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The Triennial event for ACSS Elections and Policy Changes
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) notified the Association of California State Supervisors (ACSS) of its intent to modify the existing policy and procedures to the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) effective June 1, 2015. The modifications includes changes to the DOM as well as several new and revised CDCR Forms. Click here to view a copy of the notice to ACSS. All CDCR DAI staff will receive training on the updated PREA policy and procedures. This will also impact CCHCS staff. The proposed modifications may impact your working conditions.
To preserve your rights and address the concerns of our members, ACSS requested a meet and confer with CDCR and CCHCS. Under the Bill of Rights for State Excluded Employees Government Code Section 3533 a “Meet and Confer” means that the state employer shall consider as fully as it deems reasonable, such presentations as are made by ACSS - the verified supervisory employee organization - on behalf of its supervisory members prior to arriving at a determination of policy or course of action.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the PREA modifications that you would like ACSS to address, please contact Nellie Lynn, ACSS Assistant Director of Representation via email at nlynn@ACSS.org by May 8, 2015. Your thoughts and input regarding these proposed modifications are important to ensure that the concerns of all impacted members are addressed.
Have you received your ACSS Elections ballot in the mail? If you are a member of ACSS and have not received your ballot in the mail, please contact ACSS HQ at (800) 624-2137. Visit the ACSS Elections Listing of Candidates page on our website for more details of the candidates running for positions in your chapter.
ACSS is happy to report a huge milestone achievement in the resolution of compaction for some critical supervisory classifications at CDCR. Over the past several years, ACSS has diligently spent a tremendous amount of time and effort advocating for the end of compaction in classifications where supervisors were drastically underwater. One of the most egregious examples of this was in the Office of Correctional Education where supervisor’s salaries were 13% less than the teachers they supervised. In a March 25, 2015, meeting, CDCR informed ACSS that they submitted a compaction proposal to CalHR requesting a salary increase for Supervisors of Vocational Instruction (2370), Supervisors of Academic Instruction (2305), and Supervisors of Correctional Educational Programs (2303) for a total of 99 impacted excluded employees state-wide. The proposal provides for a special salary adjustment to finally bring those classifications up to a 5% salary differential above the employees they supervise. CDCR stated that the funding for the salary increase has already been included in the current budget proposal. The proposal may still require legislative approval, however ACSS is pleased that our tireless efforts on behalf of our members finally resulted in positive action on this critical matter. ACSS continues to fully support this compaction resolution and work tirelessly to push the issue into effect in alliance with CDCR, CalHR and the Administration.
>> See related article on CDCR Quarterly Meetings
Posted: 4/21/2015
CDCR and ACSS meet on a quarterly basis to discuss various workplace issues. At the last quarterly meeting held in late March 2015, the following topics were reviewed:
Upward Mobility: ACSS has been working with concerned CDCR members in efforts to preserve upward mobility opportunities. We have have made strides towards consolidating classifications so that promotion opportunities remain intact and are not abolished. This reevaluation of classifications ties in with the Administration’s Classification Improvement Project.
Administrative Officer Duty: On behalf of ACSS members, we raised concerns for pay equity amongst all of the CDCR classifications that perform Administrative Officer of the Day Duty (AOD) duty as per the Department Operations Manual (DOM). ACSS shared with CDCR some general information from a recent survey of members who perform AOD, which provided solid reasoning for the members’ concerns. CDCR will take closer look at “managerial” levels or ranks in comparable classifications, and not necessarily salary levels, to resolve this issue.
Starting May 1, 2015, excluded state workers can apply to cash out their unused paid leave time into money. Cashing in on this opportunity is helpful for both taxpayers and the government and actually helps curb increases to the state's liability, since unused time cashed out at the end of employment is based on final salary. Excluded employees are allowed to cash out up to 40 hours.
>> Click here to read more on this topic from the SacBee article
>> Click here to see CalHR's memo PDF on the Excluded Employee Leave Buy-Back Program
Posted: 4/17/2015
In order to make the state more efficient and nimble, CalHR is working with the Administration to abolish unnecessary classifications that have been unused over the past 24 months. Cal HR submitted a Classification Consolidation Project strategic plan to the State’s Personnel Board on January 8, 2015 in alignment with the Governor’s 2015-16 Budget Summary to “streamline the state’s job classifications”.
In 2007, SPB and DPA identified over 4,200 separate classifications, of which, 1,000 were vacant. The lengthy list of classifications proposed for the chopping block are the first phase in improving the Civil Service System by consolidating the classifications into broader, more usable occupational families. According to CalHR, “each classification will be reviewed to ensure we do not take away opportunities for upward mobility, restrict entry into state service, eliminate necessary bridging classifications, or negatively impact current or future state employees/members”. Click here to see the entire list of classifications proposed to be abolished.
By removing unused classifications, we anticipate that the complicated task of ending salary compaction may be simplified. In the Classification Consolidation Project report, an item in the Post-Project Implementation Challenges section states “salary compaction issues will occur, but consideration should be given to offering safety and pay differentials for supervisors and managers.” ACSS is determined to work with CalHR to make this project progress smoothly and with utmost fairness.
As always, ACSS will update you on progress with this important issue.
Posted: 4/16/2015
CalPERS released a statement on 4/14/15 that announced state funding (from the employer) towards pensions increased by approximately 6 percent. This rate is up from the 2014-15 fiscal year, but less than originally projected. The state employee’s contributions are rising due to the demographic of public employees living longer, implementation of new smoothing policies, and because payroll of state employees covered under CalPERS has increased by 7 percent over last year. The state’s contribution towards pensions is estimated to increase by $487 million from $4.2 billion to $4.7 billion in the next fiscal year. Currently, the state pension plan is approximately 72 percent funded. Full state valuation rates for the next five years will be available this summer. Click here to read more details about state actuarial valuation and employer contribution rates, provided by CalPERS Finance & Administration Committee.
According to Richard Costigan, Chair of the Finance and Administration Committee of CalPERS, “Pension plans require stable funding, and the new rates incorporate the Board’s actions over the last several years that will reduce rate volatility in the long term.”
As always, ACSS is monitoring and keeping a close watch on this issue. We are ensuring that the state does not pass additional pension contributions onto employees, like what has been proposed for healthcare in the 2015-15 State Budget. We will continue to keep you informed as this issue unfolds.
Click here to read the CalPERS news release.
Posted: 4/15/2015
The Q2 2015 Newsletter is now online! This issue features Another Attack on Employee Compensation: Prefunding Retiree Healthcare. Check it out now!
Posted: 4/10/2015
ACSS Elections are coming up! All candidates have been nominated and voting ballots will be sent soon. Look out for them in your mailbox and make sure to cast your vote! Here is a timeline of important dates for the Elections:
For more information on ACSS elections, visit the Elections page on the ACSS website.
In addition, if you wish to run for the position of ACSS Board of Directors at Delegate Assembly, we are now accepting Candidate Consent Forms and Candidate Statements.
Posted: 4/3/2015
Wendy M. Looney joined ACSS’s staff in March 2015 to represent the members of the Sacramento area in Chapter 503 and the northern and eastern California counties of Chapter 502. A skilled lawyer since 2008, Wendy brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the ACSS LRR team specializing in plaintiff law, handling employment discrimination and advocating for victims rights. She recently moved to California from Mississippi and is an avid cyclist and outdoor enthusiast. If you are in need of representation in the workplace or have a difficult job-related issue, contact Wendy at (916) 326-4302 or email wlooney@acss.org.
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