Unit 14: Printing Trades

Bargaining Unit 14 Recap: Tuesday, June 6, 2023

While State negotiators remain unresponsive to our proposals, our Unit 14 bargaining team pressed forward today to advance career mobility and improve working conditions for the Printing and Allied Trades employees we represent.

“The State’s not being an active partner in bargaining our new contract,” said Robert Vega, Unit 14 Chair. “We’re frustrated because we have a number of proposals, some presented a month ago, which remain unanswered.”

The Unit 14 team has repeatedly committed to being available at any time to negotiate. Our current contract expires in a little over three weeks.

Some incremental progress was made today. “Our members have told us that job protections and job opportunities are important, along with a pay increase” added Vega.

We proposed a new language that keeps the graphic design work within our bargaining unit by ensuring their exclusive use of Adobe Creative Suite software. Our goal is to stem the persistent and pervasive use of this Adobe software by non-bargaining unit personnel.

In addition to this proposal, we’re seeking greater transparency and accountability from the State by filing an information request to ascertain how widespread usage of this program is.

Also today, we reached tentative agreement with the State on two contract sections governing career growth. They are “rollovers” that preserve the previous contract wins:

• 13.11.14 – Upward Mobility
• 13.12.14 – Posting of Vacancies and Job Openings

You can read the details of these and all current contract articles at contract.seiu1000.org

Unit 4 will return to the table on Tuesday, June 13. In addition, we’ve made it clear to State negotiators we’re ready to meet at any time to foster progress. To see updates on other bargaining unit contract 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 14 Recap: Tuesday, May 30, 2023

After a short holiday break, the Unit 14 team returned to the bargaining table today to represent our print tradespeople in the fight for a fair contract that respects, protects, and pays all SEIU Local 1000 workers a fair wage.

We presented three proposals today, two of which were rollover proposals featuring hard-earned rights won in previous contracts:

• 19.9.14 Exchange of Time Off – Multi Shift Operations (Unit 14)
• 19.13.14 Overtime Assignment for Workweek Group II (WWG2) Employees (Unit 14)

“Section 19.13.14 is significant because in previous negotiations, the State actually proposed to take this away from our Unit 14 workers,” said Unit 14 Chair and Printing Process and Operations Planner Robert Vega. “We’ve had problems in the past when equipment operators were asked to put in overtime. Managers would often assign lower classification employees to perform the work in order to save money. This strong union language allows us to maintain this benefit for WWG2 employees and ensure the distribution of overtime continues to be based on seniority. That would be a big win for us.”

Unit 14 also proposed one section of new language today:

• 14.7.14 Assignment of Duties Normally Performed by Bargaining Unit Employees (Unit 14)

The benefit of section 14.7.14 begins with the fact that Unit 14 is specifically excluded from the Master Table language, so the team proposed to strengthen it by adding in some additional requirements for notification to the Union within this section. Specifically, the team asked that the State provide the basic information that the Union would have to request within an information request after receiving the notice.

In essence, that means the State would be required to tell us that they intend to do something that may negatively impact our workers. In addition, they would be required to do the research prior to noticing us regarding who is impacted, how they are impacted, what is causing the impact, and how that work will change—and for all of this to be contained in the notice. These measures would allow us to minimize response times to our employees so that they can quickly provide us with their opinion on any decision we might make in turn.

But the best news of the day might have been that the State presented four rollover articles to the team. “That’s reason itself for us to be excited,” said Ed Page, a Print Processing and Operations Planner at OSP. “However, we’re disappointed that the State has still not responded to many of our outstanding proposals.”

Unit 14 returns to the table next week, on Tuesday, June 6. To see updates on other bargaining unit contract 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 14 Recap: Tuesday, May 23, 2023

The Unit 14 team continued their efforts to advance the needs of their print tradespeople by presenting four rollover proposals on sections 11.51.14, 11.55.14, 14.17.14, and 14.18.14

The team also reached tentative agreement on four contract sections, including 14.17.14 and 14.18.14, along with two new language proposals — “Classification Review of Printing Trade Specialist Trainee” and “Classification Review of Digital Print Operator.”

