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Aug 4, 2021

Update on CalHR Vaccine Verification and COVID-19 Testing Direction to State Agencies

On July 26, 2021, the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) announced a policy requiring state departments to have a process for vaccine verification and requiring mandatory COVID-19 testing of unvaccinated employees working on site. On August 3, CalHR Director Eraina Ortega provided a vaccine verification and testing update.

CalHR and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) are developing a testing program that will be implemented first in four departments - CHP, CalFire, Caltrans and DMV. CalHR and CDPH will meet with those departments later this week. Following the implementation in those departments, CalHR will create the “playbook” for state departments to expand the testing program to all departments. Based on that schedule, it may take some time for testing to be done in all state departments.

CDPH has developed a draft “Antigen Testing Playbook” which is expected to form the basis for the state employee testing process. As the testing protocols are developed for state departments, ACSS will review the testing process (e.g., self-collecting swabs, test results, next steps related to positive tests, data collection) to protect the interest of members. Testing roles and responsibilities and are likely to differ based on the size of departments or worksites.

State departments will receive instructions for reporting both the percentage of employees who have verified their vaccine status and how many employees working on-site are anticipated to be tested at least weekly. Employees without a vaccine verification who telework full time will not be required to test unless they come into the office.

CalHR has confirmed to ACSS that as testing protocols are developed, departments will provide notice to ACSS and an opportunity to meet and confer over the impact to ensure the interests of supervisors and managers are protected.

If you have questions about vaccine verifications or the testing requirements, contact your ACSS Labor Relations Representative.

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Jul 27, 2021

CalHR Issues COVID-19 Testing Direction to State Agencies

The California Department of Human Resources has provided direction to state departments requiring mandatory COVID-19 testing of unvaccinated state employees working on site. The CalHR direction follows an increase in case rates tied to low vaccination rates in some communities and the increased transmissibility of the Delta variant.

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Jul 9, 2021

CalHR Issues Pay Letters Ending the PLP 2020 Reduction and Implementing Salary Increases

This week CalHR issued two pay letters impacting excluded employees. Pay Letter 21-18 ends the pay reductions (generally 9.23%) from the Personal Leave Program 2020. Pay Letter 21-19 increases salaries for most excluded employees through General Salary Increases and includes a number of Special Salary Adjustments. The State Controller’s Office is implementing these changes with the July 2021 pay period warrants.

All excluded employees are receiving the same General Salary Increases as related rank-and-file employees and from ACSS’ initial review, it appears all Special Salary Adjustments have been passed along to related supervisors and managers.

ACSS awaits a pay letter for the July 1, 2021 General Salary Increase (5.06%) and Special Salary Adjustments for S19 and M19 employees. ACSS will keep impacted employees apprised of the expected timing of these salary adjustments.

CalHR has informed ACSS that the resumption of the “OPEB/CERBT” employee contribution is now expected to also take effect with the July pay warrant. This employee contribution to prefund retiree health care benefits was suspended during the PLP 2020 pay reductions with the state picking up the employees’ portion. The employee contributions generally range from 2 percent to 4.6 percent of salary.

With salaries restored, ACSS now looks forward to working in earnest with CalHR and impacted departments to address a number of supervisory and managerial pay and classification issues.

Pay Letter 21-18 ending the PLP 2020 reductions can be read here.

The portions of Pay Letter 21-19 affecting excluded employees can be read here. (page 14 through 45.)

If you have questions about the salary increases or the prefunding of retiree healthcare, please contact your ACSS Labor Relations Representative.

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Jun 22, 2021

CalHR Issues Face Covering Direction to State Agencies

On June 21, 2021, California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) Director Eraina Ortega provided updated requirements for the use of face coverings to state departments. The CalHR direction follows June 17, 2021 amendments to the California Occupational Safety and Health Board regulations.

Face coverings are not required for fully vaccinated individuals except in certain settings including correctional facilities, health care settings, school and childcare settings and public transit.

Face coverings are required for unvaccinated individuals in state offices, with exceptions for employees who cannot wear a face covering due to a medical condition or disability, employees who are hearing impaired where the ability to see the mouth is essential to communication, or wearing a face covering creates a workplace safety guideline risk. Face coverings are limited to surgical masks, medical procedure masks, a respirator, or at least two layers of tightly woven or non-woven material. Scarfs, bandanas, and single layers of fabric are excluded.

Upon request, departments must provide unvaccinated employees with an N95 respirator. Departments are directed to establish a procedure to provide N95 coverings to employees requesting one.

Documenting Vaccination Status

“Fully vaccinated” means the employer has documented the employee has received, at least 14-days prior, the second dose of a two-dose vaccine or a single dose vaccine.

Departments are directed to implement a procedure where employees can self-attest to their vaccination status. No verification is required and the voluntary attestation record will not reside in an employee’s personnel file. No medical information should be revealed and departments should not ask questions of employees who choose not to provide vaccine status information.

