May Revise. The Governor released the May Revise on Friday, May 14, 2021 (you can read it here). This is the most updated proposed budget for the upcoming Fiscal Year, based on the latest economic and revenue forecasts available to the Department of Finance (DOF).
With its release, CAPS conducts a detailed review, which is currently underway. Any pertinent information from that review will be shared in subsequent updates. The most relevant item found in the May Revise Summary is the mention of the termination of PLP 2020, and discussions surrounding the deferred compensation raises. Unions will be called back to the bargaining table to begin discussing these items.
As a reminder, the CAPS Bargaining Team has already passed proposals, in April, related to the PLP 2020 Side Letter Agreement, as a package, to prompt CalHR to discuss ending PLP 2020 and to restore the temporarily-suspended 5% GSI and make it retroactive to July 1, 2020. This was after weeks of requesting to meet surrounding the reports of a robust and healthy State Budget. The proposals included a new contract section, 2.1.2, Return of Suspended General Salary Increase; the deletion of 2.1.1, Contract Reopener Language; and the modification of 3.23, Personal Leave Program 2020.
Of note, these remain proposals in the traditional bargaining process, and would need agreement from CalHR in order to go into effect.
Current PLP Totals, Increase to Vacation/Annual Leave Cap. Unit 10 State Scientists have been subject to PLP 2020 since July 1, 2020. As of May 1, 2021, all full-time State Scientists received another 16 hours of PLP 2020 credit, which can be requested and taken in the same manner as vacation or sick leave, at the member’s discretion. Since the program’s start, State Scientists have been credited with a total of 176 hours of PLP 2020. Meanwhile, State Scientists’ vacation/annual leave cap has increased by the same amount, from a maximum of 640 hours in June 2020, to the current limit of 816 hours. The vacation/annual leave cap increases last until 2025 for Unit 10.
Dependent Scholarship Applications. CAPS awards $500 scholarships to dependents of 15 CAPS members in support of their college education. Any CAPS member with a child or other dependent family member in college or bound for college in the Fall may apply! Qualified applicants must be enrolled in an accredited university or community college (but not a vocational school) and complete a CAPS Scholarship Application. All applications must be submitted by June 1 each year. There is no need to apply each year, as qualifying applications remain in the running until the dependent graduates college, or someone else from their household is chosen. So, unless something in an applicant’s profile has changed, it is unnecessary to resubmit an application. No family may receive more than one CAPS scholarship per lifetime.
Vacation/Annual Leave Cashout. The CAPS MOU allows eligible employees in participating departments to submit a written request during May to receive payment at their regular salary rate in exchange for up to 80 unused vacation or annual leave hours. Payment for all leave hours are made using existing departmental appropriations, therefore, each department’s participation is subject to the availability of departmental funds. These departments have announced whether they are participating. CAPS will update these lists as departments confirm or decline participation in the program for the year. State Scientists at these departments should have been notified of the department’s participation, and how to enroll. If you encounter issues enrolling in the program at a department that has confirmed their participation this year, as listed above, contact CAPS (caps@capsscientists.org).
News Briefs.
A state worker purged his personnel file 2 years in a row. New court ruling bars that practice – Sacramento Bee. The state of California will be able to keep negative information in many state workers’ personnel files longer under a little-noticed appellate court opinion from December.
Column: Boosted by California’s huge budget surplus, Newsom plays Santa Claus to California voters – Los Angeles Times. It’s Christmas in May and Gov. Gavin Newsom is playing Santa Claus. The tree where all his gift-wrapped packages are piled is the state vault. The vault is overflowing like never before.
In Review. Check out what you may have missed from past CAPS Updates here:
April 27, 2021. Board Of Directors Meeting. The next Board of Directors’ (BOD) Meeting is scheduled for Saturday, May 22, 2021, at 9 a.m., via Zoom. Members will need to pre-register for the event via a sign-up process that will be sent out soon. The Draft Minutes from the February 20th BOD Meeting, as well as the Draft Agenda for the May 22nd BOD Meeting, are posted on the Members-Only Section of the Website, (the password is ChooseCAPS! – it is case-sensitive).
Pre-Board of Directors Meeting Virtual Worksite Meetings. In advance of the Board of Directors’ Meeting on Saturday, May 22, 2021, the CAPS Board of Directors (BOD) will be hosting virtual “worksite” meetings to allow members a forum to hear from and talk to their Board Members. The meeting will begin with a presentation by the Board, covering recent events and committee work, and end with a Question and Answer (Q&A) session, open to members present.
The two virtual Worksite Meetings will be held on Thursday, May 20, 2022, for Districts 1, 2, and 4, and Friday, May 21, 2021 for Districts 3 and 5. Members will receive an invite to pre-register for the appropriate District worksite meeting. Members will need to pre-register for the event in order to attend, and follow the CAPS Virtual Meeting Participant Expectations. Information about pre-registering for your appropriate worksite meeting will be sent to you soon.
Read other past messages on the CAPS Website here: http://capsscientists.org/members/caps-member-updates/. The password is ChooseCAPS! – it IS case-sensitive.
Choose Unity. Choose Strength. Choose CAPS!