“The two new language proposals that the State agreed to are a significant victory for the Unit 14 team and the print tradespeople we represent,” said Unit 4 Chair and Printing Process and Operations Planner Robert Vega. “We’ve had long-standing issues with each of these classifications, especially the Printing Trade Specialist Trainee. It’s a very low paid, entry level classification, and the State has begun to use it as a utility position within the DGS and OSP printing floor operation.”

“They’re over-utilizing these people to do an increasing large number of tasks, essentially using them as a stop gap to fill vacancies rather than hiring other classifications,” added Howard Hall, Webfed Offset Press Operator III. “We need to ensure that our workers are only doing the work they’re hired to do and have the ability to move up as they increase their skills.”

You can read the details of these and all current contract articles at contract.seiu1000.org

It’s also important to note that all four of the TAs that the team reached today were classification reviews of different classifications. That means the State agreed that all four classifications are in need of additional attention and require joint review; the language we added allows us to create individual committees to do so. The committees will include four members of Local 1000 and four members from the State, who will work together to resolve long-standing issues within these classifications.

While the team is working hard to make it clear to the State why we need — and merit — special salary adjustments, it’s equally important that all printing trade specialist trainees understand that the team has heard and is working hard to address the challenges you’re having at work.

“The discussion we had today relieves a lot of anxiety and anxiousness surrounding the delays we’re facing with the State,” said Ed Page, a Print Processing and Operations Planner at OSP. “But there are more challenges ahead.”

To read about what happened in Tuesday’s Bargaining Unit 1, 3, 4, and 17 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 14 Recap: Tuesday, May 16, 2023

The Unit 14 bargaining team took a different approach to their contract negotiation with the State by meeting on-site at the Office of State Publishing (OSP) with representatives from CalHR and the Department of Finance along with several other individuals from the State team.

The team proceeded to lead the group on a tour of the facility, explaining the equipment utilized at the OSP, the classification, and individuals operating the equipment—what they do, how it fits together, and how the team is instrumental in creating the finished product. Unit 14 members who participated in the tour include:

• Robert Vega, Printing Process and Operations Planner
• Howard Hall, Webfed Offset Press Operator III
• Edward Page, Printing Process and Operations Planner
• Sam Rice, Senior Union Representative

The State’s team was appreciative of the tour and responsive to the conditions unit 14 members work in and the product they produce. The state representatives were able to see items come off the press as well as folded and bound finished pamphlets and informational guides and followed up with numerous questions. Later in the afternoon, Unit 14 chair Robert Vega and the team met with the State and submitted one proposal:

• 11.1.14 – Special Salary Adjustment (Unit 14)

You can read the details of these and all current contract articles at contract.seiu1000.org

The Unit 14 team was joined by five subject matter experts who are not currently members of the Unit 14 Bargaining Unit Negotiating Committee (BUNC), and together the team submitted a proposal for a 5% across-the-board raise for all classifications in Unit 14. This would be in addition to any general salary increase Local 1000 workers hope to receive as a whole. The Bargaining Unit Subject Matter Experts for this contract are:

• Jeff Fowler, Graphic Designer III
• Britton Sarmento, Digital Composition Specialist III
• Ramone Romero, Book Binder IV
• Jean Pierre Correa, Sheetfed Offset Press Operator V
• Howard Hall, Webfed Offset Press Operator III
• Jason Hettrick, Printing Plant Machinist
• Mitchel Gamez, Printing Trade Specialist Trainee
• Edward Page, Printing Process and Operations Planner

The rationale behind the proposal is based on the fact that Unit 14 personnel were required to work in person throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, recruitment and retention continue to be problematic due to low wages, leading to high vacancy rates. Several members of the team also shared their experiences, from having to work overtime to make up the difference for unfilled staff positions to having to work second jobs to pay their rent.

“We want to thank the OSP personnel who stepped up to make the facility presentation such a success,” said Unit 14 chair Vega. “The tour set the stage for our subject matter experts. Afterward, the state was able to directly correlate between what we do and what we’re asking for.”

“The value, dedication, and loyalty that we provide to the state was on full display today,” added Ed Page, a Print Processing and Operations Planner at OSP. “The people who work here are because they want to be here. We take pride in our jobs, the work we perform, and our ability to rise above the unforeseen obstacles that have stood in our way. But we also feel like we deserve to be paid for that loyalty and the hardships we’ve overcome.”

