Read the SLOCEA blog for news and updates on what’s happening with your local, independent labor union.
Upcoming Health Care Committee Meeting
Every year in May and July, Human Resources staff meet with the Health Care Committee, made up of representatives from each of the County’s bargaining units. On July 9, 2024, the County will hold its second Health Care Committee meeting with the representatives and will be providing their 2025 Renewal Presentation, which should include renewal rates for January 2025…
The Crucial Role of Interactive Process Meetings in ADA Accommodations
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a cornerstone of workers' rights, ensuring that employees with disabilities (both temporary and permanent) receive reasonable accommodations to perform their jobs effectively. Labor unions play a pivotal role in advocating for these rights, particularly during the interactive process meeting—a collaborative effort between employers and employees to find reasonable accommodations….
Celebrating Pride Month: Honoring the Legacy of the LGBTQ+ and Labor Rights
As Pride Month rolls around, your first thoughts might not be of the labor movement or its connection to the LGBTQ+ community. While Pride is a time to celebrate and commemorate the rich history and culture of this community, it is also a time for action...
The Importance of Timely and Comprehensive Supervisory Training
Supervisors play a critical role in the County and Superior Court’s structure. They are responsible for managing teams, ensuring productivity, and maintaining a positive work environment. Effective supervisors act as the bridge between employees and management …
Understanding Parental Leave Timeframes and Benefits
Parental leave is a significant period for new parents to recover from childbirth and bond with their newborns. Understanding the intricacies of parental leave policies, especially in conjunction with the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), is crucial for expecting parents.
Enhancing the Representational Rights of Temporary Employees
AB 1484 gives temporary workers of public sector agencies the right to form, join, and be represented by an employee organization such as SLOCEA while bolstering bargaining rights of temporary employees. It also represents a significant win for labor advocates and temporary public workers across the state as they are now given an avenue to advocate for more secure employment for temporary workers.
Importance of Site Visits
SLOCEA staff has been out and about in the county at various site locations conducting lunch site visits. This is a great opportunity for SLOCEA staff to meet with members and explain the benefits of membership and was any concerns that members may have.
Grievance Timelines
There are different ways for employees to settle informal and formal disputes and to address complaints with their employer. SLOCEA works hard at settling member disputes and issues with the employer at the lowest level…
Navigating the Waves of Labor Strikes in 2023
I n the tumultuous sea of labor strikes that 2023 has witnessed, the SAG-AFTRA strike stands out as the most extensively covered, enduring a staggering 118 days. However, it is just one crest in the larger wave of 351 labor actions across the U.S. by November 9th.
Advocacy in Action: More than a Mission Statement
SLOCEA’s primary objective regarding representation is to ensure the fair treatment of our members. We safeguard members’ rights in accordance with their Memorandum of Understanding (MOU/Contract), the rules of the Civil Service Commission, policies, County Code and state and federal laws.
Annual Labor Report
Annual Labor Report for the period of October 1, 2022 - September 30, 2023.
Job Specification Revisions: Legal Clerks
On July 10, 2023, County Human Resources (HR) notified SLOCEA that HR and the departments with Legal Clerks identified the need to revise the Legal Clerk and Supervising Legal Clerk (SLC) job specifications. The primary intent was to …
What if I Don’t Agree with my Evaluation?
One of the frequent questions we field at SLOCEA has to do with the employee performance evaluation. The annual evaluation is a review of your work performance for a one-year period of time and is part of your official employment record, and it’s an important document that is maintained in your permanent personnel file.
Knowing Your MOU: Vacations, Personal Leave & Floating Holidays
It’s summertime and while kids are out of school and the weather is heating up, vacations are on the minds of many of us. I thought this would be a good time to review some of the sections of the MOUs that are pertinent to everyone and a little bit different depending on their bargaining unit and MOU.
Civil Service Rules Change Progress
Every few years, County Human Resources and the Civil Service Commissioners (CSC) request to meet and confer with all the County’s recognized employee associations (unions) to review the CSC rules for changes. This last occurred in 2021, with the various parties making different proposals for rule changes. On November 3, 2021, SLOCEA proposed a change ….
What is a Grievance?
A grievance is a formalized, written complaint lodged by an employee against their employer if the employee has been negatively affected and has not had success at informally remedying the problem or issue.
Due Process Rights
As a public employee with permanent status, you have property rights to your job and rights to due process in formal disciplinary matters wherein you would suffer monetarily. According to law, due process must be provided prior to a state or local government terminating, suspending, demoting, or reducing the pay of an employee, who has a vested property interest in his or her job.
Your Rights in an Investigative Interview
The Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) has held that when an employer conducts an investigatory interview to investigate allegations of misconduct against an employee, the union has the right to reasonable notice of the alleged wrongdoing in advance of the interview.
Labor Terms to Know
Since SLOCEA and the County are in the throws of negotiations for a successor agreement, this seemed like a good time to further clarify some of the labor terms and jargon that you may be reading on the Member Portal…
Am I “On Call”??
We all know that anytime you are doing work for your employer you must be compensated. However, some employees don’t realize that they also need to be compensated if they are off duty but required to be available to respond to unforeseen issues…