NEWS

ACSS Meets with CalHR: PLP 2020 to End, Excluded Employee Salary Increases July 1, 2021

ACSS met with the Department of Human Resources (CalHR) on June 15, 2021 to discuss pay and benefits for the state’s supervisory, managerial, confidential and exempt employees.

Excluded Employee Pay Plan for 2021-2022

CalHR has confirmed to ACSS that the Personal Leave Program (PLP) salary reductions of 9.23% will end effective June 30, 2021. Full salaries will be restored for all excluded employees and accrual of PLP days will end. CalHR has also confirmed that generally, excluded employees will receive the same percentage salary increases as the bargaining unit to which they are affiliated.

The Exempt and Excluded Employee Pay Plan includes:

• An end to the Personal Leave Program salary reduction of 9.23%
• General Salary Increases effective July 1, 2021:
  
  

  EXCLUDED EMPLOYEES AFFILIATED WITH BARGAINING UNIT:	GSI
  1, 3, 4, 11, 14, 15, 17, 20, 21 (SEIU Units)	4.55%
  2 (+1.33% additional salary adjustment for all)	4.04%
  5	4.90%
  6	5.58%
  7	5.06%
  9	5.58%
  10	7.63%
  12	5.06%
  13	5.83%
  16	5.06%
  18	5.58%
  19*	5.06%

• Special Salary Adjustments and Pay Differentials will be extended to exempt and excluded employees where appropriate.
• Employees will resume the “OPEB” contribution to pre-fund retiree health care (the amount varies from 1.4% to 4.6% of salary). The deduction is expected to resume with the August 2021 pay warrant.
• All exempt and excluded employees associated with the SEIU bargaining units will continue to receive the $260 taxable cash benefit (health affordability payment) through June 30, 2022.

Exempt and Excluded Employees not directly tied to a bargaining unit (such as many employees who have an “E” Collective Bargaining Identifier) are expected to receive the 4.55% GSI.

CalHR is working on the “Pay Letters” and expects the salary adjustments to be reflected in the July pay warrants. As the pay letters are developed, ACSS will continue advocacy with CalHR to ensure excluded employees receive all appropriate special salary adjustments.

Negotiations between CalHR and the representatives for rank-and-file bargaining unis 8, 10 and 19 for new labor contracts continue. ACSS has proposed that any increases in those MOUs also be provided to related excluded employees.

Other Salary and Benefit Advocacy for ACSS Members Continues

At the June 15, 2021 meeting, CalHR and ACSS continued the discussion of salary inequities and classification issues for excluded employees.

CalHR has again committed to providing substantive responses to many ACSS proposals including:

• Allocating Nursing Consultant, Program Review employees to State Safety Retirement
• Salary inequity adjustments for Program Directors, Program Assistants, and Unit Supervisors
• Salary inequity adjustments for excluded Environmental Planners, Transportation Planners and Right-of-Way Agents
• Reclassification and salary adjustments for the excluded employees in the Health Facility Evaluator Series
• Salary inequity adjustments for the Food Service Supervisor excluded classes for fiscal year 2020-2021.

ACSS will continue to keep impacted members apprised of the status of potential increases to pay and benefits.

* BU 19 UPDATED as of 7/1/2021

ACSS Election Results – View Your Newly Elected Officers and Delegates!

ACSS Elections closed on May 21, 2021. The votes have been tallied and verified. Click on your Chapter below to see results of your Chapter’s newly elected Officers and Delegates. Chapter Officers will be sworn in at Delegate Assembly on October 8-10, 2021 in Sacramento. Chapter Officers and Delegates will convene at the triennial Delegate Assembly to discuss important Association business and shape the future of YOUR ACSS!

• Chapter 502
• Chapter 503
• Chapter 504
• Chapter 505
• Chapter 507
• Chapter 508
• Chapter 509
• Chapter 511
• Chapter 512
• Chapter 513
• Chapter 514

ACSS extends our gratitude to thank members who took the time and effort to cast their vote.

(Not sure which Chapter you belong to? Click here to find your Chapter.)

CalPERS Member Education Opportunity - June 16

Learn About Working After Retirement

CalPERS will host a 15-minute "Working After Retirement" webinar on Wednesday, June 16, 2021 at 11:00 a.m.

Once you retire, you can return to work for a CalPERS-covered employer as a retired annuitant, but there are some restrictions. In the webinar, CalPERS will discuss what you need to know if you return to work as a retired annuitant.

To register, select the View Calendar link on the CalPERS Member Education page.

May Revision of the 2021 – 2022 State Budget: End of Pay Reductions and Deferrals

Governor Newsom released his May Revise of the state budget on May 14, 2021. The budget includes a projected $75.7 billion surplus. The historic $267.8 billion budget ($196.8 billion general fund) includes $24.4 billion in reserves, with $15.9 billion in the state’s rainy day fund.

