The State Worker: Poll: What next for the unions?

The State Worker

Chronicling civil-service life for California state workers

June 17, 2010

Poll: What next for the unions?

Editor's note: This post has been corrected to reflect the step raises for CAHP and CDFF members.

We'll be writing more about yesterday's announcement that four unions have negotiated deals with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger that they'll take to members for a vote.

California Association of Highway Patrolmen, California Department of Forestry Firefighters, California Association of Psychiatric Technicians and American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees coordinated their bargaining. The agreements they reached include significant concessions, including lower pension benefits for new hires and increased employee contributions to CalPERS.

AFSCME and CAPT agreed to take 12 unpaid leave days during fiscal 2010-11. CAHP and CDFF don't have that provision.

Upsides for all four unions: The security of having contracts (2 years for AFSCME and CAPT, three years for CAHP and CDFF) that guarantee no furloughs or minimum wage and an eventual 5 percent step raise for AFSCME and CAPT folks at the top pay rung of their job classification. CDFF members get the same deal, but the increase is 4 percent; for CAHP it's 2 percent.

Click here to read more about the contracts.

That's all history. Our poll question looks ahead:

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