Know Your Rights: Furlough settlement

Why isn't my department getting the furlough settlement?

Furloughs were devastating to all state employees. That is why your ACSS - along with organizations like SEIU - fought so hard for so long to overturn them.

In the end, SEIU procured back pay for rank and file employees at five agencies by agreeing to drop all ongoing furlough litigation. Your ACSS and other organizations then successfully fought to get the settlement extended to excluded employees in the impacted agencies.

So why isn't your department on the list of those that received back pay?

An appellate court decision dictated the criterion for exclusion from furloughs:

The court declared furloughs legal for all state agencies except those that did not receive "an item of appropriation" from the annual budget act.  The five agencies in the settlement - First 5 California, Prison Industry Authority, California Earthquake Authority, California Housing Finance Agency, and California State Lottery - represent the agencies that receive no money through the budget act. Essentially, these five agencies fall outside the budget process and can therefore compensate employees without impacting the state's General Fund.

Source: SEIU Furlough Litigation Settlement FAQ