Ongoing Problems at California's Disability Determination Services Division

"Disability Determination Services employees have dedicated their careers to serving some of California's most needy with great compassion. We must work together to overcome the institutional obstacles that prevent the effective and efficient delivery of those services."

The Disability Determination Services Division (DDSD) task force moves forward with a Joint Labor Management Committee (JLMC) in May. Several smaller sub-committees (research, lobby, NADE, and legislative) will ascertain positive movement at the bargaining table to acquire and improve working conditions for the entire membership.

If any members have ideas or recommendations to share, contact your worksite steward.

The next Disability Determination Services Division (DDSD) task force is meeting is  on Sat., Jan. 22. The task force will begin preparation for the upcoming JLMC and discuss workload, overtime, employee retention, training, career advancement, upward mobility and reduction in case backlogs.

For more information about the DDSD task force meeting, contact your job steward or call the Member Resource Center at 866.471.SEIU (7348). 

This opinion piece, written by Local 1000 President Yvonne Walker and Commissioner of Social Security Michael J. Astrue, ran in the Sept. 21 issue of the Los Angeles Times.

By Yvonne Walker and Michael J. Astrue

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger may have a cameo role in a current film, but the real "Expendables" appear to be disabled Californians, the state employees who make disability decisions for the Social Security Administration and the federal dollars he is throwing away. Long before he was governor, bodybuilder Schwarznegger lived by the motto "No pain, no gain." However, as California's chief executive, his policy of furloughing even those state employees whose salaries are federally funded has given rise to a new axiom: "Lots of pain for no gain."

Regional Social Security Commissioner Pete Spencer has asked Local 1000 DDSD campaign activists to support the Obama Administration's efforts to halt state-imposed furloughs.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) is submitting legislation to Congress that would prohibit states, without the Commissioner's prior authorization, from reducing the number of state personnel who make disability determinations for Social Security or reduce the hours they work below the amount the agency authorizes.

Read SSA's press release about the proposed legislation >>

A much anticipated conference call between SEIU Local 1000 and the Social Security Administration (SSA) occurred last Thursday, with both sides agreeing to work more closely together in the future. Commissioner Astrue was flanked by eight other SSA heads, most of them deputy directors, as well as two SSA attorneys. The Local 1000 chief counsel, legislative director and several analysts and program technician from various DDSD branches were included in the call.