NEWS

Anti-compaction bill on hold

After passing through the Senate with nearly unanimous bipartisan support, ACSS' anti-compaction bill - SB 216 - is currently in the “suspense” file in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. This is standard procedure for bills that have a cost associated with them; however, ACSS Executive Director Rocco Paternoster notes that SB 216 is not without opposition:

"[SB 216] is facing strong opposition from the Department of Finance (as directed by the Governor). ACSS continues to aggressively press the importance of resolving salary compaction with the legislature; CalHR; the Governor’s Office and will be discussing the matter with Marybel Batjer who is up for confirmation as the Secretary of the California Government Operations Agency this Wednesday."

Mr. Paternoster continues, regarding SB 216's future:

"SB 216 is a two-year bill and is viable up to July 2014.  ACSS will continue to advocate passage and signing of this bill but will also continue to advocate at all levels so that the issue of compaction is fully understood and rectified."

CalPERS highlights local investment

CalPERS is quietly creating jobs and heavily investing in the future of California, a new report shows.

The 2011-12 annual report shows that CalPERS invested more than $20 billion dollars in California during that time period. Those investments have "supported or created" nearly 1.5 million jobs for Californians.

For more detail, see the full report.

Kindle Sweepstakes Winners!

The winners of the 2013 ACSS Kindle Sweepstakes have been selected through a verified random process via www.randompicker.com

The odds of winning were 1 in 10.8

Winners will receive one Kindle Fire HD 7" tablet computer with a custom designed ACSS case.

Congratulations to contest winners Justen Burns, Francine Davies, Nicholas Hromyak, Linda Maxwell, and Victor Wells.

Q3 board meeting hotel deadline approaching

Have you reserved your room for the upcoming board meeting in Costa Mesa?

Remember: In order to have your costs reimbursed you must have your chapter president's approval prior to booking your room or attending.

The deadline to lock in your discounted room rate is Wednesday, August 28th.

Once you have your president's approval, reserve your room through this link to get the discount.

Meet Chapter 502 President Lt. Coopwood

ACSS recently chatted via email with newly appointed Chapter 502 President Lieutenant Coopwood about his concerns about the future for state supervisors, the challenges of state hiring practices, running one of ACSS' geographically largest chapters, and more.

When did you start working for the state?
I’ve been employed with the state of California for over 18 years now. I switched from working at McClellan A.F.B as an Aircraft Electrician to work for DCA (Department of Consumer Affairs) I.T. (Internet Technology) division. I wasn’t able to put my college computer degree into practice at McClellan, hence the reason for the switch. I also gained a lot of management skills while in the Air Force for 33 years.

How well do you Know Your Rights?

This Fall, ACSS will be holding a series of "Know Your Rights" meetings throughout the state.

Our professional labor relations staff will be on hand to give you a rundown of your rights as a state supervisor, manager, or confidential employee, as well as telling you what you should do if you ever hit a rough patch in your career.

The meetings have already begun, and run through the Fall. Find your local meeting now and get informed!

CDCR Wave 4 Layoffs

CDCR sent seniority letters this week to excluded employees who are at risk of layoff in Wave 4.

Your ACSS is still awaiting a copy of the official layoff plan and will provide updates as they occur.

In the meantime, if you received a seniority letter and/or have a question about how Wave 4 layoffs will impact your career, please contact ACSS Senior Labor Relations Representative Nellie D. Lynn at nlynn@calcsea.org

DMV supes to get 7.5% raise

After years of neglect, more than 1,100 supervisors and managers at the DMV are on track to receive a 7.5% raise in a bid to help correct salary compaction.

Your ACSS has confirmed that the 7.5% raise will be on top of the 3% top step raise that went into effect as of July 1.

According to CalHR the new raise is still pending legislative review, therefore "an exact date cannot be provided as to when staff will receive the increases, however the 7.5% adjustments will be effective as of July 1, 2013."

For more information, including the impacted classifications, see CalHR's official notice.

AOD survey still open

Dozens of you have already taken our survey on Administrative Officer of the Day (AOD) duties.

Time is running out to complete the survey, so if you haven't done so already, now is your chance to weigh in and help shape future AOD policy.

We have setup a survey for those required to perform AOD duties. It will take roughly 5 minutes of your time to complete.

ACSS will be working with CDCR to establish more consistency in defining AOD duties/compensation, and you can help shape new policy by taking our survey.

If you have any questions, please contact ACSS Senior Labor Relations Representative Nellie D. Lynn at nlynn@calcsea.org or (951) 278-3731.

SCIF updates relationship policy

Your ACSS is attempting to clarify a new policy at the State Compensation Insurance Fund (SCIF) that impacts "close personal relationships" between employees.

SCIF's prior policy did not include the requirement to disclose a personal relationship, whereas the revised policy now requires full disclosure. Per SCIF, "the requirement to disclose a financial interest is also new to this policy."

Your ACSS has asked SCIF about plans to notify and train their excluded employees on the policy change, but we have not yet received a response.

If you have concerns or questions about the new relationship disclosure policy, please contact ACSS Senior Labor Relations Representative Nellie D. Lynn at nlynn@calcsea.org