Preparing for what’s to come. It was a short week of bargaining with no meeting last Tuesday and a very brief call on Thursday during which the teams reviewed the progress so far and the outstanding items left to resolve. Unfortunately, CalHR still wasn’t ready with proposals on the items CASE Members care about most: salaries (including the disparity between attorney and ALJs on pay, and the impact of record inflation), benefits such as paid family leave, longevity pay, and more.
What are they waiting for? In short: we’re not sure. But we remain at the table in good faith, ready to listen to what they have to offer.
When can we expect more information? We’re cautiously optimistic that by the end of this week, CalHR will be prepared to make their opening counteroffer to what CASE has presented as a fair initial offer – one that aligns unit 2 salaries with public sector peers, accounts for inflation, rights the current disparity between attorneys and ALJs, and addresses a host of other salary and benefit items. The CASE Bargaining Team will share as much detail as possible after it receives something – anything – from CalHR.
What can we do in the meantime? As mentioned last week, if you have witnessed firsthand the negative impacts of vacancies in unit 2 positions (increased workloads for you or others, challenges hiring or retaining talented colleagues), let us know by completing this quick form. Any information shared from your response will be shared anonymously.
The parties plan to return to the table Thursday.