If state workers want raises this year, here’s when unions and CalHR need to seal the deal

Members of state worker unions aren’t the only ones that need to ratify their contracts.

Before civil service employees can see raises in their paychecks, they’ll need the California Legislature to vote on a set of budget trailer bills to fund the new agreements.

But time is running out on this legislative session, and workers could be waiting until January when the Legislature reconvenes if their unions don’t secure deals soon with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration.

The last day for lawmakers to pass bills is Sept. 14. But, since all California bills must be in print online for a minimum of 72 hours prior to a vote, Sept. 10 is the latest date that a bill can accommodate any changes, said Hans Hemann, consultant for the Joint Legislative Budget Committee.

Backing up even further, Sept. 8 is the last day that bills can be amended on the Assembly and Senate floors, and Sept. 1 is the deadline for fiscal committees to meet and vote on bills.

Ideally, lawmakers would have all tentative agreements in hand before the Assembly budget committee convenes for its next hearing on Aug. 30, according to budget staff within the office of Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins, D-San Diego. The Pro Tem’s Office works closely with the Assembly speaker and Newsom to finalize the budget.

Typically, the Legislative Analyst’s Office also is required by state law to review and provide a fiscal analysis of each agreement within 10 days before legislators can vote on it. However, the Legislature can bypass that requirement and act on a tentative agreement so long as the bill language specifies that the action is “notwithstanding” the section of the law that requires the LAO review, according to LAO analyst Nick Schroeder, who prepares analyses of proposed contracts.

Most bargaining units, including the nine represented by SEIU Local 1000, have reached tentative agreements with the state. The unions that represent physicians and dentists, state scientists, correctional officers and other law enforcement personnel still must deliver tentative agreements to the Legislature for consideration. (The California Association of Professional Scientists has been operating without a contract since July 2020.)

This story was originally published August 21, 2023 at 2:01 PM with the headline "If state workers want raises this year, here’s when unions and CalHR need to seal the deal."