The following represents issues that were addressed and DPA’s responses:
Q. What does DPA have planned for Excluded employees this year?
A. Currently, there is a $14 billion budget deficit. Each general funded department must cut their budgets by 10%. We can’t say at this time whether there will be any salary increases this year.
DPA: We have been trying to obtain funding which would increase the 5% spread between excludeds and their subordinates to 7.5%, but We’ve been given a flat “no.”
ACSS: We would rather see an across the board increase for all excluded employees rather than something that impacts a limited number of our members. We are still arguing over many cases where the supervisor still earns less than their subordinates because DPA says they are not appropriate reporting relationships.
DPA indicated they were interested in items other than salary increases. ACSS provided the following recommendations:
• Return the 4 hours of sick leave to those who have annual leave.
• Increase the 1 extra hour per month of vacation to two hours per month
• Provide all excluded employees with a $50 voucher that would provide five paid co-pay medical visits annually (cannot be carried over from one year to the next) (5 X $10 co-pay + $50.00).
Q. What about rank and file contracts that expire this year - are they getting raises this year?
A. We are obligated by law to meet and confer over issues. The Governor has given his budget to the Legislature and we are waiting to see what they do with it and how they choose to deal with employee compensation.
ACSS requested that when DPA begins contract negotiations this year, they include excluded employees in their “costing out” of all proposals so they will receive whatever the rank and file receive.
Q. Since the Governor is requiring all general funded departments to reduce their budgets by 10%, do you anticipate any layoffs?
A. We believe the departments will be able to work through their 10% cuts, using current vacancies and attrition. Currently, we have not received any notices from departments indicating layoffs, so we do not anticipate any—other than those closures that are already in the process (Agnews Developmental Center, DeWitt Nelson Youth Correctional Facility and El Paso de Robles Youth Facility).
Follow up Items from October 26, 2007 Meet and Confer
1. Colman equity Adjustments:
• Status of Pay Letter
DPA: We had some problems which caused a delay, but it is in the process and should be issued soon.
ACSS requested yet again that all Supervisors and Managers tied to Units 19 and 17 should also be included.
2. Parity for S03s and M03s:
• Pay parity
• Rank and file’s reduced work schedule: fewer hours per year than supervisors and managers
ACSS made another presentation on behalf of the Supervisors of Academic and Vocational Instruction and other related Unit 3 classes, for parity with the rank and file salary adjustments.
3. Health Record Technician II (Supervisor) – salary equity with same classes in CDCR, as a result of PLATA adjustments.
ACSS - once again we reminded DPA this issue needs to be delt with.
DPA indicated another Pay Letter involving PLATA was coming out and that they would get us a copy of the classes involved so we could review it and give input where necessary.
4. DPA’s Human Relations Modernization Project
DPA indicated that they have received funding and the project is moving forward. The first group of classes to be addressed are the Scientists, followed by Information Technology and then the Staff Services Manager series. ACSS has met with the Modernization Project staff and DPA confirmed that we will be a key participant in the Staff Services Manager series in addition to our involvement in the other groups.
ACSS invited DPA to come to its next quarterly Board meeting in Reno, NV, April 4-6, 2008, to give a presentation on this topic. Dave Gilb, DPA Director and Julie Chapman, Chief Deputy Director, Labor Relations, both accepted our invitations to join us.
After the above discussions occurred, it was agreed that DPA would review all the remaining items on this cumulative list and get back to us with what they could do to resolve, modify or redirect them, if necessary. Many of the following items were discussed previously, however, due to a lack of response by DPA, we continue to address many issues multiple times. In other cases, an item may not have been listed on the agenda for that month, but was raised again for further discussion. As ACSS gets updated information, we will post it on our web site.
Follow up items from September 7, 2007 Meet and Confer
1. What we want for our members:
• Additional percentage increase above the 3.4% COLA
• Benefits: Restore the 4 hours of sick leave for those who have annual leave. (July meet and confer DPA indicated they would check into this. It was going to require a regulation change through the office of Administrative Law.)
• Life insurance equal to one full year of salary. (DPA said they were exploring this.)
• Raising the differential percentage to 7.5% or more.
2. When will updated travel guidelines be issued (which adds Orange County as being a high-cost area). Also, what criteria are used to have a city/area added?
Follow up items from July 13, 2007 Meet and Confer
1. Coleman Equity adjustments for supervisors and managers tied to BU 18.
• We would like a listing of classes/comparable classes and related salaries so that our members can estimate what they might be receiving.
• What about Unit 19 supervisors and managers?
• What about unit 17 supervisors?
2. DPA’s interest in supporting Legislative Analyst's recommendation for a law requiring an annual review of excluded salaries and benefits. (DPA was going to talk with DOF about this.)
Follow up Items from May 18, 2007 Meet and Confer
1. Vacation/annual leave/etc., requests approved based on seniority (DPA Law 19858.1
2. On July 1, 2004, safety retirement was afforded to the rank and file Unit 7 classifications as a result of the passage of SB 183. This enhanced retirement benefit was not provided to the supervisory classes. As a result, when promoting from an R07 into a S07 classification, the employee receives a 5% promotional increase, but because they no longer have safety retirement, they experience a 6.2% net loss due to the Social Security taxes they are required to pay.
California Highway Patrol is now providing all newly promoted R07 employees with a 6.2% adjustment to accommodate the loss due to the Social Security taxes.
Q. Did all the current S07 employees at CHP also receive the 6.2% offset?
Q. What about S07 employees in other departments?
ACSS requested that all unit 7 employees who have promoted into supervisory classes since July 1, 2004 be afforded the same benefit.
3. Restore the 4 hours of sick leave excluded employees lost when they opted for annual leave.
4. ACSS asked that excluded employees receive life insurance that is equal to one year’s salary, rather than the current $25,000/$50,000 offered.
5. ACSS has been informed by our members that employees in the classifications of Health Facility Evaluator II (Supv) and Health Facility Evaluator Manager I & II who possess a nursing license will be receiving a $750 differential. Is this true? What about those without nursing licenses?
Follow up Items from March 23, 2007 Meet and Confer
1. Less than 5 percent differential compaction problems still not resolved:
See below.
2. Labor Market Adjustments (LMA) for BOE and EDD Business Tax Compliance Supervisors I, II, III. (DPA was supposed to check with CC&D.)
3. Program Technicians in Parole and Community Services Division at CDCR should receive the same $500-and-80-hour bonus as rank and file employees were provided.
6. Compaction adjustment for Caltrans Supervisor of Drafting Services who supervise Transportation Engineering Technicians (TET).
7. Add Orange County to the “high cost” areas for reimbursable expenses.
8. Promotional patterns at Porterville Developmental Center (PDC) for Supervising Registered Nurses (SRN), Assistant Coordinator of Nursing Services (ACNS) and Coordinator of Nursing Services (CNS).
9. Payment of licenses/differentials for excluded employees who were required to have them as rank and file as they progressed through their promotional ladders.
For a compilation of issues ACSS have sent to DPA since March 23, 2007, click: Follow-up with DPA