Unit 21: Educational Consultants and Librarians

Bargaining Unit 21 Recap: Monday, May 22, 2023

We’ve listened carefully to the contract priorities of our Unit 21 members—gathered at town halls and through bargaining surveys—and we’re responding with proposals that reinforce our rights and underscore the State’s obligation as an employer.

While we’re pushing hard to advance those priorities, there’s been no real response from the State on proposals that have been on the table for weeks. “I haven’t been given the authority,” was the response from the State’s lead negotiator when pressed for an explanation.

Today, Unit 21 presented five contract sections as “rollover” language that our members identified as top priorities.

“These sections define the professional status of our members and ensure our ability to perform at our best,” said bargaining team member Susie Watt. “These protections are of vital importance to every Unit 21 employee.”

Those key “rollover” sections are:

• 19.19.21 Work Week Group E – Policy (FLSA-Exempt) (Unit 21) 
• 19.19.21(a) Guidelines for Applying Work Week Group E Policy (Unit 21)
• 21.16.21 Professional Responsibility (Unit 21) 

These three sections are made more important because Unit 21 employees are more likely to work well over 40 hours a week. A number of grievances have been filed over the violation of rights conferred in these three articles, yet the State isn’t seeing that simple respect for the contract by the State and its managers is a clear path to improving our work environment.

Unit 21 proposed stronger and more precise language in the following section:

• 10.13.21 Access to Work Areas 24 Hours (Unit 21)

Our goal is to strengthen language that governs our ability to align office access and our personal work schedules. “Few of our employees have a conventional schedule, and expanded access ensures the quality and timeliness of our work product,” said Unit 21 Chair Bobby Roy.

Today, we also proposed to roll over the following sections:

• 8.21.21 10-12 Leave (Unit 21) 
• 8.31.21 Personal Leave Program 1992 and 2003 (Unit 21) 

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

No bargaining is scheduled for next Monday (Memorial Day). Unit 21 returns to the negotiating table in two weeks, on Monday, June 5. To see updates on other bargaining unit contract sessions, click here for our Contract Action Center page at seiu1000.org.

If you’re not already an SEIU Local 1000 member, join us today.

And be sure to save your spot for the upcoming June 8 March to the Governor’s mansion here.

Bargaining Unit 21 Recap: Monday, May 15, 2023

As the Unit 21 bargaining team presses the State for additional recognition of their professional skills, their commitment to serving the state, and the importance of their work, we’re utilizing members as Subject Matter Experts who provide real context to the jobs they do and the challenges they face.

Today, three of our Unit 21 archivists spoke in support of three contract sections we proposed that would strengthen existing language by aligning it more closely with today’s reality.

To wit: our Archivist series job classification hasn’t been updated since 1966—just one example of many where the state is falling farther and farther behind in recognizing and correcting this and many similar needs of Unit 21 members.

Stephanie Geller, Veronica Lara, and Melissa Tyler used real-life examples of those challenges; perhaps none more stunning than the evolution of the documents they handle from paper to digital.

“Old job specs don’t speak at all to the work we do. Digital information requires new skills to collect, preserve, and provide access to records, and we’re fighting to bridge the gap between new job demands and the formal education required to do our jobs,” said Archivist Veronica Lara. “Every day we’re not trained or earn additional certifications is another day the state loses records.”

Today, under the umbrella of “Respect Us!” and “Pay Us,” we proposed stronger, more relevant language on the following contract sections:

• 12.14.21 Professional Development (Unit 21) 
• 12.15.21 Reimbursement of Credential – License Fees (Unit 21)
• 11.64.21 Professional Development (Unit 21) 

A proposal for new contract language—XX.XX.21 Telecommute Telework Program (Unit 21)—was presented by Unit 21 bargaining team member Monica Grimes and the Unit 21 archivists, who described key issues affirming our professional status—that we are evaluated by our work product and are not hourly employees. This new contract section reinforces our demand for respect to do our work professionally and on time.

Finally, under the heading of “Respect Us,” we reached tentative agreement on two previously-presented proposals. They are 13.6.21 Performance Appraisal and 21.17.21 Recognition of Authorship.

“This is a bargaining unit comprised of life-long learners,” said Unit 21 chair Bobby Roy. “In all cases, we want to be fairly treated, to enhance our service to the state through career development and to grow in our jobs.

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

Unit 21 returns to the table next week, on Monday, May 22. To see updates on other bargaining unit contract sessions, click here for our Contract Action Center page at seiu1000.org.

