Keeping you up-to-date on our work to increase your salary, improve and protect your benefits, and aggressively represent your professional interests in every forum where they are at stake.
CASE BOARD OF DIRECTORS’ UPDATE
Exam issue update. The Board continues to communicate with CalHR, the State Personnel Board (SPB), and members regarding the impact of proposed changes to the Attorney and DAG classes’ exams. Contrary to the information CalHR released last week, exams remain open, and members may take exams for which they qualify under the existing, non-revised class specifications. The specifications upon which the currently available exams are based can be reviewed on CalHR’s website. CalHR has requested the State Personnel board delay implementation of the revised class specifications to June 1, 2023.The State Personnel Board retains sole authority to alter the consolidation plan’s implementation date. SPB next meets on February 14.
We know that a delayed implementation date will disadvantage some members who would otherwise be eligible for a range change in the coming months under the new specifications. We have also heard from many members who believe that a delayed implementation will benefit them and their departments by allowing continued hiring and promotions under the current, non-revised classification specifications. We are advocating for a solution that addresses the concerns of all members, and minimizes the negative impacts of CalHR’s mishandling of the consolidation implementation.
CALPERS CORNER
CalPERS has released a handy financial planning calendar that highlights activities throughout the year that will put you on a schedule to tune up your financial wellness. The calendar can be saved to mobile devices and bookmarked in browsers for frequent reference. This link opens it.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Last week, The Sacramento Bee published a report on CASE’s claim against the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) regarding its failure to pay contractually required telework stipends to 537 Unit 2 employees. “California union alleges state withheld work-from-home stipends for hundreds of employees” extensively quotes CASE President Tim O’Connor:
“It’s disrespectful to our members at DIR,” said CASE President Tim O’Connor. “I think it’s ironic that in their workplace, they’re treated so poorly when so much of their job is to make sure that other employers maintain a fair and just workplace.”
“We gave them every opportunity,” he said, “and I feel like we just got the runaround of, ‘We’re looking into it, we don’t know, we don’t have a date.’”
O’Connor hopes DIR will acknowledge its mistake and pay members their money without having to take the case to court. CASE members work hard. He criticized Gov. Gavin Newsom, an avid supporter of telework, for not stepping in to help CASE workers.
“The buck should stop with the governor,” O’Connor said. “Is he not paying attention to this? Is it not important to him?”
(Access to the February 3 story may be restricted since The Bee requires a subscription to open some of its online content.)
CASE media relations staff arranged background and on-the-record interviews and provided public records so The Bee would have accurate information and a clear understanding of the issues. DIR did not comment for the story. CASE also issued a press release that major media outlets and online search engines have picked up. Read it here.