DOR/AFSCME Student Services Meeting

AFSCME Council 57, Local 2620 met with DOR Labor Management on January 17, 2019 in Sacramento to follow up on the Issues/Concerns of the new Student Service Program.

The Meet and Confer team want to first thank all who responded to our short survey sent in early January. Your input was incredibly helpful and directed our discussion at the table.

The State confirmed that the Student Services Program met the 15% requirement that was mandated. Thankfully, there won’t be a need to return the money to Federal Government. The goal for the remainder of the year is to serve 18,000 youth between the ages of (16-21) by June. DOR is currently on target to achieve that goal, having currently served 8500 PE cases. They identified that the quantity of the federal requirement is being met, but the goal now is to enhance the quality of services being provided as the program is not ending and will be a part of DOR services.

DOR acknowledged our survey responses and were glad to hear your full honest input about the program. The department stated that they are looking at ways to help support staff who have been impacted by the transition.

Some of the ways the state is looking at supporting staff are with:

  • Innovations to AWARE
  • Streamline process to eliminate excessive data entry
  • Enhanced telework/telecommute process
  • Develop a committee that will review the impact the program has had on counselors and try to identify resolutions
  • Looking at caseload sizes and working with Managers to equalize cases for Counselors


Meet and Confer Team

Denise Dorsey, Occupational Chair                                       Julissa Barton, Steward

Tisha Hill-Smith, Steward                                   Cliff Leo Tillman, Jr., Senior Business Agent

We Won!!!

Background

On September 26, 2017, AFSCME Local  2620  (“Union”)  filed  a  grievance with California Correctional Health Care Services (“CCHCS”) at the California Men’s Colony (“CMC”) on behalf of Bargaining Unit 19 (“BU19”) employees. When the parties were unable to resolve the grievance at the lower levels of their procedure, the Union moved it to arbitration. The Arbitrator held hearings at CMC on June 15, August 21, 22, and 23, 2018, in San Luis Obispo, CA. Both parties were present at the hearings and represented by counsel. Each had a full opportunity to examine and cross-examine witnesses, present evidence, and argue its position. Neither party objected to the conduct of the hearing. A court reporter recorded the proceedings. At the close of the hearing the parties asked to file post-hearing briefs. The Arbitrator declared the hearing closed when he received the last brief on December 7, 2018.

Award

  1. CCHCS violated, Article 6.4.C and 6.4.D when it denied and canceled alternate work schedules for BU19 employees at the California Men’s Colony.
  • CCHCS violated 6.4.C in January 2017 when it instituted a blanket policy of denying AWS to all new and existing BU19 employees.
  • To remedy the violation, CCHCS will cease and desist from pursuing a policy of denying AWS to all BU19 employees. CCHCS will communicate with BU19 employees informing them that, in accordance with Article 6.4, it will consider any request for AWS and not unreasonably or arbitrarily deny it.
  • CCHCS violated 6.4.D on March 5, 2018, when it cancelled the existing AWS of all BU19 without an operational need to do so.
  • To remedy the violation, CCHCS will restore the AWS it cancelled on March 5, 2018 to each BU19 employee at CMC whose AWS it cancelled. Each employee will be entitled to the AWS he or she had at the time of the cancellation. Each employee has the right to decline the AWS. CMC will notify the Union of all AWS restored and declined.
  • CCHCS will have 60 days from the date of this Award to return all BU19 employees to their pre March 5, 2018 AWS schedules.

Thank you for all your hard work.