Of California's 21 bargaining units, five have yet to reach a deal with Gov. Jerry Brown about proposed furloughs, according to the Department of Personnel Administration. They are:
• California Attorneys, Administrative Law Judges and Hearing Officers in State Employment (CASE)
• California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA)
• Professional Engineers in California Government (PECG)
• California Association of Professional Scientists (CAPS)
• International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE)
"We're in active discussions with all of them," department spokeswoman Lynelle Jolley said this morning.
Patrick Whalen, general counsel for CASE, said that the attorney group had been in many meetings with the administration and has many more scheduled.
"We're bargaining, we're meeting with the state, and we've been having many discussions," Whalen said. He added that there had been dozens of offers made back and forth.
Will a deal be reached? "I honestly don't know," he said.
Joan Bryant, IUOE's director of public employees, said the union had been bargaining with the state and would most likely make a deal next week.
"I'm hopeful that Monday we could come to some sort of agreement with the state," Bryant said. She added that IUOE is negotiating a side letter agreement and not a contract change.
As The Bee has reported, a budget-related bill restored language to allow saving money through furloughing state workers, which could give the governor more leverage in negotiations with unions that have yet to reach deals.
SEIU Local 1000, the state's largest state employee union, tentatively accepted a side letter agreement on Saturday to take 12 unpaid leave days over the next year.
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