV reclassification team along with the Unit 4
liaisonreclass team members, union staff, state negotiators and
DMV management met in early March to discuss our new proposed job
specifications for the Unit 1 Driver Safety Hearing Officers
classification and to hear an update on the new Motor Vehicle
Field Representative (MVFR) and Motor Vehicle Technician (MVT)
specifications which had been previously presented by the reclass
team to the state.
Join us for our quarterly meeting of IT Professionals.
Wednesday, February 15th
5:30-7:30 p.m.
SEIU Local 1000 Field Office
1325 S St., Sacramento
Agenda includes: Announcement of 2012 Local 1000 IT Professionals
Conference, Outsourcing Campaign Update, Report on IT Strategic
Plan and Reorganization Proposal for the CA Technology Agency,
and Local 1000 IT Strategic Plan update.
The State Compensation Insurance Fund (State Fund) has announced
that layoffs will take place, affecting employees throughout the
state
“It’s outrageous that we are learning about this now – just after
completing a battle over jobs and work locations at State Fund,”
said Margarita Maldonado, Local 1000 vice president for
bargaining. “It’s clear that State Fund’s business model isn’t
working and that management saw these layoffs coming, even when
we were fighting to mitigate the effects of downsizing earlier
this year.”
SCIF’s “holiday present” to its employees:
SCIF Office Closures, Program Consolidations and Transfers
The State Compensation Insurance Fund (SCIF) has announced a
two-year reorganization plan which, if implemented as currently
proposed, could result in about 2400 Local 1000-represented
employees having to choose between a transfer to worksites
more than 50 miles from their current place of employment or
“voluntary layoff.”
Local 1000 has filed a grievance to stop the Employment
Development Department’s (EDD) mandate that employees work
outside their prescribed shifts without pay. Although “set-up and
shutdown time” is paid work time under our contract, EDD has
directed employees to work before and after their assigned start
and end times.
Intense lobbying by Local 1000 members forced the state to extend
its layoff date for employees working within the 11 building
complexes considered for sale under a budget scheme by former
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The state extended its effective layoff date by sixty days from
March 30 to May 1, 2011, to allow Gov. Jerry Brown more time to
review the proposal. The extension allows us additional time to
assist members in finding other job opportunities if the sale
goes through. Preventing the sale will protect hundreds of
members from layoff.
Twenty-four Unit 1 members participated in a “contract review
marathon” on Jan. 7 and 8 in Sacramento. The goal of the review
is to identify superfluous outsourcing contracts to defend
against State Personnel Board (SPB) challenges, Joint Labor
Management Committees (JLMCs), and provide information to
legislative committees. Fifty-two contracts were analyzed and 87
were targeted for additional analysis.
Interesting findings:
Local 1000 will continue bargaining with the state to mitigate
the effects of layoffs. However, the state hiring freeze makes it
difficult for affected employees to transfer to vacant positions
in other departments.
Heman G. Stark Adult Correctional Facility, Chino
Local 1000 represents nine different bargaining units and over
95,000 state employees. The power of these numbers enables us to
make workplace improvements that make life better for
everyone.
This is a summary of the tentative agreement for Unit 1. To learn
more about all tentative agreements, visit the Contract
Ratification page.
Establish JLMCs (Joint Labor Management Committees) on workload
for:
An initial meet and confer was held with CDCR in late May on the
effects of recent changes in the penal code on the workload of
correctional case records analysts (CCRAs). Although no concrete
agreements were reached, the meeting was helpful in developing a
framework for future discussions. Representing Local 1000 were
CCRAs Karen Devoll of Jamestown and Rhonda Roduner of
Chowchilla.
Future meetings are being planned to focus on workload issues
concerning non-revocable parole (NRP) criteria and SOMS (a data
management system for inmate central files).
The last straw for the thirty correctional case records analysts
and technicians working at Case Records North in Rancho Cordova
was this outrageous remark by a CDCR manager: “If you’re having
stress at work, it’s because you’re having problems at home. Stop
taking your home-problems to work.”
