The pitched battle over destroying/reforming CalPERS and other public employee pension programs continues. This week, the Governor sent a package of bills to the Legislature urging them to shift “substantial costs”, billions of dollars, from the taxpayers to state and local employees. Employee contributions would increase and, for new employees, retirement benefits would be reduced. The Governor also proposes to stack the CalPERS Board of Administration with additional gubernatorial appointees. PECG and others will be working with the Legislature to block efforts to damage the retirement plan or the benefits received by career public servants when they retire.
Efforts by others to place two measures on the ballot in November to achieve the same purposes have thus far failed to attract the funding needed to collect signatures to qualify them. An analysis by a CSU Accounting Professor concludes that these measures will actually increase taxpayer costs by at least $1 billion per year. http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/31/4226511/pension-cutting-plans-on-ballot.html#storylink=misearch
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Caltrans has provided information to the Department of Finance (DOF) describing how the long-overdue salary increase for PECG-represented supervisors and managers could be funded. PECG, DPA, Caltrans and other departments have met constantly since supervisors were denied the same pay increase received by Unit 9 employees in July 2008. All parties agree that the result has been inequitable, with some supervisors being paid less than employees they supervise and, in some classifications, bargaining unit employees are paid 10% more than supervisors in the same class. DOF approval and funding in the State Budget are needed to implement the raises.
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PECG will be a member of a new California Supervisors and Managers Advisory Council, formed by DPA to establish guidelines and support an appropriate compensation structure for supervisors and managers. The Council will meet quarterly and will be given access to policy making information before decisions- are made. Assembly Member Joan Buchanan participated in the initial meeting of the Council.
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Several hundred employees represented by SEIU in five “off-budget” departments will receive back pay as a result of a lawsuit settlement challenging furloughs in those departments. SEIU and now some other unions agreed to drop lawsuits challenging other aspects of the furloughs for a larger number of their members.
PECG only has nine members in those departments. The PECG lawsuit, which is still pending, would seek back wages for those members plus 200 PECG members in other departments who are involved in environmental mitigation efforts on military bases. PECG alleges furloughs of those employees were illegal under state law. That suit is scheduled to be heard in court later this spring if settlement is not reached.
