CAPS Supervisory Meet and Confer Committee Proposals
October 5, 2011

 

Like Pay for Like Work Implementation 

Implement the Like Pay for Like Work Appeal DPA decisions issued on April 28, 2008 and revised on June 27, 2008, and supported by Director Yank on June 20, 2011.

Increase Remaining Supervisory Classes          

Increase remaining S10 classifications salaries by 23%, based upon current Like Pay for Like Work salary comparison.   See Attachment A.

Voluntary Personal Leave Program (VPLP)

Currently S10 designated scientists are able to enroll in the VPLP two days per month. 

The scientist supervisors propose DPA provides these valued staff members to elect three VPLP days per month and eligible to change enrollment status on a quarterly basis.

Vacation/Annual Leave Accrual SPP Transfer

CAPS Supervisors Committee proposes DPA offer S10 supervisors carrying at least 600 hours vacation/annual leave the opportunity to transfer the value in excess of 600 hours into Savings Plus Program IRC 401(k) or 457 accounts.

Roth IRA Implementation

Ensure new State Controller’s system is programmed to enable Roth IRA program implementation and access by employees by winter 2011.

Arduous Pay Eligibility

Pay Differential 62 (PD62) provides arduous pay for supervisors performing arduous work in excess of “normal demands”.  The PD62 does not define how many arduous work hours must be performed before meeting program qualifications.  Departments have randomly interpreted this language.  CAPS proposes DPA amend PD62 Arduous Pay requires that compensation will be provided for those who work 46 hours or greater in a designated workweek.   

Extreme Circumstances Scientific Supervisory Arduous Duty Pay 

CAPS represented supervisors are called to duty when natural and manmade disasters occur.  The most recent are the Big Sur fire and the Cosco Busan oil spill.  Many hours are worked in the all hands on deck atmosphere to save the environment, property and wildlife.  The arduous pay provision PD62 unfairly limits compensation to just $300/week.  When S10 designated staff commit their time to these efforts 55 hours per week or greater, CAPS proposes establishment of an Extreme Circumstances Scientific Supervisory Arduous Duty Pay paying an additional $300 per week.  In most cases, the responsible party reimburses the state of California for personnel costs.    

Fire Mission Pay Differential 

Pay Differential 59 (PD59) provides a one (1) or two (2) steps pay differential for various rank and file and supervisory designated classes in several classifications and unit affiliations.  The Department of Forestry and Fire Protection scientific supervisors are assigned to fires throughout the state to ensure protection of archaeological sites and natural resources.  CAPS proposes to extended PD59 to include Senior State Archaeologists (2795), Supervisor, Cultural Resources (7563), Senior Environmental Scientists (0764), and Environmental Program Managers I (Supervisory) (0756) and compensate at a two (2) steps pay differential level 

No Contracting Out 

All scientific work shall be conducted by state employed scientists as the state Constitution requires.  Intra-agency agreements shall be sought if specialized expertise is required.

Contracting out scientific work is more costly and result in contractors developing new scientific knowledge, not owned by the state.  Examples of contracting out include:  1)  chemistry work historically performed by CDFA lab for Pesticide Regulation, now contracted out to a lab without accreditation for the testing procedure, 2) environmental studies contracted out by Department of Water Resources for the Bay Delta Conservation Plan, 3) state scientists and supervisors becoming scientific contract managers instead of performing field work and resource studies at Fish and Game and many other departments, 4) the state authorizes funds but not positions to complete scientific work, leading to contracting out scientific work, and 5) departments have been shopping for scientific conclusions – the USEPA Toxicologists evaluated and prepared recommendations regarding the Off Highway Vehicle program, Parks did not like the results so it entered into an interagency agreement with CalEPA Toxicologists to conduct a review, and again didn’t like the results so let a contract with a private firm – all to justify the position they desired.  The state has now been sued for not taking the appropriate action to protect the public.

Class Consolidation Project 

CAPS has proposed to DPA a plan to establish consolidated scientific classifications.  The CAPS Supervisors Committee supports this proposal and proposes to extend the labor-management committee effort to include applicable scientific classifications.  The proposal provides an opportunity for the state to establish classifications which accurately reflect the work performed today and allow the state to be competitive in the scientific labor market.

Safety Footwear 

CAPS proposes to authorize a $200 biennial reimbursement of safety or protective footwear for supervisors required to perform duties in the field.