FEATURE
Legislative Success
Harnessing CSEA’s legislative success for your chapter
by David Ngô
Another wave of legislative success has been achieved by CSEA this year. With the conclusion of the 2022 legislative session, a string of CSEA-sponsored bills and laws have delivered new bargaining chips and protections for CSEA's more than a quarter million members.
“Our legislative successes will be very helpful at the bargaining table because we have been able to advocate for protections for our members,” said Legislative Committee member Meb Steiner, an instructional aide and chapter president of Palo Alto Chapter 301.
"We will not stand idly by when there is important work to be done."
Wayne Harris, Systems Administrator, Woodland Chapter 118
“We have secured funding for transportation, special education, and professional development for classified staff; made the summer assistance program permanent, expanded it to community colleges, and increased its funding; and secured increased funding for public schools.”
Pursuing bills that directly benefit classified workers is a rich tradition of legislative action found throughout the history of CSEA, including what has been described by one historian as the most spectacular breakthrough in legislative achievements by any single organization: “The Classified Bill of Rights,” which was passed in 1959.
It was here that CSEA witnessed breakthrough legislation that guaranteed classified workers’ rights to fair wages, benefits, job classifications, leaves, and a merit system, giving CSEA the level playing field needed to exert the will of the membership and pave the way for today’s legislative successes.
Assemblymember Kevin McCarty, who sponsored AB 22 Universal Transitional Kindergarten, with Legislative Committee Chair Wayne Harris of Woodland Chapter 118. Photo by CSEA Legislative Advocate Navnit Puryear.
"I believe that CSEA has shown our districts that if we see something needs to be changed for the betterment of our students, members, and communities we will stop at nothing to make sure that change happens,” said Legislative Chair Wayne Harris, a systems administrator from Woodland Chapter 118.
Due to the strong relationships that CSEA member leaders and CSEA’s Governmental Relations team have with labor-friendly lawmakers, CSEA is a major player in public education policy and budgeting in Sacramento, and classified voices are heard when decisions affecting employees and California students are made.
“Over the last few years, I’m sure many district leaders have noticed that when a district treats classified employees inequitably or unfairly, CSEA successfully uses its political might to make change happen,” said Harris. “We will not stand idly by when there is important work to be done.” The pandemic put focus on public education, and the Association’s pursuit of legislative action in the last few years has resulted in new laws that directly impact CSEA members and the school communities they serve.
"...if we see something needs to be changed for the betterment of our students, members, and communities we will stop at nothing to make sure that change happens..."
Wayne Harris, Systems Administrator, Woodland Chapter 118
With six CSEA-sponsored bills reaching the desired outcome in the 2022 legislative session, it is only a matter of time before chapters across California will reap the benefits of these latest examples of CSEA’s legislative prowess.
Understanding these bills – some now laws – will be crucial come negotiation time. Hear from the CSEA Legislative Committee as they explain these bills and, most importantly, how they can be used to benefit our members.
SB 878 (Skinner) Home to School Transportation
CSEA secured $637 million in new transportation funding in the 2022-23 state budget to reimburse 60% of school transportation costs after decades of stagnant funding. Additionally, a COLA is finally being provided to the LCFF school transportation add-on.
“CSEA's success in securing new transportation funding gives districts resources to provide not only much needed home-to-school transportation but also fill vacancies to help alleviate the stress of our overworked members.”
Wayne Harris, Systems Administrator, Woodland Chapter 118
AB 2484 (Bonta) Charter School Facilities
AB 2484 proposed to bring additional accountability by establishing additional guardrails on the Charter School Facility Grant (SB 740) Program to prevent private acquisition of publicly funded school facilities. AB 2484 led to an approval by the Joint Legislative Audit Committee of an audit of the Charter School Facility Grant Program.
