The State Budget continues to evolve as the Legislature and Governor continue negotiations, which include the details of possible pay raises along with reductions in state employee compensation.
With a legislative rule that bills must be in print for 72 hours, the Legislature on June 10, 2020 released the latest version of the State Budget in Senate Bill 808. The Legislature is expected to pass this version of the State Budget with votes on the June 15 constitutional deadline. What it means for excluded employee compensation is far from clear, and additional legislative action impacting state employee compensation outside the main State Budget bill remains likley.
Senate Bill 808 includes funding for the previously planned July 1, 2020 excluded employee salary increases and funding for raises included in bargaining unit labor contracts. While this is potentially good news, the possibility remains that the Governor could use his budget authority to remove this funding from the State Budget and not provide those July 1, 2020 pay raises to excluded employees.
With Senate Bill 808, the Legislature also expects that employee compensation will be reduced by approximately ten percent, to be achieved through collective bargaining and reductions for excluded employees. If those compensation decreases and savings are not in place by July 1, 2020, the Legislature “expects to pursue alternative legislative options” to authorize those reductions, presumably through a personal leave program or furloughs for excluded employees.
Also of concern, if additional federal funding is not obtained by September 1, 2020, trigger language may authorize additional employee compensation reductions beginning October 1, 2020. The details and intent of this language are uncertain.
With this framework, a lot will depend on collective bargaining and agreements to reduce compensation and the Governor’s action regarding the possible July 1, 2020 general salary increases and special salary adjustments.
ACSS’ legislative advocates and legal team are continuing to advocate for the interests of excluded employees. As “budget trailer bills” and bills approving any agreements reached by rank-and-file organizations are presented to the legislature for approval and funding, ACSS will continue its aggressive advocacy for excluded employees. While we await more clarity from the adoption of the final State Budget and any impacts from collective bargaining, ACSS will also continue advocacy with CalHR over salaries and the details of any temporary reductions to excluded employee compensation.