With just 400 to 450 words for our Thursday State Worker column, much of what we learn in the ramp up to writing it never sees print. Column Extras give you some of the notes, the quotes, the documents and the observations that don't make the cut.
As we reported in today's State Worker column, the state is suing the California Correctional Peace Officers' Association for about $4 million in union paid leave reimbursements to the Corrections and Mental Health departments.
You can click here to view the complaint for damages that the state filed Wednesday in Sacramento Superior Court. It includes CCPOA's last UPL agreement with the state and the list of 13 union officials OK'd for long term leave while in their official capacities with the union.
The union disputes the amount and says it had a deal with officials that was subsequently broken by the state. In this Mar. 22 letter to CDCR Secretary Matt Cate, union Executive Vice President Chuck Alexander references a Dec. 3 agreement between CCPOA President Mike Jimenez and department Undersecretary Scott Kernan. CDCR has denied any agreement existed.
The State Worker talked to CCPOA spokesman Lance Corcoran about the matter. Here's what he had to say in a telephone interview late Wednesday:
On CCPOA's UPL tab: Unlike the State of California, we believe in paying our bills. We will make good on what we actually owe. That's never been a question. But we're not going to pay more than we owe. ... The notion that we are reneging on a bill is laughable.
On the deal the union says it had with CDCR: We thought we had an agreement. As usual with this administration, that doesn't mean anything. They have no honor.
The Author
About Comments
Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "report abuse" button below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.