Bargaining Team Gets Back to Work. CAPS’ Bargaining Team met last month to set the stage for upcoming negotiations by learning about CAPS history and the history of the Dills Act – the law governing state employee collective bargaining – as well as to train in various negotiation strategies. The Team also met with CAPS’ Labor Relations Officer, Jacqueline Sanders to introduce the Team and discuss CAPS’ interests including continuing progress on Unit 10 reclassification efforts and future meeting dates. Watch your inbox for the Bargaining Survey in the next few weeks. Your input will shape the Bargaining Team’s priorities. Your input matters.
Know Your Rights: Review the MOU. The CAPS Memorandum of Understanding (or MOU) lays out the rights and benefits of employees in Unit 10 and is the culmination of the bargaining process between the State of California and CAPS. The Dills Act (Government Code Section 3512 et seq.) requires that agreements between the State of California and each Unit’s “exclusive representative” (that’s CAPS), are made in writing.
During bargaining, all sections are up for re-negotiation, so your CAPS Bargaining Team will go through each section and either negotiate to “roll it over” (keep it the same), “strike” it (get rid of it – not very common), or propose to change it (update it or modify it in some way). New sections can also be negotiated during bargaining.
Who cares about all this? You do! The rights laid out in the MOU establish your pay, benefits, and other terms and conditions of employment. Now is the time to familiarize yourself with the MOU. Access it here.
Is Your New Year’s Resolution to Save Money? Membership comes with benefits, one of which includes a host of consumer discounts curated by CAPS for your benefit. Some good discounts to capitalize on to ensure you’re saving money, but still living your best life include:
- Anheuser-Busch Theme Parks/SeaWorld – adults pay the kids’ price, and kids admission is even less;
- Boomers Parks – theme parks with locations in Livermore, Modesto, Santa Maria, El Cajon, Fountain Valley, Irvine, San Diego, and Upland in California, as well as Boca Raton, Florida and Houston, Texas;
- California’s Great America;
- Knott’s Berry Farm;
- Legoland California (Carlsbad);
- Monterey Bay Aquarium;
- Whitewater Rafting (Northern California); and much, much more!
Visit the Members-Only Section of the CAPS Website to view the Discounts and find out more information.
News Briefs.
New wave of chicken-killing Newcastle disease hits Southern California. It’s been a poor holiday season for Southern California’s chickens. In recent weeks, new cases of the poultry-killing Newcastle disease hit San Bernardino, Riverside and Los Angeles counties, reviving an epidemic that state officials believed was nearing its end as recently as last summer. Since May 2018, when the disease was identified in the region, 1.2 million birds in the area have been euthanized. Careless bird owners who haven’t followed protocol for the highly contagious virus – including individuals who’ve ignored quarantines – are to blame, according to State Veterinarian Annette Jones.
Citrus greening disease attacks Corona trees, putting city in quarantine area. The discovery of a dozen diseased fruit trees in Corona has fanned fears that citrus greening disease may soon ravage commercial orchards in Riverside County. Because of the finding, agriculture officials have expanded a sprawling Southern California quarantine area by 107 square miles, adding Corona, Norco and part of Chino, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture.