NEWS

Mayor Reed sues over pension attack summary

San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed has filed suit against the California Attorney General's Office over what he calls a "just plain wrong" ballot summary.

Mayor Reed's ballot intiative - which would drastically alter California's constitution to allow elected officials to tamper with promised retirement benefits for current employees - was cleared for signature gathering by Attorney General Kamala Harris on January 6th, but Reed took issue with the official description of his pension attack.

Mayor Reed's ballot initiative had a troubled history prior to the lawsuit, losing one of its key supporters - Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido - within weeks of its launch.

The pension attack will be sidelined from gathering signatures for the duration of the lawsuit, leading many to speculate that the initiative will not meet the constitutionally required number of signatures to make it on the ballot for a public vote.

President Espinoza and Gov. Brown discuss state supes

ACSS President Arlene Espinoza sat down to discuss the state's most dedicated and experienced employees with Gov. Jerry Brown and First Lady Anne Brown at a private dinner this week.

Throughout her two terms, President Espinoza has prioritized working closely with Gov. Brown's administration to resolve issues that have plagued excluded employees for years, particularly salary compaction.

Gov. Brown said that he has "learned quite a lot" about what state supervisors and managers do for California, and that he "appreciates experience" now more than ever.

During the dinner, President Espinoza led a toast in the governor's honor, thanking him for his work in turning around California's economy.

Read more about the dinner in President Espinoza's personal reflection on the event.

Speaker unveils CalSTRS funding plan

Assembly Speaker John A. Perez (D-Los Angeles) has unveiled a new plan to reinvigorate California's educator retirement program.

In his proposed budget, Gov. Brown estimated that CalSTRS falls some $80+ billion short of meeting its pension obligations, while Perez calculates the gap at roughly $71 billion.

Perez's plan would address the shortfall by increasing contribution rates to the pension system not only from public employees, but also from the state and school districts.

CalPERS earns 16.2% in 2013

Exceeding its projected growth, CalPERS has earned a return of 16.2% in 2013, a new report shows.

The 2013 Performance Summary details the gains, which CalPERS notes occured mainly due to better than expected performance in "stock, private equity and real estate portfolios."

Starting to think about your retirement?

Check out CalPERS' upcoming Retirement Planning Fairs for helpful info and resources.

Brown earmarks money to fix broken salaries

In 2013 ACSS worked with CalHR and the Legislature to push for equitable salaries and benefits for excluded employees. ACSS is calling on the Administration to provide excluded employees with the same level of salary increases that were negotiated for the rank and file employees they supervise for 2014 and 2015 in addition to special salary adjustments to correct identified salary compaction and establish a minimum 10% salary differential.

Though it is unclear at this time when a final decision will be made by the Administration on excluded employee compensation - due to the reliance on revenue "triggers" - Gov. Brown has apparently earmarked money in his proposed budget to fix salary compaction.

Sacramento Holiday Party photos

The annual Sacramento-area holiday party for state supervisors, managers, confidential employees, and their guests was a blast.

We've prepared a slideshow of the event for your enjoyment. If you'd like to save any of the pictures, simply click the camera icon in the top left of the slideshow when it's on the photo you'd like and you'll be able to download the picture.

Photography at the holiday party was provided by Diana Miller Photography.

Want to learn how to fight for better pay?

Want to fight for better pay and benefits, but aren't sure how?

ACSS is holding a series of statewide Lobby Day prep meetings this February to help you learn how to get involved and fight for your career.

We'll provide a free meal and a chance to network with other supervisors, managers, and confidential employees from your area, all you have to do is RSVP and show up.

Reed's pension attack cleared for signature gathering

California Attorney General Kamala Harris has officially cleared San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed's pension attack ballot initiative for signature gathering.

To qualify for a public vote, Reed's proposed Consitution-altering intiative needs 807,615 signatures by the June 5th deadline.

CDCR accidentally exposes employee info

A recent error by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) has resulted in "numerous" employees' personal information being exposed.

Per a memo from CDCR Deputy Director of Human Resources Andrea Rohmann, the security breach resulted when "amended W-2s were mailed in windowed envelopes exposing the employees [sic] social security numbers."

If you were impacted by this security issue, please contact CDCR Staff Services Manager II at (916) 324-8039 or at emily.bither@cdcr.ca.gov

If CDCR is unable to resolve your issue, please contact ACSS Senior Labor Relations Representative Nellie D. Lynn at nlynn@calcsea.org

Register now for Lobby Day

This March supervisors, managers, and confidential employees from all over California will gather in Sacramento and march on the Capitol to fight against attacks on our livelihood.

Lobby Day is our chance to sit down with legislators and tell our stories. To tell those in power how their decisions affect us, and to tell them how they can better meet our needs and protect our careers. Lobby Day is our chance to work together to show California how important state supervisors, managers, and confidential employees truly are.

The more of us that show up, the more impactful our message will be. Don't be left behind. Register to attend Lobby Day now!