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Sep 10, 2013

Meet Kindle sweepstakes winner Francine Davies

Meet one of the five winners of our Kindle tablet computer sweepstakes, Francine Davies.

Ms. Davies is a Staff Services Manager I with the Department of Consumer Affairs. Though she has a great relationship with her current boss, Francine had been thinking about joining ACSS for a while to take advantage of great benefits like Purchasing Power.

Francine told us that she "figured it couldn't hurt to join" during the sweepstakes. Looks like she was right, because she's now the proud owner of a brand new 7" Kindle Fire HD tablet computer.

Congrats, Francine!

Stay tuned to see the other four winners of our sweepstakes in the coming weeks.

Want to join the state's largest and most experienced organization dedicated to protecting the careers of state supervisors and managers?

Fill out an application in just moments at www.acss.org/JOIN

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Sep 10, 2013

Pending bill would exempt transit pensions

In a bid to retain federal funding for California's transit systems, Gov. Brown is expected to soon sign an emergency bill to exempt state transit workers from his pension reform program.

Assembly Bill 1222, authored by Assemblymembers Roger Dickinson (D-Sacramento) and Richard Bloom (D-Santa Monica), will exempt mass transit workers from Gov. Brown's California Public Employees' Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA). If the Legislature and Governor fail to pass AB 1222, California stands to lose $1.6 billion in federal grant funding for 2013 alone.

Due to the time-sensitive nature of the situation AB 1222 has been introduced as an "urgency" measure. AB 1222 needs two-thirds support in the Assembly and Senate, as well as Gov. Brown's signature, to take effect immediately.

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Aug 28, 2013

New secretary of CalGovOps confirmed


Photo courtesy of CalGovOps, via Facebook

The Senate Rules Committee has officially confirmed Governor Brown's appointee Marybel Batjer (above left) as the head of the newly created Government Operations Agency (CalGovOps).

CalGovOps, created as part of Gov. Brown's government reorganization project, will oversee 8 departments, including CalPERS, DGS, the Department of Technology, and CalHR.

During the confirmation hearing, Senator Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) asked Secretary Batjer how she intended to keep California competitive and to bring in skilled workers in light of the looming increase in retirements.

Ms. Batjer responded that she would be working closely with CalHR's newly developed Workforce Planning Unit to determine how to make state employment more desirable to "twenty-somethings" by, among other things, investigating alternatives to "sitting in an office for 8 hours a day."

Now that her confirmation is official, ACSS will be meeting with Secretary Batjer to discuss the crucial role that salary compaction plays in the State's difficulty in recruiting and retaining skilled supervisors, managers, and confidential employees.

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Aug 28, 2013

You can help fix SRN scheduling

In order to address several pressing issues reported by our members, your ACSS has implemented quarterly meetings with California Correctional Health Care Service (CCHCS). 

The first meeting will most likely be set for the second or third week of September and will primarily address issues with Supervising Registered Nurse (SRN) scheduling, including:

  • SRN not being able to get days off
  • Issues with vacation time due to poor scheduling
  • Preferential treatment in shift assignments
  • Having to cover additional shifts  

If you have encountered issues with SRN scheduling at your institution, please forward the specifics immediately to ACSS Senior Labor Relations Representative Nellie D. Lynn at nlynn@calcsea.org

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Aug 27, 2013

Anti-compaction bill on hold

After passing through the Senate with nearly unanimous bipartisan support, ACSS' anti-compaction bill - SB 216 - is currently in the “suspense” file in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. This is standard procedure for bills that have a cost associated with them; however, ACSS Executive Director Rocco Paternoster notes that SB 216 is not without opposition:

"[SB 216] is facing strong opposition from the Department of Finance (as directed by the Governor). ACSS continues to aggressively press the importance of resolving salary compaction with the legislature; CalHR; the Governor’s Office and will be discussing the matter with Marybel Batjer who is up for confirmation as the Secretary of the California Government Operations Agency this Wednesday."

Mr. Paternoster continues, regarding SB 216's future:

"SB 216 is a two-year bill and is viable up to July 2014.  ACSS will continue to advocate passage and signing of this bill but will also continue to advocate at all levels so that the issue of compaction is fully understood and rectified."

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Aug 21, 2013

CalPERS highlights local investment

CalPERS is quietly creating jobs and heavily investing in the future of California, a new report shows.

The 2011-12 annual report shows that CalPERS invested more than $20 billion dollars in California during that time period. Those investments have "supported or created" nearly 1.5 million jobs for Californians.

For more detail, see the full report.

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Aug 19, 2013

Kindle Sweepstakes Winners!

The winners of the 2013 ACSS Kindle Sweepstakes have been selected through a verified random process via www.randompicker.com

The odds of winning were 1 in 10.8

Winners will receive one Kindle Fire HD 7" tablet computer with a custom designed ACSS case.

Congratulations to contest winners Justen Burns, Francine Davies, Nicholas Hromyak, Linda Maxwell, and Victor Wells.

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Aug 16, 2013

Q3 board meeting hotel deadline approaching

Have you reserved your room for the upcoming board meeting in Costa Mesa?

Remember: In order to have your costs reimbursed you must have your chapter president's approval prior to booking your room or attending.

The deadline to lock in your discounted room rate is Wednesday, August 28th.

Once you have your president's approval, reserve your room through this link to get the discount.

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Aug 16, 2013

Meet Chapter 502 President Lt. Coopwood

ACSS recently chatted via email with newly appointed Chapter 502 President Lieutenant Coopwood about his concerns about the future for state supervisors, the challenges of state hiring practices, running one of ACSS' geographically largest chapters, and more.

When did you start working for the state?
I’ve been employed with the state of California for over 18 years now. I switched from working at McClellan A.F.B as an Aircraft Electrician to work for DCA (Department of Consumer Affairs) I.T. (Internet Technology) division. I wasn’t able to put my college computer degree into practice at McClellan, hence the reason for the switch. I also gained a lot of management skills while in the Air Force for 33 years.

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Aug 15, 2013

How well do you Know Your Rights?

This Fall, ACSS will be holding a series of "Know Your Rights" meetings throughout the state.

Our professional labor relations staff will be on hand to give you a rundown of your rights as a state supervisor, manager, or confidential employee, as well as telling you what you should do if you ever hit a rough patch in your career.

The meetings have already begun, and run through the Fall. Find your local meeting now and get informed!

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