Welcome to this week’s CASE Files, part of our commitment to keep you up-to-date on our work to increase your salary, improve and protect your benefits, and to aggressively represent your professional interests in every forum where they are at stake.
CASE BOARD OF DIRECTORS’ UPDATE
Get Out The Vote! There are two important elections underway:
- California General Election – November 8. Vote-by-mail ballots for the November 8, 2022 General Election were sent last week to all California registered voters. CASE urges all members to get out and vote on, or prior to, Election Day. To be counted, your ballot must be postmarked by November 8 or dropped off in a secure ballot drop box by 8 p.m. that night. If you are not registered to vote, or need to reregister, you have until October 24 to do so to receive a mail-in ballot and be added to the voter rolls by Election Day. You can register online here. You can look up your voter registration record and verify that your information is correct here.
- CASE 2022 Elections – through 5pm, November 4. All CASE Members who joined prior to the August 26 deadline received an email last Friday from Ballotpoint Election Services (email address: notice@ballotpoint[dot]com) to the personal email address you have on file with CASE. If you do not have a personal email address on file, your ballot was sent to your state email address. Don’t see it? We recommend checking both work and personal inboxes and checking your spam folder (and your work email quarantine) before requesting a new ballot be sent to you. Candidate statements have been posted for your review. You can access them at the CASE website. Password to access is membersmatter22.
MOU Implementation. CalHR and the State Controller are the entities responsible for implementing the new CASE MOU. Two things must happen for departments to implement improvements and for you to receive the 2022 GSI – and the retroactive payment for the increase going back to July 1. The State Controller must program the necessary changes into the state payroll system (one that relies on antiquated technology) and CalHR must issue a “pay letter” directing departments to provide the bargained-for improvements.
CalHR and the State Controller have informed CASE that they expect to issue the pay letter and back pay issued on November 23. Because that date falls after the monthly payroll cutoff, you will not see the increase reflected on your monthly pay for November 2022 (issued December 1, 2022). However, the adjustment for the November 2022 pay period will be issued as a supplemental warrant with a December 1 issue date.
Retroactive GSI salary adjustments for the period of July, 2002 through October, 2022 will issue as a supplemental warrant on November 24.
We have expressed our dismay and displeasure at the undue delay to the highest levels of both the State Controller’s Office and CalHR. The state’s antiquated payroll system is headed for an overhaul that cannot come fast enough. CASE will advocate for expediting those improvements so that risks of these delays may be eliminated.
BETTER KNOW YOUR MOU
Your MOU Supports Civic Engagement. If you would like to volunteer to serve as a member of a Precinct Election Board, the CASE Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) provides that CASE-represented employees may be granted paid time off with prior approval from your supervisor. Under the MOU, employees are eligible for their regular state compensation and any fee paid by your county registrar of voters. Please see MOU Section 9.18 for the details.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
News Headlines. Recent media reports of interest to Unit 2 legal professionals:
- What Would Rob Bonta Do Next As California Attorney General? – KQED
- State sued over deal allegedly weakening Boeing’s cleanup at toxic site near Simi – Ventura County Star
- Blue Shield of California sues state over Medi-Cal changes – Healthcare Finance
CALPERS CORNER
Online Video Resources Available. Want to learn more about your CalPERS benefits? Try browsing the expansive library of educational webcasts on the CalPERS YouTube channel. You can access videos on retirement benefits, health benefits, and more. You will also find numerous quick tip videos, including the popular Planning Your Financial Future series. This link opens the YouTube archive.