Posted: 1/30/2015
Even though SB 216 did not pass, the resonance of the issue of compaction has made its mark in the knowledgebase of California legislators. ACSS has made tremendous strides in the last several years shedding light and creating awareness into the issue of compaction. Five years ago, lawmakers did not know that compaction was a serious issue facing the managers, supervisors and other excluded state employees. With ACSS’ efforts, compaction is now a known and understood topic at the Capitol. At the recent ACSS Board Meeting held in mid-January of 2015, a Committee member vocalized that “things are starting to happen [with the issue of compaction] and it’s great!” The ACSS Board members agreed.
On January 8, 2015, CalHR released Pay Letter 15-01 for a 4% general salary increase for managers and supervisors of Unit 6. In addition, on January 14, 2015, CalHR released Pay Letter 14-17A as an addition to Pay Letter 14-17 (originally released in September 2014), which announced a special salary adjustment to additional classes of excluded employees of Unit 9. These pay letters are a sign that the compaction ball is rolling and we are starting to see some resolution. Even though not all units and classifications have been addressed by CalHR to resolve the issue of compaction, these pay letters are a start in the right direction.
Immediately after the veto of SB 216, ACSS met with CalHR to discuss the next steps to address compaction. ACSS continues to work closely with CalHR, prioritizing and targeting specific classes. We expected more from the Governor on the support of SB 216 and at this time there is no specific date set to completely resolve the issue of compaction within the State of California. Nevertheless, it is still a top priority for ACSS and despite the unfortunate result of SB 216, we urge members to acknowledge the progress and successes thus far. There has been a fundamental shift in how the state deals with managers and supervisors. It is just in the last few years that the state has finally recognized that compaction must be dealt with and that ACSS is the most prominent organization to lead this monumental effort.
As usual, ACSS will continue to update you with progress on our efforts to resolve compaction.