Sacramento, CA – The California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) Board of Directors met at CSLEA headquarters in Sacramento on September 1, 2023 to review the tentative agreement that the CSLEA negotiations team reached with state negotiators on August 30th and ultimately a majority of the directors voted to send the agreement to membership for a vote.
“Our CSLEA team of negotiators spent much of the day presenting the tentative agreement to our CSLEA directors, addressing the stumbling blocks and push back we encountered during contract talks, and explained why the team felt they successfully negotiated the best agreement that the Newsom administration was going to agree to,” said CSLEA President Alan Barcelona. “Since before the beginning of this year, our team of negotiators have labored over research, studied and written proposals, submitted counter proposal after counter proposals during negotiations, and valiantly pressed for positive outcomes for our members at and away from the bargaining table. It was a tremendous amount work that they put their expertise and even their hearts into, and I sincerely thank each of them for their dedication, commitment to our members, and hard work.”
The tentative agreement was discussed in an executive session which included all 18 CSLEA affiliate presidents, CSLEA Political Consultant Peter Mitchell, CSLEA General Manager and Chief Counsel Kasey Clark and Senior Counsel Ryan Navarre.
“Our team negotiated Special Salary Adjustments for a majority of our membership,” said Barcelona. “Ultimately the administration would not budge on the general salary increases which many refer to as the cost-of-living increase, because of our many Special Salary Adjustments. We pressed and pressed and are extremely disappointed that we were not successful in convincing the administration to agree on higher General Salary Increases.”
In most cases, job classifications that did not receive a Special Salary Adjustment in this tentative agreement do not have a vacancy rate of 20% or higher based on data furnished from the State Controller’s Office. A vacancy rate of 20% or higher is sufficient to support a special salary adjustment.
From CSLEA Directors:
“There was a lot of effort and lobbying that went into this TA. The total package should be considered as a win to move the entire Bargaining Unit 7, forward.”
George Tiongson, President of CACI
“On this Labor Day weekend, I thank the CSLEA negotiation team that went above and beyond fighting for our new contract. Your work did not stop when you left the office. It continued into the evenings and weekends. And thank you, also, to all of the examiners who provided us with a record number of proposals. Speaking of an idea is one thing, but formulating and writing about it is impressive. Have a great weekend, Examiners, and always remember that your union is always working for you.”
Enrique Razo, President of COLRE
“I would like to the negotiations team for working tirelessly to present the best possible tentative agreement to all members of CSLEA.”
Ben Greenhagen, President of AS-DOJ
“The Board received a very detailed report on negotiations and the contents of the MOU. There was much to take in and members should read the summary carefully before making any comparisons or judgements. The negotiations team reported that they did the best they could to get concessions in a difficult process.”
Marcus Nenn, President of ADC
“I really appreciate our negotiations team staying committed to do the best under very trying and difficult circumstances. It’s clear that this was one of the most challenging negotiations in many, many years. In light of all of the circumstances and information presented, I support the tentative agreement. Certainly, I wish other classifications within FMESA could have done better, but I am certain our negotiations team went above and beyond. Any shortcomings in the contract were not a result of our negotiations team – they did a great job during some of the worst financial times in recent history.”
BJ Jones, President FMESA
“I would urge all members to vote yes on the contract and anyone who is not currently a member to sign up and then vote. Considering the current fiscal environment, it’s a good contract for our members.”
Matt Yarbrough, President of SPPOAC
CSLEA membership will vote on the TA next week. A link to the ballot will be emailed and placed on CSLEA’s website. Voting will take place Monday, September 4 through Friday September 8. If ratified, the MOU must pass through the legislature and be signed by the governor. If that happens, GSAs and GSIs will be retroactive to July 1, 2023.