An overwhelming majority of employees did a “Vote of No
Confidence” petition and marched in on a new head manager last
month. Employees demanded a Joint Labor Management Committee
(JLMC) to focus on workload issues and management harassment. The
JLMC was agreed to on the spot.
Unit 1 continues to monitor the status of 180 Unit 3 employees
who transferred last March to Unit 1 positions in lieu of layoff.
It’s been a difficult transition for many. William Hall, one of
about a dozen Unit 1 Statewide Bargaining Advisory Committee
(SBAC) members who volunteered to call Unit 3 transfers, says:
“They are mourning the loss of their prior teaching positions.
The transition to analytical work, and the management style that
goes with it, can be a challenge.”
A major organizational priority this summer is political
activism. Unit 1 members are committed to electing local and
statewide candidates who support public services – and then hold
them accountable. The November election is coming up and we need
even more volunteers to ensure the right candidates win. If you
can help, contact unit1@seiu1000.org.
Here is what’s been happening:
A way to build support for public services is to make sure our
voice is being heard in the local media. Here are some
excerpts from letters written by Unit 1 members. Keep
writing those letters!
Politicians keep spreading myths about state pay and benefits
Peter Brand, Conservancy Project Development Specialist, CCON,
Sacramento Bee, July 6, 2010
Kevin Hopkins spent 26 years as a union member but was rarely
active until 2008 – when he was pushed to the brink after seeing
private contractors receive preferential treatment.
“I always believed in unions, but I was just too busy to get
involved when my kids were younger,” Hopkins said, whose son and
daughter are now 19 and 16 respectively. “Now that I am involved,
I wish I could do even more. We’re in a tough fight to protect
our jobs.”
After pressure by Local 1000, the Employment Development
Department (EDD) converted 24 permanent intermittent positions to
full-time positions last month, bringing the total number of
conversions to 630 over the past five years.
Local 1000 has successfully argued that EDD was understaffed even
before the economic recession began in 2008 and the unemployment
rate spiked above 12 percent, which forced the department to hire
more than 1,000 people.
Local 1000 has met twice with the state, and more meetings are
planned, over the effects of the creation of this new department
on our membership.
Senate Bill 63 (2009) merged the functions of the now-defunct
Integrated Waste Management Board and the Division of Recycling
of the Department of Conservation into the new Department of
Resources Recycling and Recovery, effective January 1, 2010. The
legislation stated that no non-exempt civil service employee was
to lose rights or employee status in the merger.
The first ever Local 1000 IT Professionals Conference was held
the weekend of April 17 in downtown Sacramento. IT professionals
were able to network, get hands-on training and learn about
trends in a fast-changing industry.
“We hope this conference will set the stage for future events
that will focus on the professional needs of the state’s IT
workforce and other occupational groups within Unit 1,” commented
Margarita Maldonado, chair of Bargaining Unit 1 and an associate
information systems analyst at the Department of Justice.
Conference workshops included:
We’ve made headway in the on-going fight against out-of-control
workloads. The state has agreed to and is currently hiring 110
new Disability Insurance Program Representatives (DIPRs) in the
Disability Insurance Branch. EDD has agreed to convert 24
intermittent Employment Program Representatives (EPRs) to
permanent full time positions. In addition, Job Services recently
hired 295 veterans as EPRs as limited term to work in their
“Welcome Home Program.”
The dust has finally settled on CDCR (California Department of
Corrections and Rehabilitation) cuts in its educational and
juvenile justice programs. A key issue now is making sure that
employees who transferred to other positions in lieu of layoff
receive the training they need to pass probation in their new
classifications. In addition, employees who transferred to CCRA
(Correctional Case Records Analyst) positions have the additional
hurdle of passing a background check.
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is proposing to
transfer assigned staff vehicles to an office car pool and reduce
telework options for employees who investigate allegations of
patient abuse.
The union’s concern is that these administrative changes will
make it more difficult for employees to efficiently handle high
caseloads and actually reduce services to the
public.
For more information, contact Paul Romero, health facility
evaluator II, at paul.romero@cdph.ca.gov.
Members back effort to improve service during tough times
Local 1000 is sponsoring new legislation which would allow
out-of-work Californians much needed, in-person assistance with
their unemployment claims.
