Read the SLOCEA blog for news and updates on what’s happening with your local, independent labor union.
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.
Welcoming Newly Appointed Stewards
The purpose of the Steward committee is to promote open channels of communication between employees and the union, and to help educate and inform the membership…
Annual Labor Report
Annual Labor Report for the period of October 1, 2022 - September 30, 2023.
2023 General Membership Meeting
The 2023 Annual General Membership Meeting was held on October 18, 2023 at the Grange Hall in San Luis Obispo.
What Happens When I Die?
No, this article is not about deep matters of philosophy or religious belief. That’s above our pay-grade here at the SLO County Pension Trust (SLOCPT). What it is about is the need of our Members to know how to care for their loved ones by having their pension matters well in hand before they die…
Working While in Retirement
Should I work part-time in retirement? What are my alternatives for holding another job while I am retired from the SLOCPT?
Public Service Spotlight: Sandra Krijakin
Public Service Spotlight is a monthly series featuring SLOCEA members who have reached milestone anniversaries in their careers! Join us this month in celebrating Sandra “Sande” Krijakin, a Supervising Legal Clerk II at DSS who is celebrating 27 years with the County!
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 …
Unions Taking Action for Members Across America
With Hollywood’s screenwriters and actors on strike together for the first time since 1960, shutting down the production of nearly all major movie and television projects, organized labor is once again a topic of conversation for many Americans. While the Writers and Actors Guilds make up a small slice of unionized workers in America, there are over 14 million union members in the United States, representing more than 10% of all wage and salary workers...
Income in Retirement - How Much?
As you look forward to retirement you certainly have anxiety about how much retirement income you will need versus how much income you will have…
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.
Introducing Women’s Pelvic Health Program through Hinge Health
Did you know that 1 in 4 women has a pelvic floor disorder? The average amount of time women wait to seek care is 6.5 years. We can change this with Hinge Health’s Women’s Pelvic Health program…
California has a New Budget, but Needs to Do More
The California Legislature has passed, and Governor Gavin Newsom has signed, a $310.8 billion budget for the 2023-2024 fiscal year. Key provisions of the new budget are an 8.22% cost-of-living adjustment for public school teachers, $1 billion to help local governments address homelessness, and $5.1 billion to be spent the next four years on public transportation…
The Wild Ride Ahead: A Primer for the 2024 Election
By this time next summer both the Democratic and Republican political parties will be preparing to go full bore into the campaigns for the November 2024 Election. At this stage it appears that the United States will see a rematch between the incumbent 46th president, Joe Biden, and the former 45th president, Donald Trump. Yet we are still a long way from that matchup taking place, if it even shapes up.
2023 Academic Scholarship Awards
It is truly SLOCEA’s honor to award Academic Scholarships. This year we received seventeen outstanding applications - each extremely impressive and certainly worthy of special recognition for all their hard work and dedication. SLOCEA’s Academic Scholarship Committee awarded seven Academic Scholarships and ten Academic Awards….
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 ….
Kristin Smart Case - SLOCEA Members Involvement
The Kristin Smart case has shaken SLO County for two and a half decades. But on March 10, 2023, the Smart family finally got the conviction they had been waiting on all these years. The “It takes a village!” proverb couldn’t ring any truer when it comes to this case. Thanks to many experts, county officials, law enforcement, reporters, and the unwavering commitment of community members, Kristin’s murderer, Paul Flores, will now be confined behind bars for the next 25 years.
SLO County Supervisors Get a 26% Pay Raise
The base salary for an elected member of the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors will soon be going up. At the Board’s May 16, 2023, meeting, the Board of Supervisors 3 to 2 in favor of raising their pay.
Biometric Health Screenings
The County is excited to resume Biometric Health Screenings! New for 2023, the County is offering a $50 digital gift card incentive to the first 500 employees who participate in these screenings.