At the invitation of the Receiver's staff, ACSS met on November 27, 2006, to discuss the upcoming Plata salary adjustments that CDCR health care employees can expect to receive in their November 30th pay warrant.
Below you will find a Q&A that covers many of the questions we anticipate our members will have regarding the adjustments being made per Pay Letter 06-46. In addition to the Q&A, you will find a spread sheet that lists all the classes at CDCR that will be receiving the various salary adjustments along with a breakdown including base salary, alternate ranges, pay differentials, Plata adjustments, alternate ranges, etc.
If you have specific questions about your particular classification’s salary adjustments, per Katie Hagen, Deputy Director, Plata Workforce Planning and Management Development, Division of Correctional Health Care Services, you are asked to contact your Institution Personnel Officer (IPO) first to discuss your concerns. If you still believe there is an error in your calculations, you can contact the CDCR headquarters Office of Personnel Services by completing a Secondary Review Request form (available at your institution’s personnel office). This secondary review will be completed within 30 days. If you feel you need assistance with your secondary review, please contact you ACSS Labor Relations Specialist at (800) 624-2137 for assistance.
The effective date for these adjustments was September 1, 2006. The retroactive payments for September and October will be issued in a separate check within a few days following the November payday. Katie Hagen stated she anticipated that most of the adjustments to the base salaries would be made in time for the November 30th pay warrant -- provided they were processed in time for the SCO’s cut-off date. However, if they are not included in this month’s paycheck, you can expect to receive a separate check for the November pay period.
Receiver Salary Increases for Plata Medical Employees
Q. #1 What is the new salary range for my classification?
A. Your personnel office has a list of the new salary ranges.
Q. #2 When does my pay raise take effect?
A. September 1, 2006.
Q. #3 Will I receive my pay increase this month?
A. Yes, your November pay increase should be included in your November 30th check. If for some reason it is not, it will be in a separate check issued within a few days of payday.
Q. #4 When will I receive the retroactive portion for September and October?
A. Your “difference due” for September and October will be issued in a separate check on payday or within a few days of payday.
Q. #5 Are the pay increases in addition to the following? Yes.
A. December 2005 Plata increases
B. Sign on bonuses
C. 3.5% pay increases effective July 1, 2006
D. $1,000 bonus just received
Q. #6 How do I know what my own salary will be within the new pay range for my classification?
A. Start with your base monthly rate
B. Add in any monthly recruitment and retention (R&R) differentials you already receive
C. If you are at an institution that receives the $2,400 annual R&R, add in an extra $200 ($2,400 divided by 12 months equals $200).
D. Your new base rate will be the above combined amount, multiplied by the percentage increase listed below for your classification (unless this causes you to exceed the new salary range for your classification in which case you will receive the maximum salary).
Q. #7 What is the percentage increase for my classification?
1. Registered Nurse
a. Bay area ………………12.45% (not to exceed max)
b. All other ………………... 5.4% (not to exceed max)
2. Nurse Instructor
a. All prisons…………………5.3% (not to exceed max)
3. Nurse Anesthetist
a. All institutions…………………5.4% (not to exceed max)
4. Public Health Nurse I
a. Bay area ………………12.0% (not to exceed max)
b. All other ………………... 5.4% (not to exceed max)
5. Public Health Nurse II
a. All institutions………………..5.5% (not to exceed max)
6. Surgical Nurse I
a. All institutions…………………5.2% (not to exceed max)
7. Surgical Nurse II
a. All institutions…………………5.3% (not to exceed max)
8. Supervising RN I
a. All institutions…………………5.4% (not to exceed max)
9. Supervising RN II
a. All institutions…………………5.4% (not to exceed max)
10. Supervising RN III
a. All institutions…………………5.4% (not to exceed max)
11. Nurse Consultant I
a. All institutions…………………5.4% (not to exceed max)
12. Nurse Consultant II
a. All institutions………………...5.4% (not to exceed max)
13. Nurse Consultant III (Spec)
a. All institutions………………….5.4% (not to exceed max)
14. Nurse Consultant III (Sup)
a. All institutions………………….5.4% (not to exceed max)
15. Nurse Consultant, PR
a. All institutions………………….5.4% (not to exceed max)
16. Certified Nursing Assistant
a. All institutions………………....3.73% (not to exceed max)
17. Pharmacy Technician
a. All institutions………………….3.8% (not to exceed max)
18. Pharmacist I
a. All institutions………………..43.39% (not to exceed max)
19. Pharmacist II
a. All institutions……………….42.04% (not to exceed max)
20. Pharmacy Services Mgr
a. All institutions………………42.04% (not to exceed max)
21. Medical Transcriber
a. All institutions………………….6.7% (not to exceed max)
22. Sr. Medical Transcriber
a. All institutions………………...6.28% (not to exceed max)
23. Radiological Technician
a. All institutions………………54.74% (not to exceed max)
24. Sr. Radiological Technician (Spec)
a. All institutions………………54.44% (not to exceed max)
25. Sr. Radiological Technician (Sup)
a. All institutions……………….54.66% (not to exceed max)
26. Clinical Dietician
a. All institutions……………….26.25% (not to exceed max)
27. Food Administration I
a. All institutions………………..9.50% (not to exceed max)
28. Health Record Tech I
a. All institutions……………….27.64% (not to exceed max)
29. Health Record Tech II (Spec)
a. All institutions……………….25.37% (not to exceed max)
30. Health Record Tech II (Sup)
a. All institutions………………..25.28% (not to exceed max)
31. Health Record Tech III
a. All institutions………………..21.03% (not to exceed max)
32. Medical Record Director
a. All institutions………………..26.09% (not to exceed max)
33. Nurse Practitioner
a. Bay area – incumbents move to max ($9,989)
b. All others – incumbents move to max ($9,621)
34. Physician Assistant
a. Bay area – incumbents move to max ($9,989)
b. All others – incumbents move to max ($9,621)