Departments are directed to update policies on workplace bullying/violence to address issues such as commenting about mask/non-mask wearers or not respecting a request for social distance.

As departmental policies are developed, ACSS will meet-and-confer where appropriate to ensure the interests of supervisors and managers are protected. If you have questions about face covering policies, contact your ACSS Labor Relations Representative.

The CalHR direction can be read here.

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Jun 16, 2021

ACSS Meets with CalHR: PLP 2020 to End, Excluded Employee Salary Increases July 1, 2021

ACSS met with the Department of Human Resources (CalHR) on June 15, 2021 to discuss pay and benefits for the state’s supervisory, managerial, confidential and exempt employees.

Excluded Employee Pay Plan for 2021-2022

CalHR has confirmed to ACSS that the Personal Leave Program (PLP) salary reductions of 9.23% will end effective June 30, 2021. Full salaries will be restored for all excluded employees and accrual of PLP days will end. CalHR has also confirmed that generally, excluded employees will receive the same percentage salary increases as the bargaining unit to which they are affiliated.

The Exempt and Excluded Employee Pay Plan includes:

  • An end to the Personal Leave Program salary reduction of 9.23%
  • General Salary Increases effective July 1, 2021:

    EXCLUDED EMPLOYEES AFFILIATED WITH BARGAINING UNIT: GSI
    1, 3, 4, 11, 14, 15, 17, 20, 21 (SEIU Units)  4.55%
    2 (+1.33% additional salary adjustment for all)  4.04%
     5  4.90%
     6  5.58%
     7  5.06%
     9  5.58%
     10  7.63%
     12  5.06%
     13  5.83%
     16  5.06%
     18  5.58%
     19*  5.06%
  • Special Salary Adjustments and Pay Differentials will be extended to exempt and excluded employees where appropriate.
  • Employees will resume the “OPEB” contribution to pre-fund retiree health care (the amount varies from 1.4% to 4.6% of salary). The deduction is expected to resume with the August 2021 pay warrant.
  • All exempt and excluded employees associated with the SEIU bargaining units will continue to receive the $260 taxable cash benefit (health affordability payment) through June 30, 2022.

Exempt and Excluded Employees not directly tied to a bargaining unit (such as many employees who have an “E” Collective Bargaining Identifier) are expected to receive the 4.55% GSI.

CalHR is working on the “Pay Letters” and expects the salary adjustments to be reflected in the July pay warrants. As the pay letters are developed, ACSS will continue advocacy with CalHR to ensure excluded employees receive all appropriate special salary adjustments.

Negotiations between CalHR and the representatives for rank-and-file bargaining unis 8, 10 and 19 for new labor contracts continue. ACSS has proposed that any increases in those MOUs also be provided to related excluded employees.

Other Salary and Benefit Advocacy for ACSS Members Continues

At the June 15, 2021 meeting, CalHR and ACSS continued the discussion of salary inequities and classification issues for excluded employees.

CalHR has again committed to providing substantive responses to many ACSS proposals including:

  • Allocating Nursing Consultant, Program Review employees to State Safety Retirement
  • Salary inequity adjustments for Program Directors, Program Assistants, and Unit Supervisors
  • Salary inequity adjustments for excluded Environmental Planners, Transportation Planners and Right-of-Way Agents
  • Reclassification and salary adjustments for the excluded employees in the Health Facility Evaluator Series
  • Salary inequity adjustments for the Food Service Supervisor excluded classes for fiscal year 2020-2021.

ACSS will continue to keep impacted members apprised of the status of potential increases to pay and benefits.

* BU 19 UPDATED as of 7/1/2021

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Jun 7, 2021

ACSS Election Results – View Your Newly Elected Officers and Delegates!

ACSS Elections closed on May 21, 2021. The votes have been tallied and verified. Click on your Chapter below to see results of your Chapter’s newly elected Officers and Delegates. Chapter Officers will be sworn in at Delegate Assembly on October 8-10, 2021 in Sacramento. Chapter Officers and Delegates will convene at the triennial Delegate Assembly to discuss important Association business and shape the future of YOUR ACSS!

ACSS extends our gratitude to thank members who took the time and effort to cast their vote.

(Not sure which Chapter you belong to? Click here to find your Chapter.)

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Jun 1, 2021

CalPERS Member Education Opportunity - June 16

Learn About Working After Retirement

CalPERS will host a 15-minute "Working After Retirement" webinar on Wednesday, June 16, 2021 at 11:00 a.m.

Once you retire, you can return to work for a CalPERS-covered employer as a retired annuitant, but there are some restrictions. In the webinar, CalPERS will discuss what you need to know if you return to work as a retired annuitant.

To register, select the View Calendar link on the CalPERS Member Education page.

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May 14, 2021

May Revision of the 2021 – 2022 State Budget: End of Pay Reductions and Deferrals

Governor Newsom released his May Revise of the state budget on May 14, 2021. The budget includes a projected $75.7 billion surplus. The historic $267.8 billion budget ($196.8 billion general fund) includes $24.4 billion in reserves, with $15.9 billion in the state’s rainy day fund.