In his budget summary, the Governor notes that last year state employees “stepped up at a time of uncertainty” by deferring scheduled pay increases and pay reductions through the Personal Leave Program. Although the Governor notes long-term financial risk remains high, the higher-than-anticipated tax revenue and additional federal funds have drastically improved the near-term picture. With that backdrop, the budget proposal contains a few highlights of importance to ACSS members:

• Instructs CalHR to discuss the end of the Personal Leave Program 2020 program AND an end to deferring scheduled pay increases
• Includes a $1.5 billion additional one-time supplemental payment to CalPERS for state plans (to pay down liabilities and save state employer pension costs)
• Includes a one-time $616 million payment to keep on pace to pre-fund retiree health benefits (which makes up for the employee contribution which was suspended this fiscal year to mitigate the PLP pay reduction )

The updated budget proposal kicks off legislative deliberation over the budget plan with a June 15 deadline for the legislature to send a budget to the Governor. It also kicks off discussions and collective bargaining with CalHR over ending the PLP 2020 program and ending the deferral of salary increases which many ACSS members were slated to receive July 1, 2020 and July 1, 2021.

ACSS will continue our discussions over the next few weeks with CalHR over excluded employee pay increases and will use the opportunity created by the budget surplus to address long-standing pay and benefit issues. We will keep you apprised as the excluded pay plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2021 comes into focus.

The Governor’s complete budget summary can be found here:

Budget Summary (ca.gov)

Support CalPERS Candidate David Miller for Board of Administration, At Large Seat A

CalPERS candidates endorsed by the ACSS Board are running for statewide seats, voted on by state managers and supervisors as well as retired state and public employees. For the CalPERS 2021 Election, ACSS has endorsed David Miller for CalPERS Board of Administration, At Large Seat A. ACSS endorsed David Miller during the previous election for his current position on the CalPERS Board. David continues to protect pensions, improve health benefits and provide transparency on behalf of CalPERS members.

ACSS is asking your help in gathering petition signatures for Candidate Miller. To support David Miller, please follow these steps:

1. Click here to download the form
2. Print the form
3. Fill out the form and sign it
4. Scan the signed form

Due to the short timeline for to return petition signatures, we recommend that you return the scanned signed petition directly to ACSS in one of two ways:

• Email the scanned signed petition to ACSS at acss@ACSS.org
• Fax it to (916) 326-4364

If you choose to use return the signed petition via first class paper mail, the letter needs to be received by CalPERS no later than 5:00PM on May 13th, 2021.

If you have any questions, please contact ACSS at acss@ACSS.org or call (916) 326-4257.

ACSS Board of Directors Discusses Political Endorsements, Chapter Meetings, and Elections

In the past few weeks, the ACSS Board of Directors has met on two occasions to discuss important Association business. On one occasion, the Board met for a special session to quickly and decisively vote to support Governor Gavin Newsom in his efforts to fight the recall. ACSS’ contributions were noted in Politico’s news article, posted April 29, 2021. Most recently on May 1, the Board held a regular meeting and made further political endorsements:

Legislative

• Dr. Angelov (Angelo) Farooq (SD 31, 2024) – Dr. Farooq is currently a member of the Board of Education for Riverside Unified School District. He is also the Chairman of the California Workforce Development Board, appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom. In addition, he serves at a high level on several councils that focus on education, economic development, women’s health, entrepreneurship, and innovation.

CalPERS 2021 Election

• David Miller (Board of Administration, At Large Seat A) – ACSS endorsed David Miller during the previous election for his current position on the CalPERS Board. David Miller continues to protect pensions, improve health benefits and provide transparency on behalf of CalPERS members.
• Jose Luis Pacheco (Board of Administration, At Large Seat B) – Mr. Pacheco has a strong background in labor and is a current member of the South Bay Labor Council in San Jose. He also serves on councils that support credit unions, breast cancer, and Latino issues. He promises to protect pensions, improve healthcare programs, and act as the voice that represents CalPERS members.

The CalPERS candidates endorsed by the ACSS Board are running for statewide seats voted on by current state employees including state managers and supervisors as well as retired state and public employees.

The ACSS Board of Directors also discussed the return of Chapter meetings via virtual format as well as future in-person meetings. We are in the process of training and preparation for holding Chapter meetings again and we look forward to providing members with a virtual outlet to discuss ACSS activities, updates, and topics that are important to excluded employees.

As you may already be aware, ACSS Elections for Chapter Offices and Delegates are now open until May 21, 2021. Please remember to visit the ACSS Election Portal and cast your vote for local leaders to represent your voice. Delegate Assembly 2021 is slated for October 8-10 at the Sheraton Grand in Sacramento.

