Thread: 4 CA. state-worker unions reach accord with administration

Four state-worker unions reach accord with administration

By John Howard | 06/16/10 12:00 AM PST

Four state-employee bargaining units representing 23,000 workers have reached tentative agreements with the Schwarzenegger administration on new labor contracts. The pacts, which must be approved by the unions' rank-and-file members and the Legislature, reflect the state’s harsh economic environment.

The unions made it clear that they were not pleased with the agreements, but said the state's fiscal condition required workers to tighten their belts. Gov. Schwarzenegger said the agreements reflected an element of pension reform.

"I applaud the unions for stepping up and taking these first first steps in helping reform our state's out of balance pensions...," the governor said in a written statement. He added that pension rules enacted 11 years ago had driven up the costs of pensions to unsustainable levels.

The proposed agreements include increasing the retirement age for new hires, boosting the workers’ contribution to PERS and using three-year top-pay formula instead of one year to calculate pension levels. All the changes – and others – had been sought by Gov. Schwarzenegger as part of his pension-reform efforts to help balance the red-ink state budget.

They contain roughly a 5 percent pay cut and approximately a 5 percent increase in the worker’s contribution to the state pension program, said Terry McHale, a lobbyist who represents the firfefighters and the Highway Patrol officers.

The four bargaining units are CDF Firefighters Local 2881, the California Association of Highway Patrolmen (CAHP); the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Bargaining Unit 19 representing the health and social services professionals; and the California Association of Psychiatric Technicians (CAPT.

The four bargaining groups are expected to submit the agreements to their membership for ratification.

The unions’ representatives said in a joint statement that they were not happy with the proposed pacts.

“It is certainly not a great day when the issue we are bragging about is that our members will avoid being paid minimum wage if the state budget is not implemented in a timely manner,â€

June 16, 2010

Panel votes to keep elected officials' pay at current level

The independent commission that sets compensation for California's elected officials decided Wednesday not to cut the pay of legislators and constitutional officers from governor to secretary of state.

The action means that current salaries will not change. Legislators receive $95,291 per year and their leaders, $109,584. Pay for constitutional offices ranges from $173,987 for governor -- Arnold Schwarzenegger does not take pay -- to $130,490 for members of the Board of Equalization.

The commission's six members voted unanimously to maintain the status quo. A previous motion to cut pay by 5 percent failed to get a second.

Commission Chairman Chuck Murray said later that he was prepared to support up to a 10 percent pay cut but that it quickly became clear at Wednesday's meeting that a majority of the panel would not.

Commissioners, in their deliberations, expressed reservations about cutting elected officials' pay without a clearer picture of the ramifications of next year's budget.

Health and welfare benefits, car allowances, and per diem payments to offset legislators' living expenses in Sacramento also were kept at current levels Wednesday by the commission of gubernatorial appointees.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell urged the panel not to cut compensation, saying that such a move could hamper the ability to recruit qualified people to office.

Brett Granlund, a former Yucaipa Republican assemblyman who now works as a lobbyist for Platinum Advisors, said that cutting pay for a second consecutive year would be punitive, would not dent the state's budget deficit, and would "dumb down" the Legislature by discouraging qualified candidates.

"Who would want the job?" he told the panel. "You've got to feed your family."

Last year, the pay commission imposed an 18 percent cut in pay, benefits and legislative per diem payments to offset living expenses while in Sacramento. Per diem fell from $173 to $142 per day, payable while the Legislature is in session.

In its Wednesday meeting, commissioners cited last year's reduction as a reason to hold off on similar action this year. The cumulative impact exceeded cuts experienced by state workers, the panel noted.

http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlat ... esday.html

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Brett Granlund, a former Yucaipa Republican assemblyman who now works as a lobbyist for Platinum Advisors, said that cutting pay for a second consecutive year would be punitive, would not dent the state's budget deficit, and would "dumb down" the Legislature by discouraging qualified candidates. 

"Who would want the job?" he told the panel. "You've got to feed your family." 

Last year, the pay commission imposed an 18 percent cut in pay, benefits and legislative per diem payments to offset living expenses while in Sacramento. Per diem fell from $173 to $142 per day, payable while the Legislature is in session.

Qualified candidates. Yeah...it must be so difficult to survive on the $142 per diem while the legislature is in session, on top of salary, car allowance, etc!

Must really be roughing it!