Local 1000 activists won an 18-month battle at the Franchise Tax Board (FTB), where some supervisors will receive mandatory training on the rights of union stewards as part of a legal agreement to guarantee member rights at work.

The Jan. 10 agreement, signed by FTB, Local 1000 and the Department of Personnel Administration, settles an unfair labor practice charge before the Public Employment Relations Board. The agreement ends a long period in which Local 1000 fought a pattern of harassment, discrimination and threats at an FTB computer network support unit in Sacramento.

Legal victory for non-budget departments

Narrow legal exemption restores pay for more than 700 members

More than 700 Local 1000-represented employees at five state agencies will receive back pay for all the days they were furloughed in 2009-10 under a legal agreement reached by our attorneys.

All five agencies fall outside the state's budget process, and are: California Lottery, First 5 California, Prison Industry Authority, California Earthquake Authority and the California Housing Finance Agency.

"Our position has always been that furloughs were unfair to all state employees and to California taxpayers, and we vowed to keep fighting as long as there was a shot at overturning furloughs for any of our members," Local 1000 President Yvonne R. Walker said.  "We fought hard to stop furloughs altogether but the courts ruled against us. Our attorneys took a narrow legal path that the Supreme Court left us and used it to benefit more than 700 state workers and their families."

CDCR bears brunt of Brown budget cuts

In the department most heavily impacted by the governor's proposed budget, Local 1000 will continue to defend the rights of our members and help state workers with all possible options.

Under Gov. Jerry Brown's proposed budget the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) will cut more positions than any other agency as thousands of inmates are released from prisons, juvenile facilities are closed, and supervision of thousands of parolees is transferred to counties.

"As we go forward in realignment, we will continue to fight for our members' rights, ensure that the CDCR works more efficiently and, most importantly, protect the safety of all Californians," said Margarita Maldonado, Local 1000 vice president for bargaining.

There continues to be confusion, conflicting information and controversy over unemployment benefits for employees who choose the transition/severance package. 

Local 1000 and State Fund have reached a pre-layoff agreement that will offer a financial transition package to approximately 2,800 employees. To be eligible for this option, you must be in an "impacted classification"--a classification that has been targeted for layoffs. This is an option that may work for some individuals and it is an individual choice. 

You'll have until Thursday, December 15 to make your decision.

SCIF options handbook [PDF]

Letter of Agreement [PDF]

Process, options discussed at worksite meetings

Local 1000 members at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) worksites up and down the state are attending meetings to learn more about their options as CDCR begins its multi-year realignment process.

"We are sharing with them the details of a 46-point agreement we reached with CDCR that provides more opportunities and more protections for CDCR employees," said Margarita Maldonado, Local 1000 vice president for bargaining. "It's a much more transparent process."

Download the CDCR Realignment Guide [PDF] >>

Plan puts recently relocated employees at risk

Local 1000 member negotiators are meeting with State Fund management this week in response to the department's layoff proposal and the impact of the agreement negotiated earlier this year.

"Our contract guarantees certain rights for our members," said Margarita Maldonado, vice president for bargaining. "Our goal is to get an understanding of State Fund's monetary constraints and offer solutions that protect members and keep them employed."

The Local 1000 meet and confer team met with the state on Oct. 27, 2011. This is the first of many meetings that the team will have to mitigate the impact of budget cuts at the Department of Justice.

The following was discussed during this meeting:

• DOJ employees who have options will receive an options letter by Nov. 1
• Not receiving an options letter DOES NOT mean you will be laid off
• When you receive your options letter, you only have 10 days to return it to the appropriate personnel
• Layoff letters have to be sent out 30 days before a layoff
  

Realignment of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) represents a dramatic shift in public safety and criminal justice policy. After decades of growth, the population of inmates in our state's prisons will fall, crowding will be reduced, and many parolees and low-level offenders will be handled at the county level.