“The audit was approved because of CSEA’s efforts on this bill and will increase transparency so we can create guardrails on how taxpayer money is used to pay for charter school facilities so that charter schools cannot take secure tax-advantaged bonds, use taxpayer money to pay off those bonds and then own the facilities privately. The audit will help answer questions about how these funds are being leveraged by charter schools to purchase facilities and answer many other questions about the program. It is critical that charter schools are held to the same levels of transparency and accountability as public schools are, especially if charter schools are receiving public funds that otherwise would be going to public schools.”
Meb Steiner, Instructional Aide, Palo Alto Chapter 301
AB 1691 (Medina) Classified School Employee Summer Assistance Program
AB 1691 proposed to expand CSESAP to classified employees at community colleges, make it permanent with an ongoing appropriation, and increase program funding to $90 million.
All the provisions from AB 1691 were included in the 2022-23 state budget enacted in June with an ongoing appropriation of $100 million total ($90 million for TK-12 and $10 million for community colleges). CSEA also obtained a one-time $35 million appropriation to ensure 100% matches for the summers of 2022 and 2023.
“Legislators showed they support classified employees through this beneficial program… it is now time for districts to show they support and value their own classified employees by opting in. The impact to districts is minimal, but the positives to members are astronomical. This program being ongoing now provides the consistency districts need to support and develop this enormous financial benefit to workers who need it the most.”
Sean Katz, Campus Safety Facilitator, Newport-Mesa Chapter 18
AB 1655 (Jones-Sawyer) Juneteenth
AB 1655 clarifies existing law for classified school employees in the TK-12 and Community College systems regarding presidentially appointed holidays while guaranteeing Juneteenth as a paid holiday for classified employees and an optional holiday for state employees. This bill was just signed into law in 2022.
“As an African American worker within a school district, Juneteenth reflects my people’s contributions to education. For many years, my family and I have celebrated Juneteenth. And each time, I found that we needed to explain the meaning of the holiday to all our friends of different cultures. Having the state recognize Juneteenth opens the door for a conversation on how African Americans are treated in this country.”
“Success in passing AB 1655 provides bargaining unit members with another tool to balance the scales. Districts that argued Juneteenth did not qualify as a state holiday will now be set straight. Negotiation teams can go to the table, knowing they have the support of the state in providing additional compensation and a holiday that represents the diversity within their districts.”
Reginald Robertson, School Bus Driver/Behind-the-wheel trailer, Rowland Chapter 133
SB 874 (Cortese) Merit System Promotion Probation Parity
SB 874 provided classified employees in merit K-12 and California Community College (CCC) districts the same clarity that is provided to classified employees in non-merit districts regarding their right to return to their prior classification if they are promoted and do not complete probation for the new position. This bill was just signed into law in 2022.
“The goal of this bill was to provide our brothers and sisters in merit school districts the same promotion protections that all other members have. Some members in merit districts were being released from their position and terminated because the law does not clearly state that they can return to their previous classification. This new law now ensures all members retain employment if they do not complete probation in the job to which they were promoted. All our members can now feel comfortable applying for promotion without the fear of losing employment in their district.”
Robert Alvarez, Health Aide, Perris Elementary Chapter 489
AB 22 (McCarty) Universal Transitional Kindergarten
AB 22 requires the California Department of Education to collect the necessary student and workforce data to understand the impact of California’s historic investment in universal transitional kindergarten secured by CSEA and our allies in the 2021-22 budget. This bill was just signed into law in 2022.
“The funding CSEA secured in 2021 to provide Universal Transitional Kindergarten (UTK) for all four-year-olds by 2025 will close the gap that existed when children had no access to kindergarten because of birth date restrictions.”
“Now AB 22 requires data on UTK to be collected and analyzed. It will reaffirm the impact this expanded program is having on our youth, classified employees and the state of California. I am hopeful that the data will demonstrate a positive and robust impact on California.”