In his budget summary, the Governor notes that last year state employees “stepped up at a time of uncertainty” by deferring scheduled pay increases and pay reductions through the Personal Leave Program. Although the Governor notes long-term financial risk remains high, the higher-than-anticipated tax revenue and additional federal funds have drastically improved the near-term picture. With that backdrop, the budget proposal contains a few highlights of importance to ACSS members:

  • Instructs CalHR to discuss the end of the Personal Leave Program 2020 program AND an end to deferring scheduled pay increases
  • Includes a $1.5 billion additional one-time supplemental payment to CalPERS for state plans (to pay down liabilities and save state employer pension costs)
  • Includes a one-time $616 million payment to keep on pace to pre-fund retiree health benefits (which makes up for the employee contribution which was suspended this fiscal year to mitigate the PLP pay reduction )

The updated budget proposal kicks off legislative deliberation over the budget plan with a June 15 deadline for the legislature to send a budget to the Governor. It also kicks off discussions and collective bargaining with CalHR over ending the PLP 2020 program and ending the deferral of salary increases which many ACSS members were slated to receive July 1, 2020 and July 1, 2021.

ACSS will continue our discussions over the next few weeks with CalHR over excluded employee pay increases and will use the opportunity created by the budget surplus to address long-standing pay and benefit issues. We will keep you apprised as the excluded pay plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2021 comes into focus.

The Governor’s complete budget summary can be found here:

Budget Summary (ca.gov)

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May 5, 2021

Support CalPERS Candidate David Miller for Board of Administration, At Large Seat A

CalPERS candidates endorsed by the ACSS Board are running for statewide seats, voted on by state managers and supervisors as well as retired state and public employees. For the CalPERS 2021 Election, ACSS has endorsed David Miller for CalPERS Board of Administration, At Large Seat A. ACSS endorsed David Miller during the previous election for his current position on the CalPERS Board. David continues to protect pensions, improve health benefits and provide transparency on behalf of CalPERS members.

ACSS is asking your help in gathering petition signatures for Candidate Miller. To support David Miller, please follow these steps:

  1. Click here to download the form
  2. Print the form
  3. Fill out the form and sign it
  4. Scan the signed form

Due to the short timeline for to return petition signatures, we recommend that you return the scanned signed petition directly to ACSS in one of two ways:

  • Email the scanned signed petition to ACSS at acss@ACSS.org
  • Fax it to (916) 326-4364

If you choose to use return the signed petition via first class paper mail, the letter needs to be received by CalPERS no later than 5:00PM on May 13th, 2021.

If you have any questions, please contact ACSS at acss@ACSS.org or call (916) 326-4257.

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May 4, 2021

ACSS Board of Directors Discusses Political Endorsements, Chapter Meetings, and Elections

In the past few weeks, the ACSS Board of Directors has met on two occasions to discuss important Association business. On one occasion, the Board met for a special session to quickly and decisively vote to support Governor Gavin Newsom in his efforts to fight the recall. ACSS’ contributions were noted in Politico’s news article, posted April 29, 2021. Most recently on May 1, the Board held a regular meeting and made further political endorsements:

Legislative

  • Dr. Angelov (Angelo) Farooq (SD 31, 2024) – Dr. Farooq is currently a member of the Board of Education for Riverside Unified School District. He is also the Chairman of the California Workforce Development Board, appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom. In addition, he serves at a high level on several councils that focus on education, economic development, women’s health, entrepreneurship, and innovation.

CalPERS 2021 Election

  • David Miller (Board of Administration, At Large Seat A) – ACSS endorsed David Miller during the previous election for his current position on the CalPERS Board. David Miller continues to protect pensions, improve health benefits and provide transparency on behalf of CalPERS members.
  • Jose Luis Pacheco (Board of Administration, At Large Seat B) – Mr. Pacheco has a strong background in labor and is a current member of the South Bay Labor Council in San Jose. He also serves on councils that support credit unions, breast cancer, and Latino issues. He promises to protect pensions, improve healthcare programs, and act as the voice that represents CalPERS members.

The CalPERS candidates endorsed by the ACSS Board are running for statewide seats voted on by current state employees including state managers and supervisors as well as retired state and public employees.

The ACSS Board of Directors also discussed the return of Chapter meetings via virtual format as well as future in-person meetings. We are in the process of training and preparation for holding Chapter meetings again and we look forward to providing members with a virtual outlet to discuss ACSS activities, updates, and topics that are important to excluded employees.

As you may already be aware, ACSS Elections for Chapter Offices and Delegates are now open until May 21, 2021. Please remember to visit the ACSS Election Portal and cast your vote for local leaders to represent your voice. Delegate Assembly 2021 is slated for October 8-10 at the Sheraton Grand in Sacramento.

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