Statewide JLMC addresses workload issues
Committee members on the road May and June
Members of the Local 1000 EDD Statewide Joint Labor Management Committee (JLMC) on Workload Concerns and Quality Customer Service will be on the road in May and June.
"We've been meeting with management on workload issues," said team member Beverly Arias. "We've offered solutions to some of the most critical statewide problems--and we will be back with more."
Comprised of stewards from across California, the JLMC anticipated increasing workloads. "The department hired over 1000 people when California's unemployment skyrocketed. Their streamlined training has contributed to workload problems," Arias added. To circumvent issues like this in the future, the committee will begin gathering ideas from members on more recommendations for improvements.
Workload and automation bargaining
Local 1000 will meet in May with EDD management on workload and automation concerns in the Disability and Workforce Services.
"We asked management to think outside of the box and work with us on ways to lower the Unemployment Insurance (UI) determination backlog," said Joyce Wheeler-Owens, team member from San Diego.
The JLMC Team has made the following recommendations to management:
- Recognize all two-party, wages, and false-statement issues for their complexity
- Adjust determination schedules with two-party determinations accordingly
- Make more mentors available to staff in training
- Create quick reference guides for issues
- Use more staff as floaters
- Provide better determinations training that is interactive and topic specific
- Increase discussion of ways to prevent backlog
- Create a form to request a reduced determination log
"We want to work with management on a more equitable way of assigning work," said team member Shawny Livingston. "There are people assigned to the same function for years, especially in the Call Centers."
Livingston says co-workers are skilled at what they do, and their work should be acknowledged with more opportunities.
The committee members presented these ideas to management:
- Rotate off-the-phone work
- Offer interested Permanent Intermittents (PI) determination training
- Honor requests for training
"We're moving on our statewide JLMC and encouraging the formation of JLMCs on a local level," said Dierdre Munson, team member from Elk Grove. "Every office is different, and we can really accomplish improvements in our working conditions and workload when we think and act locally."
Processes and procedures can be improved in the local worksites - these local JLMCs are being formed to make it happen.
Please send your thoughts and ideas on workload, customer service and local JLMCs to edd@seiu1000.org
