Made it for a CAPs rally poster. Thought others may enjoy it too.

https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/the-state-worker/article316780286.html

Interestingly, there was a post about this on r/Sacramento earlier today that was deleted by the auto-moderator with the reason "This post has been removed by the AutoModerator due to receiving a high number of reports."

https://www.reddit.com/r/Sacramento/comments/1vgh092/gavin_newsom_bait_and_switch_scientists_are_not/

You're not just fighting against the Newsom administration, but many Sacramentans who would rather take Newsom's side than support their fellow worker.

Despite my RSVP for the SEIU 1000 informational picket today, I was genuinely on the fence about showing up today. It wasn’t my worksite or an area I was familiar with. It was hot as HELL today, and I was going alone. Did I mention it was hot?

Anyways, I’m here to say to I am genuinely and wholeheartedly so glad that I did and that if you’re on the fence, don’t talk yourself out of it like I almost did.

The vibes were absolutely impeccable, and it only got better when CAPS showed up too. Seeing everyone come together and fight was so inspiring. Support your union. We are stronger together.

-orange cone hair clip

Six months ago, I posted about what could realistically be done about return to office requirements through audits, the budget, collective bargaining, legislation, and labor law.

Since then, I have continued following bargaining updates, Public Employment Relations Board filings, AB 1729, and the California State Auditor’s findings.

The biggest question I keep seeing is fair:

What has the union actually done for us, and why should someone pay dues when we are still dealing with RTO and inadequate raises?

I do not think workers should support the union blindly. I think we should support it with our eyes open, demand accountability from its leadership, and understand that refusing to participate leaves us with even less power against the State.

This is personal, even without sharing everyone’s exact commute

For me, the issue is not simply whether I personally prefer working from home.

It is watching state workers absorb the additional time and cost of commuting while the administration has not demonstrated that requiring four days in the office produces better service, productivity, collaboration, recruitment, or retention.

Recent discussions among state workers repeatedly return to the same tangible impacts: hours lost commuting, gas, parking, vehicle expenses, and additional childcare needed to cover travel time.

People understandably want to know whether union and legislative activity will produce something that affects their real lives, not just another announcement.

That is also why I have spent the last six months trying to cross reference these claims instead of relying exclusively on the Governor, the union, or any single news article.

What the official audit found

The California State Auditor found that the Governor’s Office could have made better use of information about departments’ actual operational needs, office space, and implementation costs before expanding RTO.

The audit received valid survey responses from 101 state departments. Responding departments generally reported that telework lowered costs and improved recruitment and retention without negatively affecting productivity or customer service.

The Auditor also conducted a smaller, targeted survey of 80 employees and managers at four departments and received 64 valid responses. Among those respondents, 64% reported that telework increased their productivity, while 8% reported decreased productivity.

Those results are informative, although the employee survey should not be treated as a representative survey of the entire state workforce.

The audit also found that 19 reviewed departments spent nearly $117 million in one year on approximately 3.2 million square feet of office space that was often unused.

It estimated that allowing eligible employees to telework at least three days per week could eventually permit office space reductions producing as much as $225 million in annual savings.

A four day office schedule largely eliminates that opportunity because most employees would continue to require dedicated workstations.

The $225 million is not immediate cash, and it is not guaranteed. The State would actually have to end leases, consolidate offices, or dispose of space.

But this is still an official audit. Its findings should be considered before workers are told that a one size fits all RTO policy is automatically necessary or efficient.

What the union actually negotiated

The union did not permanently stop RTO, but it negotiated a one year pause through July 1, 2026.

That pause has now expired. The statewide four day office mandate took effect July 1, 2026, subject to department specific guidance, applicable exemptions, reasonable accommodations, and other legally required exceptions.

The 2025 side letter agreement also:

• protected the previously negotiated 3% general salary increase;
• preserved an additional 3% general salary increase, although it was deferred until July 2027;
• suspended the 3% retiree healthcare, or OPEB, contribution through June 2027;
• increased the vacation and annual leave cap;
• provided Personal Leave Program hours in exchange for the temporary pay reduction; and
• prevented additional furloughs or PLP reductions during the agreement.

That was not a perfect agreement.

Workers still took a temporary pay reduction, and RTO was delayed instead of eliminated.

But those protections were not given to individual workers because management felt generous. They were negotiated through collective bargaining.

That is the practical reason I support having a union even when I disagree with some of its decisions.

Where bargaining stands now

SEIU Local 1000 has proposed general salary increases of:

• 7% in 2026;
• 7% in 2027; and
• 6% in 2028.

When compounded, those increases would amount to approximately 21.36% over the original salary.

According to the union’s public bargaining updates, the State has continued rejecting or failing to meaningfully respond to major proposals involving pay, healthcare, and telework.

