furlough

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Spillovers to UC from the SEIU Deal with the Governor?

Are there any spillover effects for UC from the deal between SEIU Local 1000 and the governor as part of the budget enactment? There had been prior deals with some other state unions but Local 1000 was the biggie. The contract has yet to be ratified by union members. Directly, the contract has no effect on UC employees since none are covered by the agreement. Other unions represent UC employees. But indirectly there might be some effects, either positive or negative. Let’s look at the terms as described by the union on its website – actual contract language is not…

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California Supreme Court Hands Down the Law: State Furloughs & 2009 Line-Item Vetoes Upheld

Like Moses, the California Supreme Court has just handed down the law. And it says that the governor’s furloughs and line-item vetoes of 2009 were valid. As noted in prior posts, UC furloughs were imposed by the Regents, not the governor, and were not an issue in the cases that wound up at the state Supreme Court. However, had the Court ruled against the governor, it would have possibly raised a back pay liability for affected state workers. If state workers received back pay, there would be pressure on UC to do the same. That now will not happen. The…

My Guess: California Supreme Court Will Not Invalidate State Furloughs

I watched the California Supreme Court hearing on state furloughs yesterday. My totally non-expert sense from the questioning by the justices of the lawyers is that they would be loathe to invalidate the governor’s furlough orders, potentially leading to monumental backpay claims. As indicated in prior posts, the UC furloughs were NOT part of this case since they were not ordered by the governor. But in the (apparently unlikely) event that the Court did invalidate those furloughs that were ordered by the governor, UC would have a hard time not making some kind of accommodation for its own employees. It…

Upcoming State Supreme Court Furlough Case Could Have Spillover Effect on UC

The governor has won some furlough cases and lost others in lower court decisions. At issue is his authority to impose the furloughs. The issue is going to be heard at the California Supreme Court next week, Sept. 8. UC furloughs are not part of the case since they were not imposed by the governor. However, if the governor loses, substantial back pay could be owed to state workers who were furloughed. The contrast of back pay ordered for state workers but none for UC would undoubtedly raise pressure on UC management to consider some kind of recompense for its…

Furloughs of State Workers Resume

The hold on state furloughs was lifted by the California Supreme Court while it considers various legal challenges to the governor’s furlough orders. With UC furloughs ending soon, this development potentially puts the university in a difficult position. However, absent a change in Regental policy – which realistically is not on the table – UC furloughs will end on schedule. On the state Supreme Court’s action, see http://blogs.sacbee.com/the_state_worker/2010/08/breaking-news-furloughs-back-o.html

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Furloughs in the Bank?

Here is an interesting question: What happens to furloughs at UCLA that weren’t taken? For state employees (those under control of the governor – not UC), a decision has been reached that such untaken furlough days do not expire. They last indefinitely “in the bank.” See: http://www.sacbee.com/2010/08/07/2943128/state-workers-furlough-time-now.html#mi_rss=State%20Politics Since employees who did not in fact take time off had their paychecks reduced nonetheless, it would seem that in the future they could take off days with pay for each untaken furlough day. (The pay reduction was previously taken from their paychecks so taking a day off would not reduce future pay.)…

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Minimum wages and furloughs: Will UC go its own way?

The furlough and minimum wage issues are getting closer. The governor can’t order UC to pay minimum wage or impose new furloughs. But – as noted in prior posts – the issue is whether UC will be politically able to go its own way when other state workers (including those at CSU) are subject to furloughs and minimum wages. As also noted previously, the imposition of the min wage does not depend on whether cash is available to pay full salaries. It depends only on whether a budget is in place on July 1, which seems unlikely. PolitiCal (LA Times)…

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AAUP Response to the letter from Henry Powell & Daniel L. Simmons AAUP general secretary Gary Rhoades and AAUP president Cary Nelson respond below to the Sept. 9, 2009 letter (http://senate.ucr.edu/An%20Open%20Letter%20to%20UC%20Faculty%20From%20the%20AAUP.pdf) from Henry C. Powell, Chair, UC Assembly and Academic Council, and Daniel L. Simmons, Vice-Chair, Academic Council: September 21, 2009 Henry C. Powell, Chair
Assembly and Academic Council, University of California
henry.powell@ucop.edu Daniel L. Simmons, Vice-Chair
Academic Council
daniel.simmons@ucop.edu Dear Professors Powell and Simmons, Thank you for taking the time to provide an extensive response, as Chair and Vice-Chair of the UC Academic Council, to our open letter (to University of California faculty,…