AB 1827 addresses gaps in current law, and would require the
Employment Development Department (EDD) to assign one UI
representative to each of at least 50 one-stop and career
centers.
Workshops help furloughed state employees keep homes
PROFILE: Claudia Gambaro
Claudia Gambaro often looks for ways to help fellowstate workers
but she never predicted she would become Local 1000’s expert in
helping them avoid foreclosure.
But when the housing crisis hit Gambaro and tens of thousands of
state employees, she wanted to help herself and others keep their
homes.
AB 1897, introduced by Dave Jones (D-Sacramento) and sponsored by
Local 1000, would repeal the authority of the Director of Finance
to sell assets of the State Compensation Insurance Fund
(SCIF).
Earlier this year, Governor Schwarzenegger suggested selling $1
billion worth of the “book of business” to private investors.
This bill would require the Governor’s nine appointees to the
State Compensation Insurance Fund board of directors be subject
to confirmation by the Senate.
An SEIU-sponsored bill would improve the delivery of services to
the unemployed. AB 1827, which has been introduced by Assembly
Members Juan Arambula (Ind-Fresno) and Jose Solario (D-Anaheim),
would amend the Unemployment Insurance Code to require California
to have available walk-in unemployment insurance (UI) services,
provided by current UI-funded and fully-trained workers in
regional one-stop centers.
For more information visit Politics & Legislation >>
Local 1000-backed legislation.
Join other Unit 1 members in pledging to help elect local and
statewide candidates who support quality public services. We’ll
be walking precincts and phoning voters in key districts up and
down the state. Please make a commitment to help by completing
the form below.
Transparency & elimination of loopholes
Local 1000 is sponsoring two bills that will enhance monitoring
the state’s 13,600 personal services and consultant contracts. By
our estimates, the state could save approximately $350 million
annually by utilizing state workers to cut unnecessary and
wasteful outsourcing in IT, medical services and architectural
and engineering contracts.
As part of an invitation extended by the State Personnel Board
(SPB), Brenda Modkins, Alternate Vice-Chair of Bargaining Unit 1,
attended the focus group on behalf of Local 1000. Only one other
state union attended the meeting.
Local 1000 met with the Department of Personnel Administration
(DPA) and the Department of Justice regarding the inclusion of
the Legal Secretary and Legal Analyst classes into the three-rank
pilot project. Local 1000 representatives had many questions. It
appears some departments were simply included in the project to
meet a required minimum of fifty percent. The meeting was
concluded with a lot of unanswered questions by DPA and with
Local 1000 anticipating full responses.
The State Personnel Board (SPB) Executive Officer has ruled
against the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) in a case
challenging the outsourcing of a new community program assessment
service. The executive officer agreed with Local 1000 that state
employees are qualified, experienced and capable of doing this
specialized work. The department has 30 days to challenge the
executive officer’s decision and appeal to the full five-member
SPB board. The cost of this contract is $1.6 million.
In her decision, SPB Executive Officer Suzanne Ambrose wrote:
The Union was notified in December 2009 that 15 of its members
were no longer eligible to participate in a 403(B) retirement
plan due to eligibility changes by the IRS (Internal Revenue
Service).
Local 1000 met with PERS management regarding revisions to the
current gift policy. The new policy would prohibit gifts of any
value to PERS staff that are in “designated positions” under the
Political Reform Act.
The Fair Political Practices Commission currently allows gifts of
$10 or less to not be reported. The new policy has been
implemented for non-represented staff, but is on-hold for Local
1000 bargaining units.
About 2% of Unit 1’s 45,000 members have pending grievances. The
four departments with the largest number of grievances are:
Employment Development Department (EDD) — 327 cases; California
Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) — 95 cases;
Caltrans — 93 cases; and State Compensation Insurance Fund
(SCIF) — 66 cases.
Governor Schwarzenegger recently signed into law changes that
could result in the early release of about 6,500 low-risk felons
over the next year. Prior to release, correctional case records
analysts working in the California Department of Corrections and
Rehabilitation (CDCR) must review the records of more than 20,000
inmates to determine if they meet the new early release
eligibility criteria to recalculate release dates.