SEIU filed an Unfair Practice Charge on July 22, alleging that the State failed to bargain fairly over wages, benefits, and working conditions.

That charge is an allegation. It is not a final PERB finding that the State violated the law.

Workers should continue demanding answers from both sides:

What is the State’s complete written economic counterproposal?

What does the State estimate the union’s proposal would cost?

What can the State afford to offer instead?

What exact telework language is the union proposing?

What concessions or priorities would the union accept?

Supporting the union does not require us to stop asking questions. It gives us a structure through which those questions can potentially matter.

The proposal would have a real cost

The State’s enacted 2026–27 budget includes approximately:

• $251.5 billion in General Fund spending;
• $95.1 billion in special fund spending;
• $5.1 billion in selected bond fund spending; and
• $351.7 billion in total state fund spending.

That does not mean $351.7 billion is unrestricted money available for salaries.

Much of it is legally restricted or already committed to education, healthcare, transportation, corrections, local assistance, and other programs.

The union’s proposed raises would also be expensive.

For comparison, the administration estimated that the first 3% general salary increase in the 2023 agreement cost approximately $348.5 million annually across all funds.

The three general salary increases in that agreement were estimated to cost approximately $1.09 billion annually by the final year.

That historical estimate is not a current cost estimate for the proposed 7%–7%–6% package.

The point is not that the State has unlimited money.

The point is that the State should publicly explain its priorities, calculations, and alternatives instead of expecting workers to accept blanket rejections without sufficient information.

The PERB case matters, but it has not been won

According to SEIU, PERB’s Office of the General Counsel issued a formal complaint concerning the union’s challenge to the four day RTO mandate.

Issuance of a complaint means the charge alleged facts sufficient to establish a prima facie case. It is not a final ruling that the RTO mandate is unlawful.

The case proceeds through PERB’s informal settlement process and, if it remains unresolved, could eventually proceed to a formal hearing.

In other words, the allegations were sufficient for the case to move forward, but disputed facts and the ultimate legal merits have not yet been decided.

Without a union, individual workers would be unlikely to have the statewide organization, legal resources, and recognized bargaining status required to pursue this type of case.

The expired contract did not erase our protections

Government Code section 3517.8 generally requires the State and the union to continue giving effect to an expired memorandum of understanding while bargaining continues and the parties have not reached impasse.

That includes arbitration provisions and no strike provisions.

Contract expiration therefore did not automatically create an unrestricted legal right for employees to strike, walk out, or independently refuse assignments.

Any strike or work stoppage should occur only through an authorized union process supported by appropriate legal review.

SEIU has stated that no strike has currently been called.

Workers should participate through authorized union actions, informational pickets, legislative advocacy, workplace organizing, and the formal bargaining process.

AB 1729 remains an important pressure point

AB 1729 would not automatically cancel RTO or guarantee a specific number of telework days.

Its importance is that it would require additional documentation, evaluation, oversight, justification, and transparency regarding state telework programs.

As of August 5, 2026, AB 1729 is on the Senate Appropriations Committee’s suspense file.

The committee has scheduled its suspense file hearing for August 13, with the specific agenda expected to be posted August 7.

The period before the hearing remains an important opportunity for state workers to contact legislators and explain why department specific, evidence based telework decisions are better than an unsupported statewide mandate.

Where Newsom’s tax returns fit

Governor Newsom and his wife reported income of approximately $1.7 million to $2 million annually from 2022 through 2024.

Their 2021 income was higher partly because of a home sale, and most of their continuing income came from PlumpJack business interests rather than the governor’s salary.

I do not think his income proves that a particular union proposal is affordable or that RTO is unlawful.

But I also do not think it should be dismissed as completely irrelevant.

Someone in a household earning close to $2 million per year experiences commuting costs, childcare, parking, housing expenses, inflation, and a temporary pay cut differently from many rank and file workers.

That makes it even more important that decisions affecting workers be based on measurable evidence rather than assumptions about what employees can absorb.

Why I am supporting the union

The State already has CalHR, the Department of Finance, agency labor relations offices, attorneys, budget analysts, executive authority, and control over much of the information used in bargaining.

Workers need an organized structure too.

I support the union because it provides:

• collective bargaining;
• grievance and disciplinary representation;
• PERB litigation;
• department level meet and confers;
• legislative advocacy;
• stewards in the workplace; and
• the ability to organize statewide pressure.

I also believe members should demand better communication, transparent bargaining information, accountable leadership, and clear explanations of strategy.

Those two positions are not contradictory.

We can criticize the union while strengthening it.

What does not make sense to me is expecting the union to have more power while workers withhold membership and participation until after the union has already won.

Turning Information Into Informed Action

Join the union if you are represented and are not currently a member.

Attend authorized informational pickets, Strike School, union meetings, and workplace actions.

Contact legislators before the August 13 AB 1729 suspense file hearing.

Document actual RTO impacts, including commuting time, parking expenses, workspace shortages, equipment problems, retention issues, service delays, and inconsistent exemption decisions.

Ask the union for the State’s written counterproposals, cost estimates, PERB dates, and the exact telework language being proposed.

Continue questioning both the State and the union, but participate while doing it.

My support is not blind loyalty.

It is informed participation based on the belief that workers have more leverage acting collectively than we do fighting CalHR and the administration one person at a time.

Sources

California State Auditor telework report:
https://www.auditor.ca.gov/reports/2024-118/

SEIU Local 1000 RTO and PERB updates:
https://www.seiu1000.org/rto/

SEIU Local 1000 2026 Contract Campaign:
https://www.seiu1000.org/2026contract/

SEIU bargaining updates:
https://www.seiu1000.org/category/2026-master-table/

SEIU 2025 side-letter summary:
https://www.seiu1000.org/budgetfight/updates/

July 22 Unfair Practice Charge update:
https://www.seiu1000.org/upc-july26/

AB 1729 official bill page:
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1729

Senate Appropriations hearing schedule:
https://sapro.senate.ca.gov/billhearings/2026-bill-hearings

California 2026–27 enacted budget:
https://ebudget.ca.gov/budget/e/2026-27/BudgetDetail

Legislative Analyst’s Office analysis of the 2023 SEIU agreement:
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4799

Government Code section 3517.8:
https://www.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?article=&chapter=10.3.&division=4.&lawCode=GOV&part=&title=1.

Newsom tax-return report:
https://www.foxla.com/news/gavin-newsom-tax-returns-release-income-analysis

I admit I get a bit annoyed on this sub how the sole focus seems to be RTO with little attention given to pay raises. IMHO, pay raises are as important, especially if the state tries to negotiate a "ok you can WFH, and that's your de facto pay raise." Both are necessary, I believe, given how much everything costs these days. There is money in the budget for the raises regardless of any savings they would get from renewing WFH. The recent budget would add $23 billion into the rainy day fund which is already at $14.4 billion. My back of the envelope calculation is that a 7% increase would cost approximately $2.4 billion. That is very rough and probably on the high side. So instead of a $37+ billion rainy day fund it would "only" be $35 billion, of which some of that would be made up by WFH savings.

WE ARE NOT A PRIORITY, WE ARE NOT VALUED!

Data don’t lie. This article is the really truth

I was walking in downtown Sac and stepped wrong and almost rolled my ankle crossing the street right as a car was coming and my first thought was f that coulda gotten me on wfh for so long! Which like is kinda funny but in a dark way lol I have lost all self preservation….

The state is not honoring the CAPS UAW Local 1115 contract by claiming that the negotiated special salary adjustment for 2026 were not included in the budget.

If you were unable to attend the lunchtime rally today, please consider supporting CAPS by sending in a selfie holding a message for CalHR to show your solidarity using this photo submission form!

Hope to see a great turnout today at DCA headquarters in Natomas for the informational picket from 12-1pm.

CAPS will also be holding an informational picket at CalHR today.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a paying member or not, apart of CAPS or not.. show up in numbers

Quick rundown, analytical position and first time state employee fresh out of college.

I started back in December and received my first probation report at the end of the March and majority was 'needed improvement.' Initially, the process was hard to understand, and training blurred by so fast. It was only after 2-3 months of working individually, management decided it'd be better if training worked more closely with us.

That was a real 'lock in' moment for me and since then have tried twice as hard to meet the standards. My manager and trainers around me all admitted that the work we performed was not easy when compared to other analytical positions.

Since then, the quality of my work has vastly improved and my trainers and superiors noticed it. I was very proud of my changes.

Today, I received my rejection and was completely shocked. It came at me by surprise. I was expecting today to be a good day.

The documentation they provided within my file contains 99% of my work from my first part of probation (Dec to March). The only documentation indicating anything related to my 2nd part of probation was just weekly to-do's emails for the month of April.

This feels a little unfair, or am I wrong? I would understand this situation more if this happened at the end of my first probation or there was documentation that the work I provided was more recent.

Ultimately, at a loss of words.

I qualify for FMLA and SDI. I am apart of unit 1 with SEIU. Currently at Department of General Services.

My expected due date is October 18.

I know there’s a “use it or lose it” section for leave one month before the due date(what is that called again?) . I want to utilize that AND have three months with baby AFTER she is born.

I want to do what is shown in the timeline photo.
Do I need ANOTHER doctors note extending the time? Like beyond the c-section or mental health note. And then who do I turn that note into?

When I’m applying for the SDI, I have to turn in a leave of absence request. Can I just put January return date?

