Bargaining Unit 3 – Update
Professional Educators and Librarians

These past few weeks have been interesting to say the least. Not knowing what you are going to do tomorrow due to the daily changes can be challenging. I want everyone to know our first priority is the health and safety of all of our represented employees and that your job stewards have been working hard to keep up with the constant changes and ensure that management follows the new working conditions. I, your BUNC, and all the Unit 3 stewards have been working hard to ensure that at each facility the policies coming out of Sacramento are being followed so as to reduce possible transmittal of the COVID-19.

On April 8, 2020, a notice was put out that California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), Adult Division, was creating and implementing a 14 day modified program. For Unit 3 Librarians, I’d like to point out that the memo said libraries were going to a PLU or paging option while maintaining social distancing in the library, and educational materials were to be provided to either cell front or dorm.

In most CDCR adult facilities, management has made the necessary changes to programming and moved forward. But there are a few that have to be reminded to follow the rules. Most of the time, a simple reminder to management is all it takes to correct an issue.

Don’t be afraid to speak up if you think your health or safety is being threatened. Let your local job steward know, and they can follow up. Just remember, things are changing rapidly during this emergency. It is up to us to be aware and bring issues  to the attention of our supervisors. Management is likely just as stressed about our evolving work environment, so we will need to be vigilant in ensuring that our member concerns are raised as processes and recommendations change. 

I have been working with upper level management at Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), for a couple of weeks now on plans that will simultaneously keep our members safe while still delivering on the mission of the department. This is an evolving issue, and as we know additional information, we will post it here on the Unit webpage.

Also the Schools for the Deaf and the Blind will move to distance learning starting on April 13, and the 3 Diagnostic Centers have suspended their outreach and are teleworking from home. Even though the Porterville Developmental Center is still having classes, we are looking to see if it can’t be changed to fall more in line with the rest of the schools.

A directive was put out a few days ago allowing staff to wear face masks. Although you will have to provide your own at this time, as long as it does not have any prohibited graphics you should not have any problems.

I will be updating this often, so refer back to get the latest information.

In closing, remember to always follow the directions of your supervisor. The general rule is “obey now, grieve later,” and always make your job steward aware of any issues that come up. They can’t help if they don’t know what is going on. We know that these are anxious and uncertain times, and we appreciate the leadership each of you are showing as we move through this together.