To read about what happened in Tuesday’s Bargaining Unit 1, 3, 4, and 17 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 14 Recap: Tuesday, May 9, 2023

Led by Bargaining Chair Robert Vega, the Unit 14 Bargaining team met with the State again on Tuesday, May 9, to negotiate a contract that respects, protects, and pays our print trades workers a fair wage.

In today’s negotiating session, Vega and his colleagues presented four proposals along with two rollover proposals to the state. “Rollovers” are articles that remain unchanged from current language. These agreements keep in place hard-won rights from previous contract campaigns. Today’s Unit 14 rollover articles included:

• Article 11.52.14 – M1000 Skill Pay Differential (Unit 14)
• Article 11.53.14 – HP10,000 Skill Pay Differential (Unit 14)

The BU 14 team also presented two new language proposals to the State, each a request for a special classification review and each unique in their own right; one is for a Printing Trade Specialist Trainee series (PTSTs) and the other a proposal for a Digital Print Operator series (DPOs).

The Printing Trade Specialist Trainee series has been a low paid position within Unit 14 that has been utilized to large degree as a utility position. The State currently pays them a lower wage in order to gain more efficiency, to the detriment of the facility and the individuals. With this proposal, Unit 14 is seeking to outline pathways for those individuals to achieve greater upward mobility.

The work for the Digital Print Operator series has changed dramatically, and these workers are now asked to do significantly more work. Not surprisingly, this has caused a correspondingly large 30% vacancy rate.

With the four additional Tentative Agreements (TAs) on rollover language proposed today and four from the prior meeting, BU 14 has now signed 8 TAs total.

The bargaining team is looking forward to next week when they will host the State of California negotiating team on a site visit at DGS OSP, where the State will see what we do and what our working conditions are like in person.

Following the tour, the teams will meet in the afternoon to present substantive economic proposals to the State.

“The leaders of our bargaining team deserve a lot of credit for how they presented the new proposals,” added Ed Page, a Print Processing and Operations Planner at OSP. “They were very well received, and we’re looking forward to this translating into better outcomes for all of our workers.”

To read about what happened in Tuesday’s Bargaining Unit 1, 3, 4, and 17 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 14 Recap: Tuesday, April 25, 2023

The Unit 14 Bargaining team met with the State for their first 2023 contract negotiation session on Tuesday, April 25, as part of SEIU Local 1000’s effort to win a good contract for our 96,000 workers.

Led by Chair Robert Vega, this marked BU 14’s first bargaining session with the State in 2023, as their initial session was canceled by CalHR due to a scheduling conflict. In recognition, the team began the session with short individual introductions and explanations of their various job duties.  

The team then presented eight (8) proposals. These included:

• 5.14.14 – BU 14 Upward Mobility Joint Labor Management Committee (Unit 14)
• 8.22.14 – Vacation Calendar (Unit 14)
• 9.19.14 – Light/Limited Duty Assignments (Unit 14)
• 10.8.14 – Protective Clothing Program at Office of State Publishing (OSP) (Unit 14

Of the eight, the two sides agreed to sign Tentative Agreements (rollover existing contract language with no changes)  on the following four (4):

• 2.4.14 – Distribution of Literature (Unit 14)
• 3.3.14 – Union Label (Unit 14)
• 5.13.14 – INTENTIONALLY EXCLUDED
• 5.18.14 – Joint Labor Management Committee (JLMC) – Office of State Publishing (OSP) (Unit 14)

 The most significant of these is the Printing Trades Union Label, which serves as a physical representation of the service Unit 14 workers provide. 

As the session came to a close, the Unit 14 team tried a different tactic by inviting the CalHR team to a worksite visit for the next negotiating session on May 9. The CalHR team accepted the invitation, an important gesture in itself, and agreed to hold the next meeting at the DGS OSP worksite.

“We feel like we might have started something that could be good for other negotiating units to utilize,” said Ed Page, a Print Processing and Operations Planners at OSP. “They don’t actually know what we do, so seeing it in person could lend greater context to our upcoming conversations.”

Plans call for Vega to give a brief tour of the floor to familiarize the State with our working conditions. Following the tour, the teams will meet in the afternoon to discuss additional proposals.

To read about what happened in Tuesday’s Bargaining Unit 1, 3, 4, and 17 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.