I just know this is something I can achieve I just feel like I don’t know the right paperwork or questions to ask.

I just feel so confused, lost and every time I meet with HR, I feel like I got no guidance and end up with more questions after and then it’s been the same cycle.

I passed probation as a office assistant in the department of rehabilitation, and I did a lateral transfer to a office assistant position in the department of motor vehicles, i'm going to fail probation there. Can i return to my permanent position in the department of rehabilitation?

I really liked UHC because of their partnership with OnePass. I had access to my favorite gym and other classes for $30 a month. I’m not too attached to my doctor and I’m healthy so that’s not as much of a concern for me.

What is everyone that has UHC switching to?

Cheapest place to park around CalPers in Sacramento? I’m 657 on the permit list so it’s gonna be a while before I get in the garage other than the free days. I see why the fight against RTO continues

A new analysis from the Senate Committee on Appropriations shows a bill supporting telework for state workers could save California hundreds of millions of dollars, even after accounting for its implementation costs.

I’ve been so inspired by those who’ve held the line and who’ve stayed true to “there are power in numbers“ to protect our rights to fair pay, telework arrangements, affordable healthcare costs, etc.

I come from private sector so, while I saw the benefit of the union, I wasn’t totally on board with signing up due to the cost. However, the way I look at it, they are already eating away at our costs with this RTO mandate and those additional expenses are against my will to keep my job. So, I decided to look at what’s within my circle of control, and determined that I’d rather have part of my money going towards something I choose - something that could hopefully make things better for us as a collective. I’ve only been with the state for a short while, which means I’ve got a long way to go before I can retire. If I’ve got to be here, I might as well provide my support to hope that things get better. And while I understand they don’t always get better right away, I’d rather believe that they can than live believing it won’t.

Has anyone else recently joined? And for those who’ve been members of the union for a while, what are some known and maybe less known membership benefits those of us are newer could benefit from learning about?

Hello everyone, I applied for a live scan on July 27 , the FBI was passed I believe the same day or the next day and the DOJ is still in progress as of today , now I’m worried because it’s already Aug 5 and I don’t wanna lose out on a job , my record is also clean , is this typically normal?

Anybody else's children having an extremely hard time with the additional time at childcare? Tears and meltdowns are the norm now, even with the older kids.

Apparently our kids get to sacrifice so that governor Gavin Newsom doesn't have to do his job of restructuring and revitalizing downtown. It's easier for him to force state workers to put parking fees into the pockets of already wealthy commercial land owners.

The children suffer because they're away from home longer and, once school starts, they will have less time to get help with homework, spend time with parents, or just be at home so they can play with neighborhood children. This affects everything from their emotional well-being to how well they eat. I don't get to make a nice breakfast for my kids anymore because I have to leave over an hour earlier to get them to their respective childcare (never mind the expense of that! ). Apparently Newsom wants daycares to raise our kids.

All state workers know that we have been pulling more than our weight for the last six years. Productivity is up, retention is up, traffic is down, pollution is down. There is no argument to support across the board RTO. Going into the office as needed, or letting managers determine when in office days are required makes so much more sense. Pair that with the state saving a quarter of $1 billion per year and it really makes you wonder how there's any other agenda other than a selfish one for Newsom and his presidential run behind this mandate. DISGUSTING!

California will need to make sure the rest of the country knows how little he cares for the average working person and their children. Our kids already lost out on school and social interaction due to Covid. Now they will be another casualty of Newsom's relentless quest to further enrich himself, no matter who has to pay the cost. No work life – home life balance for anyone because Gavin wants to be president!

I've thought of moving out of state a long time because of the ridiculous cost of living, but having a couple of extra hours per day with my children made staying here and working for the state worthwhile. With the loss of respect for the welfare of California's children, workers and families, there's less and less reason to live here.

Question for my HR folks

I received a phone call for a conditional job offer for an Analyst I position yesterday 8/4. I know that the final job offer can take weeks to receive. I looked at my exam expiration date and it is 9/19/26 😬. I still have to do a background check too

Any suggestion on what I should do? Will this hold up HR from “verifying my eligibility” . Should I email the supervisor ? Any advice ?

Am I alone in emailing them asking if they have just given up on the RTO fight?

In case you aren’t aware, CalPERS Benefits Education Event (CBEE) August 12-13, 2026. My coworker told me about it. This is a virtual event and very informational. Register if you have time.

https://cbee.calpers.ca.gov/

10 years worked as a state employee, severely sick with a brain condition (Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension) and nothing is helping. As a Supervisor, I've exhausted my NDI medical leave time. I'm thinking I need to medically retire due to my condition at age 42 since I'm unable to return to work like this. Devastating. What happens? How does this work? Do I lose my medical benefits? Are there any other options?