Members push for upward mobility in Unit 15
JLMCs mark progress at multiple departments

On July 23, the Unit 15 Upward Mobility Team met with the state’s representatives in a Joint Labor Management Committee (JLMC) as part of a continuing dialogue about gaps in the various departments’ upward mobility programs. 

Along with Chair Jesse Aranda (DSH), the team is comprised of Garth Underwood (CDCR), Shavone Brown (DGS) and Ellis Washington (EDD), as well as staff from Local 1000’s contract department.

“This is a significant change for me and other members at my worksite.”

—Shavone Brown, DGS

Two team members reported that management at their worksites began to take steps to improve members’ access to upward mobility programs and resources.

“For years, EDD management was inconsistent about engaging our members regarding their career advancement opportunities,” said Ellis Washington. “This last July, as a result of our JLMC, every custodian had the opportunity to discuss their career aspirations with their supervisors. If our members showed interest, their supervisors filled out a Career Development Plan and an Individual Development Plan. For some of our folks, it had been years since this happened.”

Another significant breakthrough was improved computer access for custodians at certain DGS worksites. For example, Shavone Brown reported that for the first time she had access to a computer terminal at her worksite. “During my breaks, I can finally access DGS’ online upward mobility resources. Some of the most valuable resources are kept on the intranet, behind the department’s firewall. Because of this, those of us who don’t work at a computer could never access this information. This is a significant change for me and other members at my worksite.”

The Unit 15 Upward Mobility Team and the state will continue to identify and discuss the merits of these best practices for solving upward mobility issues. While these latest improvements do not solve all the issues with the state’s upward mobility program, they represent the first steps on a pathway for expanding our members’ career opportunities in the state.