Confusion reigns.
From the top of Caltrans down to rank-and-file employees, there appears to be some disagreement about the state's furlough policy next month and thereafter, particularly the status of workers represented by SEIU Local 1000.
Here's the deal, which we'll explain in more detail in a moment:
If your bargaining unit has a current contract or is in the midst of a ratification vote on a new contract, three-days-per-month furloughs are over for you. If you're a manager, supervisor or other non-union employee, you're off the three-day furlough plan, too.
Now, about that confusion.
Several state workers forwarded this Thursday afternoon e-mail to department staff from Caltrans Chief Deputy Director Malcolm Dougherty that includes these paragraphs:
For Bargaining Units 1, 4, 11, 14, 15, and 21, the State recently reached a tentative agreement for a new Contract with Service Employees International Union (SEIU). However, in order for the new Contract to become effective, it must be ratified by the membership, the Legislature, and signed by the Governor.
Until SEIU's Contract is fully ratified as described above, those of you represented by SEIU will continue to be furloughed. In addition, the Department of Personnel Administration (DPA) has notified departments that unless the ratification process is completed by November 1st, effective November 2nd employees represented by SEIU will be on self-directed furloughs during the month of November.
Caltrans confirmed the memo, but referred us to DPA to get the skinny on furlough policy.
Meanwhile, we fielded a wave of state worker e-mails like this one:
Hi Jon,
Do you know if there is definitive information that has been issued regarding the status of furlough days for victims covered by SEIU contracts, specifically Unit 1?
The issue in discussion is that some folks believe that furloughs end for Unit 1 employees at the end of October. Others believe that because the contract voting doesn't occur until November 8, furloughs will continue in November (because until the contract is ratified by the membership the "deal" isn't done, and per Arnie's orders, until contracts are ratified, furloughs continue for affected groups/bargaining units).
Do you know, or can you find out and post/publish the correct answer? Many folks are approved to return to alternate workweek schedules when furloughs end, but doing so prematurely could constitute a real mess for the timekeeping and payroll folks.
DPA's furlough website is pretty clear about who is furloughed and who isn't.
For employees in bargaining units with a new contract or one in the works -- 1, 3, 4, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21 -- and excluded employees, furloughs are over. (Units 5 and 8 aren't furloughed either. Of course, they never have been.)
As for SEIU Local 1000's tentative agreement, the Legislature has already ratified it. We confirmed with DPA that the administration is assuming the rank and file also will approve it, so it's lifting the furloughs for those folks in November.
We've been covering public union and private union contract votes for nearly seven years, many of them concessionary deals struck during the recession. For what it's worth, not once have we seen the rank and file reject an agreement.
Employees in bargaining units without contracts (2, 6, 7, 9, 10, and 13), will continue to take three furlough days per month unless they agree to what the administration calls "alternate savings." The departments will schedule individual furlough days for those employees.
There are no more mass "Furlough Fridays." All departments will run on full-time schedules.
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