A new supervisor recently contacted ACSS Membership Coordinator Diane Wolff with some important questions about joining our organization.
We're presenting those Q&As here for any state supervisors, managers, or confidential employees who may have considered joining ACSS but have had similar questions.
Q: Being new to the State and coming from the private sector, do you have any additional information that would be helpful for me to understand?
A: Sure! The Association of California State Supervisors (ACSS) is a professional labor organization that represents state "excluded employees" - i.e., supervisors, managers, and confidential employees, or any employees who are excluded from collective bargaining.
Q: Is ACSS a union?
A: No. ACSS is a completely voluntary organization. We know that sometimes employees who promote into management roles are relieved to be out of the union, but they fail to realize the importance of protecting their careers. Now that you're supervising rank and file employees, you may have even more career issues to deal with!
Q: What exactly are you representing?
A: Not what, but who. We have a full-time, professional labor relations staff that can guide you through any issues that may arise in your career. We get calls every day from state supervisors and managers who haven't had so much as a memo in their personnel file for twenty years, and then one day a new manager - or subordinate - targets the employee and they are dealing with a suspension, a denial on probation, an EEO complaint, etc. ACSS members have access to California's largest and most experienced professional legal team dedicated to helping state excluded employees. We literally wrote the book on excluded employee rights!
Q: Do I have to wait until I finish probation to be a member?
A: No. You do not have to wait to finish probation to be a member of ACSS. In fact, ACSS can help you pass your probation or appeal a rejection.
Q: I would like to attend a meeting in my area. Would that be beneficial for me or should I wait until I am a member?
A: We definitely encourage all state excluded employers to attend local ACSS meetings. You’ll be able to meet and network with other supervisors and managers from the area, learn what ACSS is currently working on, meet the Labor Relations Representative for your area, and usually get a free meal as well.
Of course, if you're ready to join now you can do so in just minutes by filling out our online application at acss.org/JOIN
You can also sign up to receive our eblasts and event notices at acss.org/SUBSCRIBE