Unit 11

State breaks promises, refuses job study

Updated 10:00 a.m., July 17
The state passed 27 proposals to our Engineering and Scientific Specialists (Unit 11) team on Wednesday, including language that would break a promise made to our workers in 2003.

In two previous contracts, 2003 and 2006, the state had agreed to perform a classification study to create a lead position among Fish and Wildlife technicians. The state began the study several years ago but never completed it. Now the Department of Personnel Administration is refusing to perform the study. 

“They’re backing out of a promise that they made in the 2003 contract,” Willis said. “We have members who have been waiting for this study for five years. Fish and Game management has said they want this done too. But the DPA is trying to break their promise to our members.”

DPA negotiator Franklin Marr said the state does not want any new classifications. Marr also told our team that the state is unwilling to entertain any proposals that cost money – even minor increases in pay differentials. For the second time they also passed language rejecting our request for a $15 a month increase in the differential for commercial truck driving licenses.

Unit 11 & state spar over pay equity

Updated 2:00 p.m., June 24

Unit 11 negotiators signed eight tentative agreements and passed pay equity proposals for 17 classifications on Monday, but each time the state said it would not discuss any increase in pay for state employees—even minor increases in differentials or reimbursements.

“The state is telling us the same thing every single time: there’s a $15 billion deficit and they have no money to pay for any increases,” Unit 11 Chair Connie Kabeary. “We submitted our proposals to address pay equity problems for our members, but the state isn’t seriously considering them.”

Kabeary said state negotiators are bogging down Unit 11 negotiations by passing proposals that belong at the Master Table.  “This is just another way they’re wasting time, rather than working to get a new contract,” she added. 

Kabeary and other Unit 11 team members spent Tuesday morning at a solidarity event for Caltrans workers in Sacramento. “We need to let the state know that we are serious about getting a fair contract,” Kabeary said Tuesday. “We need to up the pressure on the state.”

---

Bargaining Unit 11 signs reaches one Tentative Agreement

Updated 12:00 p.m., June 19

Bargaining Unit 11 signed one tentative agreement, extending 2006 contract language on Out of State Pay Differential.

Negotiators spent most of their day discussing MREA and the pay disparity between our Unit 11 employees and CalTrans employees in Unit 9.

Four MREAs took part in Wednesday’s bargaining session. One member gave a presentation and all four members took part in a question and answer session with the Department of Personnel Administration.

“I’m hoping this presentation gave the state enough information to realize how important raises are for MREAs,” said Connie Kabeary, chair of Bargaining Unit 11. “More than 75 percent are signing petitions to go to their department heads and demand a raise. They’ve never been this involved.”

Unit 11 will make a formal MREA proposal during their next negotiation session June 23.

---

Unit 11 signs 12 agreements with state

Updated 10:30 a.m., June 13

The Unit 11 bargaining team and the state signed 12 tentative agreements on Thursday, but state negotiators balked when it came time to talk about money.

The tentative agreements included providing pay differential for various employees who receive additional professional certifications.  The pay differentials are all carried over from the 2006 contract and apply to jobs such as steel inspectors, DNA lab technicians and transportation engineering technicians.

State negotiators also agreed to continue paying a $50,000 life insurance policy for several classifications.  

But the state refused to increase pay differential by about $15 a month for about 100 employees, mainly in Caltrans, who drive trucks as part of their jobs.

“They were very careful to say that they were only agreeing to rollover language that did not cost the state any additional money,” Unit 11 Chair Connie Kabeary said. “The state is sending a message that they are going to be tough when it comes to money.”

---

Unit 11 Tentative Agreements

Your contract contains numerous articles that are specific to the needs of Bargaining Unit 11 employees. During negotiations, our bargaining team reviews and approves each of those articles and reaches Tentative Agreement with the state as we work towards a fully approved contact.

Click on the links below to read and review Unit 11-specific articles that have been tentatively approved.

9.18.11 Life Insurance	11.49.11 Transportation Engineering Technician...
10.5.11 Health and Safety Education and Training	12.12.11 Safety Footwear
10.34.11 Health & Safety Incentive Award...	12.20.11 Pest Control Licenses
11.23.11 Out-of-State Pay Differential	13.13.11 Professional Certification or Registration
11.40.11 Operatioanl Availability Incentive...	13.14.11 Special Certification Requirements
11.42.11 Water Treatment Plant Differential	13.15.11 Technician Rotation – Caltrans
11.43.11 Diving Pay	19.13.11 Overtime Assignments for Work Week Group 2
11.44.11 Long Term Differential	19.20.11 Double Backs – Department of Food and Agriculture
11.45.11 Pay Differential - DOJ	19.21.11 Standby Duty – Department of Fish and Game
11.46.11 Pile Load Testing Differential	21.18.11 Drug and Alcohol Testing
11.47.11 Climbing Pay

Processing the tentative agreements is time consuming. We are posting the information to the website throughout the day as quickly as possible.

---

Bargaining Unit 11 Election Results

 Click here to view the Bargaining unit 11 election results