Unit 21 Bargaining Update for Tuesday, July 16, 2019
Unit 21 Members tell their stories in support of salary adjustments

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Our Unit 21 team, representing Educational Consultants and Librarians, went to the table today to continue their fight for fair wages and better professional opportunities.

Three Local 1000 members—two from the California Department of Education (CDE) and one from the Department of Consumer Affairs—joined the team as subject matter experts at the bargaining table to share the value of the work they do to build a California for All.

As Transportation Program Consultants (TPC) at CDE in Sacramento, Dano Rybar and Andrew Peters work to certify thousands of bus drivers in the state and ensure the safe travel of millions of students to and from school. Their positions were created as a direct result of our bargaining efforts in 2016, and they’re currently putting a face on our proposal for a Special Salary Adjustment (SSA) to bring their wages in line with other CDE consultants.

“We’re the only state agency where parents place their young children in our care—daily—without even knowing the bus driver’s name,” said Mr. Rybar, underscoring the importance of their work.

Loretta Melby, along with her fellow Nursing Education Consultants, ensures the skills and quality of care provided by Registered Nurses across the state. They’re involved in virtually every facet of the education provided to California’s nursing students, ranging from pre-licensing classes to masters programs, overseeing some 5,000 nursing faculty members.

Melby spoke in support of our proposal for a salary adjustment for her classification in recognition of the qualifications her job demands and to bring wages in line with the market.

Our bargaining team also presented a proposal to encourage the professional development of CDE employees through a $300 allowance over the term of the contract.

In addition, our team presented 21 proposals that would “roll over” existing contract language, including the hard-won Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) provisions that protect the professional status of our members.

Unit 21 next returns to the bargaining table on July 26.