If you’re not already an SEIU Local 1000 member, join us today.

Unit 21 Bargaining Summary: Monday, May 8, 2023

Our Unit 21 (Educational Consultants and Librarians) bargaining team continues to press state negotiators for recognition and reward for contributions they make to California, for the high level of expertise and experience their job classifications demand, and for the adverse working conditions they experience due to untenable workloads and a high vacancy rate.

“Respect us, protect us, and pay us isn’t a campaign slogan, it’s a demand,” said Bobby Roy, Unit 21 Bargaining Chair. “We are presenting contract proposals that will make all three of those demands real for Unit 21’s represented employees.”

Today, we called for respect and pay by proposing stronger language for 11.65.21 – Arduous Pay Differential. Our classifications don’t offer overtime or CTO for additional work, which is prevalent due to high vacancy rates. We’re calling for contract changes that will compel management to provide timely answers for requests for this differential, and for the ability to use a grievance/arbitration procedure when denials are unreasonable.

Several subject matter experts from Unit 21 were on hand to present our proposal and back it up with a compelling presentation. Click here to learn more about the issue.

We also are making a “pay us” demand with new language in 11.2.21 – Special Salary Adjustments in the following three classifications: Nursing Educational Consultant (58%); Transportation Program Consultants (14.28%); and Private Postsecondary Education Senior Specialists (5%).

Six of our Nursing Educational Consultants (NECs) joined the bargaining session to illustrate their need for respect and parity, and a 58% Special Salary Adjustment. “This is a classification that is facing a 41% vacancy rate, demands an experienced, licensed nurse with additional educational degrees, yet pays $11,000 a year less than registered nurses fresh out of school,” said Chair Bobby Roy.

Local 1000 is making a concerted effort to show that state workers aren’t anonymous lines on a spreadsheet—they are dedicated professionals. These SSAs would reward them for their commitment.

Grace Clerk is a NEC, working in Redlands for the Department of Consumer Affairs, where she “protects the state, protects the health care providers, and the patients,” but asks, “Who protects the Nursing Education Consultant?” She wants to be recognized as a nurse “who has dedicated my life to my passion. I am not a nameless person behind a computer.”

Towards that goal of recognition, and to stave off a growing vacancy rate, Unit 21 today proposed new language calling for a 5% Recruitment and Retention differential for NECs.

We continue to make progress on other fronts, reaching tentative agreement on seven “rollover” articles from previous contract wins, all focused on the concept of “protecting” Unit 21-represented employees. In addition, we presented two additional articles to the state, also existing articles, for “rollover” – 13.6.21 Performance Appraisal of Permanent Employees, and 21.17.21 Recognition of Authorship.

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

Unit 21 returns to the table next week, on Monday, May 15. To see updates on other bargaining unit contract sessions, click here for our Contract Action Center page at seiu1000.org.

If you’re not already an SEIU Local 1000 member, join us today.

Bargaining Unit 21 Recap: Monday, May 1, 2023

Persistent and widespread vacancies are one of the biggest challenges facing Unit 21 (Educational Consultants and Librarians) we represent. The adverse impacts on our workload and the quality of the service we provide to Californians are increasing.

In 2019, Unit 21 had a 14% vacancy rate; today, it’s grown 50% to a staggering 22%. With one in five positions unfilled. The Unit 21 team chose to have an open-ended discussion about the problem.

We asked the State about their awareness of the problem, and what their plans were to improve the working conditions by filling the positions. The responses were less than satisfying. In one example, the State claimed increased recruiting efforts at the college level, despite many Unit 21 job descriptions calling for a minimum of 3-5 years experience.

“The state’s solutions don’t match the problems we face,” said Susie Watt, a member of the Unit 21 Bargaining Unit Negotiating Committee (BUNC). “We’ll continue to keep pushing the issue as we work through these negotiations.”

Unit 21 reached a tentative agreement with the State to “rollover” the current contract language for article 12.25.1, preserving our rights to reimbursement for medical examinations related to commercial driver licensing.

Today, we proposed to “rollover” seven additional contract articles that are examples of our “protect us” demand during this contract campaign and every day at work. Of particular note in this group: articles that govern training in infectious disease control (like COVID) and training in dangerous situations. These are all hard-won rights from previous contract battles.