Elections are Now OPEN! Cast Your Vote for Your Chapter's Next Leaders.

ACSS Elections opened on April 20, 2021. As a member of ACSS, your vote is important. Your vote matters because you choose the Chapter Officers and Delegates that you feel will best represent excluded employees in your area. Those leaders will attend Delegate Assembly and get involved with ACSS at higher levels to bring news to you, represent you, and to push for change on your behalf.

Get to know your Candidates
Visit the ACSS Elections Portal to see a list of candidates running for leadership positions within your Chapter. Familiarize yourself with the candidates and read their profiles before you cast your vote online.

Securely Cast Your Vote Online
For online voting, ACSS is using secure software called Survey and Ballot Systems (SBS). By this time, you should have received a letter mailed to your home address. The letter contains a link and login information for you to cast your vote electronically. You may only vote once. The system has security measurements in place to ensure fairness and accuracy of all votes cast. You should have also received an email with the same login information. If you do not receive a letter or email with your unique voting information by April 27th, please contact ACSS via email at acss@ACSS.org. Online voting ends on May 21st, 2021.

Get involved and cast your vote for your Chapter’s next leaders!

(Not sure which Chapter you belong to? Click here to find your ACSS Chapter.)

Leave Buy-Back Program Authorized for Excluded Employees

CalHR and the Department of Finance have authorized the Excluded Employee Leave Buy-Back Program for 2020-2021. Employees designated Exempt, Supervisory, Managerial or Confidential may elect to be paid at their regular salary rate in exchange for up to 80 hours of unused leave (vacation or annual leave, voluntary personal leave, personal holiday or holiday credit). Note that Personal Leave Program 2020 leave (or prior PLP leave) may not be cashed out. Payment is out of existing appropriations, so each department’s participation is subject to the availability of departmental funds.

No later than May 1, 2021, your department should notify you whether the department has funds to participate and how much leave (up to 80 hours) that you will be able to cash out. The notification will include a deadline to submit your request to cash out leave. Departments may issue payments as early as May, but no later than June 30, 2021.

Authorization of the leave buy-back program is welcome news and reflective of the vastly improved state budget situation over last year’s pandemic related budget predictions. ACSS members are encouraged to evaluate their accrued leave status and consider cashing out leave as part of an overall strategy to remain compliant with leave caps.

Click here to view the CalHR policy manual covering leave buy-back.

If you have questions regarding leave buy-back program issues, please contact your ACSS Labor Relations Representative.

ACSS Election Voting Opens on April 20, 2021. View Your Chapter's Candidates!

Visit the ACSS Elections Portal for new and updated content! We have added a section dedicated to each Chapter's individual elections. Within the portal, click on your Chapter to see a list of candidates running for leadership positions. Familiarize yourself with the candidates and read their profiles before online voting opens on April 20, 2021!

Voting will occur online with secure software called Survey and Ballot Systems (SBS). You will receive a letter mailed to your home address on or before April 20, 2021. The letter contains a link and login information for you to cast your vote electronically. You may only vote once. The system has security measurements in place to ensure fairness and accuracy of all votes cast. You will also receive an email with the same login information. If you do not receive a letter or email with your unique voting information by April 27th, please contact ACSS via email at acss@ACSS.org. Online voting ends on May 21st, 2021.

(Not sure which Chapter you belong to? Click here to find your ACSS Chapter.)

CalHR Issues Telework Update to State Agencies

On April 6, 2021 California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) Director Eraina Ortega provided a telework update to state departments. Director Ortgea confirmed the Administration’s direction is to continue keeping eligible employees on telework schedules and that the emergency telework policy remains in effect. Within that framework, each department is directed to assess the appropriate level of telework that it will maintain, based on operational needs and employee safety.

Director Ortega’s message noted the Administration continues to support telework as a long-term strategy to decrease office space, allow flexibility for employees, and provide resiliency in the case of future emergencies. Departments are encouraged to think about work culture for the near future including hybrid workplaces, hoteling strategies, and ways to improve communications and collaboration. Departments are also encouraged to get feedback from employees on their telework experiences to help make decisions going forward.

Telework remains a prominent topic of decisions in ACSS’ meetings with CalHR. Director Ortega has informed ACSS that CalHR plans to introduce more telework training in the near future for supervisors and managers.

The state is continuing their effort to update the statewide Telework Policy. It is anticipated that once the statewide policy is finalized, that individual departments will adopt their own telework policies. ACSS has been involved with CalHR throughout discussions in regards to this topic. ACSS will continue to meet with the state over proposed departmental telework policies to protect the interests of excluded employees.

If you have questions about telework, please contact your ACSS Labor Relations Representative.