Q. #8 What happens to R&Rs and is there an advantage for me?
Most of the R&Rs for classifications designated to receive the pay increases will be eliminated because the new salary ranges compensate for them, and individuals previously receiving them will continue to receive credit for them as part of determining where they are placed within the new salary ranges.
Some R&Rs were not previously considered when calculating retirement benefits. By moving the R&Rs into the base salary, those not previously counted toward retirement will now be. An example of an R&R not previously counted toward retirement is the $2,400 annual R&R at Calipatria, Centinela, Avenal, Chuckawalla and Ironwood State Prisons.
Q. #9 Now that I am receiving my previous $2,400 R&R as a $200 portion of my monthly base pay ($2,400 divided by 12 months equals $200) effective September 1, 2006, what happens to the amount that I earned up until then but have not yet received?
You will receive the prorated difference shortly after being moved into the new salary range. Specific instructions will be provided to the Institution Personnel Officers at Calipatria, Centinela, Avenal, Chuckawalla and Ironwood State Prisons where this is an issue.
Q. #10 What happens to the R&Rs for employees that are not designated to receive the Receiver’s pay increases?
Their pay and R&Rs will continue to be calculated the same way they have in the past unless there is a future pay increase program for them that changes it.
Q. #11 What happens to non-R&R differentials?
Differentials which are not for purposes of recruitment and retention are still in effect and will continue to be handled in the same way as before. They include night shift, bilingual, lead person and educational pay differentials.
Q. #12 How were the new salary ranges determined?
A salary survey was conducted and the Receiver’s Office conferred with the unions and excluded employee associations. The ranges were then established in a way that provides competitive entry-level salaries; recognition for time already worked in-grade; R&Rs being moved into base pay; and, in most instances, room for future merit salary adjustments within the established ranges.
Q. #13 Will new hires be offered “Hire Above Minimum” salaries?
Due to the recent salary survey and positive recruitment results, there are no plans to authorize salaries above the minimum for classifications designated to receive the increases listed above.
Q. #14 Will signing bonuses continue to be offered?
Sign-on bonuses remain the same to aid in recruiting and retaining health care professionals amongst your friends and professional colleagues.
Q. #15 How will the salary increases impact my anniversary date for merit salary adjustment purposes?
Anniversary dates will remain the same for those employees who are not currently at the maximum salary. For those currently at the maximum salary rate, your anniversary date will be September 1, 2007.
Q. #16 Why aren’t other classifications receiving salary increases?
The Receiver only has jurisdiction over Plata medical classifications and not others like mental health and dental. There are a few classifications under Plata jurisdiction that did not receive a pay increase at this time, we have not lost sight of these classifications.
Q. #17 Why aren’t the physicians listed above for purposes of an increase?
The Receiver has the authority to increase physicians’ salaries up to $300,000 annually but he has not made a decision about the criteria for salaries beyond the current rates yet, and he intends to consult with the Union of American Physicians and Dentists as part of doing so.
Q. #18 Will the department still hire medical registry personnel?
Only until all necessary positions are filled by permanent civil service personnel. As those positions are being filled there will be a corresponding reduction in the use of registry personnel.
Q. #19 What happens to my salary if I transfer outside of CDCR?
You will be moved back to the appropriate salary range of the classification and receive a lower salary based on that range.
Q. #20 If I believe there is an error with my salary increase how can I have it verified?
You should first contact your Institution Personnel Officer (IPO) who has been provided with a worksheet in order to verify and explain the increase you received. If, after meeting with your IPO, you still believe an error has been made, you can contact the CDCR headquarters Office of Personnel Services by completing a Secondary Review Request form available for your convenience in your institution’s personnel office. The secondary review will be completed within 30 days, and both you and your IPO will be informed of the results.