• 10.5.21 Health Promotion Activities (Unit 21) 
• 10.7.21 Protective Clothing (Unit 21) 
• 10.9.21 Safety Equipment (Unit 21) 
• 10.14.21 Personal Alarms (Unit 21)
• 10.20.21 Training for Hostile and Threatening Behavior (Unit 21)
• 10.25.21 Training in Infectious Disease Control (Unit 21)
• 13.10.21 Education and Training Required by Department (Unit 21)

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

Unit 21 returns to the table next week, on Monday, May 8. To see updates on other bargaining unit contract sessions, click here for our Contract Action Center page at seiu1000.org.

If you’re not already an SEIU Local 1000 member, join us today.

Unit 21 Bargaining Summary: Monday, April 24, 2023

Bargaining Unit 21 went to the table with the State for their second bargaining session, negotiating for unit-specific contract advances for the Educational Consultants and Librarians we represent.

The April 24 session was hallmarked by the appearance of four subject matter experts who provided personal stories as a prelude to the proposal of a new contract article that would pay a $300 differential for our Transportation Program Consultants (TPC), who are required to hold and maintain a commercial driver license as part of their job requirements.

Andrew Peters, Ula Justus, and Kerri Gardner represented the TPCs and shared the story of their responsibility in “training the trainers” who, in turn, train and certify the 56,000 bus drivers who transport more than a million of California’s K-12 students each year, while driving more than a quarter-billion miles. 

“California’s school transportation system is the safest in the nation,” said Andrew Peters. “Our job requires significant driving experience, transportation management experience, and … a commercial license.” Our proposal aligns TPCs with other job classifications across the state who have similar licensing requirements and already receive a differential.

The team worked on two additional articles related to reimbursement related to maintaining those commercial licenses, and await the State’s response.

Hilary Thomson, Education Fiscal Services Assistant, was a fourth subject matter expert, and part of the one out of five Unit 21 employees that are not currently offered educational leave, despite the continuing education demands of their work. Our team presented a proposal to modify article 8.28.21, Educational Leave, to include the remaining eight (8) Unit 21 classifications not currently eligible for educational leave. At the same time, we proposed rollover language on a related article, 17.11.21, which converts unused educational leave into retirement service credits.

Following up on last week’s bargaining session, the Unit 21 team secured tentative agreement on eight different “rollover” proposals from last week, which maintain language from our current contract and preserve hard-won rights from past contract campaigns.

• 12.13.21 – Tools, Business Equipment, Materials and Supplies
• 14.4.21 – Duty Statements, Post Orders, and Work Instructions
• 15.4.21 – Employee Opportunity Transfer 
• 19.1.21 – Hours of Work
• 19.16.21 - Shift Change 
• 19.28.21 – Reduced Work Time
• 19.29.21 – Release Time for Commercial Driver’s License Examination 
• 21.24.21 – Job Related Conferences and Conventions

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

Unit 21 returns to the table next week, on Monday, May 1. To see updates on other bargaining unit contract sessions, click here for our Contract Action Center page at seiu1000.org.

If you’re not already an SEIU Local 1000 member, join us today.

Unit 21 Bargaining Recap: April 17, 2023

The Educational Consultants and Librarians represented by Local 1000—Bargaining Unit 21—went to the table with the State on April 17 for the first day of negotiations on unit-specific issues.

Respect Us! was the focus of this inaugural session. “Unit 21 employees are professionals with a special kind of expertise and deserve a contract that’s respectful of their commitment and contribution to the education of California’s youth,” said Bargaining Unit 21 Chair Bobby Roy.

“We are essential because while students are a fraction of our population, they are 100 percent of our future,” he added.

Unit 21 presented six contract articles to the State for “rollover,” signaling our desire that the existing language remains unchanged, keeping in place the hard-won rights from previous contract campaigns.

These six “rollovers” all govern working conditions. BU 21 Chair Bobby Roy underscored two of these as exemplars of Respect Us! “15.4.21, Employee Transfer, is important to Bargaining Unit 21 because as professionals, we embrace new challenges. 19.1.21, Hours of Work, is a priority to those BU 21 members in Workweek Group Two because it protects the quality of work/life balance.”

• 12.13.21 – Tools, Business Equipment, Materials, and Supplies
• 14.4.21 – Duty Statements, Post Orders, and Work Instructions
• 15.4.21 – Employee Opportunity Transfer 
• 19.1.21 – Hours of Work
• 19.16.21 - Shift Change 
• 19.28.21 – Reduced Work Time
• 19.29.21 – Release Time for Commercial Driver’s License Examination 
• 21.24.21 – Job-Related Conferences and Conventions

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

Unit 21 returns to the table next week, on Monday, April 24. 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.