SACRAMENTO – On December 12, 2023, the California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) Board of Directors met at CSLEA headquarters in Sacramento to discuss union business at its fourth quarter meeting. Business topics included: (in order of presentation)
- Communications Report
- Political and Legislative and Reports
- CFO Financial Report
- CSLEA Finances
- Membership Report
- Legal Defense Fund (LDF) and Legal Representation Committee (LRC) Reports
- Foundation Report
- Conference
- PORAC Associate Membership
- Contract Implementation
“The CSLEA directors are truly engaged in their work to benefit members and I appreciate the time they devote to attending our quarterly meetings, absorbing the information that we present and making decisions when called upon for a vote. This is a dedicated group of individuals representing all job classifications in Bargaining Unit 7 and I thank them for their service and contributions. It is an honor to serve with them,” said CSLEA President Alan Barcelona.
Communications Report: CSLEA Communications Director Teri Cox updated directors on the communications work that took place at contract ratification time, CSLEA’s new website which is expected to go live by the end of December, the increased interest in CSLEA emails, communications assistance to CSLEA affiliates, the number of people who reached out to CSLEA with inquiries, and website contributions made by affiliate presidents.
Legislative & Political Reports: CSLEA Political Consultant Peter Mitchell presented the Board with an overview of the political climate on federal, state and local levels. He discussed issues that are impacting voters, including inflation, housing, fuel, interest rates, and insurance. In addition, he addressed the State’s budget deficit and Proposition 1.
CSLEA Legislative Consultant Shane LaVigne updated the Board on legislative activity, noting that the Legislature reconvenes January 3, 2024 and will being going into the second year of a two-year session. There are transitions taking place in leadership roles, new bills will be considered, but the biggest item will be addressing the State’s budget deficit.
CFO Financial Report: CSLEA CFO Ricardo Sanchez presented his financial report to the board which reflected CSLEA’s budget including revenue and operating expenses. He informed the board that he expects to present a report of a financial audit which CSLEA has an outside company conduct on a routine basis.
Membership Report: Sanchez reported CSLEA membership numbers and stressed that there are non-members in Bargaining Unit 7 who are benefiting from the year-round work CSLEA does yet not contributing financially to union efforts. He requested directors to communicate with their members about recruitment in an effort to encourage non-members to support the union that supports them.
Legal Defense Fund (LDF) and Legal Representation Committee (LRC) Reports: CSLEA Chief Counsel Kasey Clark updated CSLEA directors on LDF and LRC activity, noting that as of December 12th, there were no officer-involved shootings involving CSLEA members in 2023. He also reported that LDF trustees are finalizing some small changes to the LDF policy which will be sent to membership upon completion. In his LRC report, Clark noted that CSLEA Supervising Counsel Dave De La Riva successfully represented a member in a suspension case in which the department the member works at withdrew its action.
Foundation Committee Report: No updates.
Conference Committee Report: Committee Chair Tina Brazil announced that the conference committee is working on a place and dates for a membership conference in the spring. Further information and a save-the-date announcement will be sent to members upon finalization
PORAC Associate Membership: Chief Counsel Kasey Clark reported that CSLEA and PORAC are exploring the possibilities of making PORAC associate membership available to CSLEA non-sworn members so they may have access to some PORAC benefits including PORAC’s Health Plan. CSLEA directors who are currently enrolled in PORAC’s Health Plan expressed their satisfaction with the plan and its cost-saving opportunity.
Contract Implementation: Chief Counsel Kasey Clark informed directors that he received notice on December 12th that CalHR had just issued the initial pay letter to implement the new Unit 7 contract.
Comments from CSLEA Directors
CSLEA Director and California Association of Food & Drug Investigators President Joel Lambert – “Thanks to Alan Barcelona, Kenny Ehrman, Kasey Clark, and the entire negotiations teams for their guidance through another contract year.”
CSLEA Director and California Association of Criminal Investigators President George Tiongson – “I think it is very important to have representation at the Board meeting to make sure you voice is heard. Even though we are looking at a $68 billion budget deficit, we need to continue to fight for our benefits and prevent loss as well. Happy holidays to all.”
CSLEA Director and Association of Special Agents-DOJ President Ben Greenhagen: “It was great to wrap up a great 2023 year with our fourth quarter meeting as we continue to discuss and vote on issues that benefit all CSLEA members.”
CSLEA Directors will meet again in March 2024.