Pablo Peraza, Custodian, Antelope Valley Chapter 612
SB 878 (Skinner) Home to School Transportation
CSEA secured $637 million in new transportation funding in the 2022-23 state budget to reimburse 60% of school transportation costs after decades of stagnant funding. Additionally, a COLA is finally being provided to the LCFF school transportation add-on.
“CSEA's success in securing new transportation funding gives districts resources to provide not only much needed home-to-school transportation but also fill vacancies to help alleviate the stress of our overworked members.”
Wayne Harris, Systems Administrator, Woodland Chapter 118
AB 2484 (Bonta) Charter School Facilities
AB 2484 proposed to bring additional accountability by establishing additional guardrails on the Charter School Facility Grant (SB 740) Program to prevent private acquisition of publicly funded school facilities. AB 2484 led to an approval by the Joint Legislative Audit Committee of an audit of the Charter School Facility Grant Program.
“The audit was approved because of CSEA’s efforts on this bill and will increase transparency so we can create guardrails on how taxpayer money is used to pay for charter school facilities so that charter schools cannot take secure tax-advantaged bonds, use taxpayer money to pay off those bonds and then own the facilities privately. The audit will help answer questions about how these funds are being leveraged by charter schools to purchase facilities and answer many other questions about the program. It is critical that charter schools are held to the same levels of transparency and accountability as public schools are, especially if charter schools are receiving public funds that otherwise would be going to public schools.”
Meb Steiner, Instructional Aide, Palo Alto Chapter 301
AB 1691 (Medina) Classified School Employee Summer Assistance Program
AB 1691 proposed to expand CSESAP to classified employees at community colleges, make it permanent with an ongoing appropriation, and increase program funding to $90 million.
All the provisions from AB 1691 were included in the 2022-23 state budget enacted in June with an ongoing appropriation of $100 million total ($90 million for TK-12 and $10 million for community colleges). CSEA also obtained a one-time $35 million appropriation to ensure 100% matches for the summers of 2022 and 2023.
“Legislators showed they support classified employees through this beneficial program… it is now time for districts to show they support and value their own classified employees by opting in. The impact to districts is minimal, but the positives to members are astronomical. This program being ongoing now provides the consistency districts need to support and develop this enormous financial benefit to workers who need it the most.”
Sean Katz, Campus Safety Facilitator, Newport-Mesa Chapter 18
AB 1655 (Jones-Sawyer) Juneteenth
AB 1655 clarifies existing law for classified school employees in the TK-12 and Community College systems regarding presidentially appointed holidays while guaranteeing Juneteenth as a paid holiday for classified employees and an optional holiday for state employees. This bill was just signed into law in 2022.
“As an African American worker within a school district, Juneteenth reflects my people’s contributions to education. For many years, my family and I have celebrated Juneteenth. And each time, I found that we needed to explain the meaning of the holiday to all our friends of different cultures. Having the state recognize Juneteenth opens the door for a conversation on how African Americans are treated in this country.”
“Success in passing AB 1655 provides bargaining unit members with another tool to balance the scales. Districts that argued Juneteenth did not qualify as a state holiday will now be set straight. Negotiation teams can go to the table, knowing they have the support of the state in providing additional compensation and a holiday that represents the diversity within their districts.”
Reginald Robertson, School Bus Driver/Behind-the-wheel trailer, Rowland Chapter 133
SB 874 (Cortese) Merit System Promotion Probation Parity
SB 874 provided classified employees in merit K-12 and California Community College (CCC) districts the same clarity that is provided to classified employees in non-merit districts regarding their right to return to their prior classification if they are promoted and do not complete probation for the new position. This bill was just signed into law in 2022.
“The goal of this bill was to provide our brothers and sisters in merit school districts the same promotion protections that all other members have. Some members in merit districts were being released from their position and terminated because the law does not clearly state that they can return to their previous classification. This new law now ensures all members retain employment if they do not complete probation in the job to which they were promoted. All our members can now feel comfortable applying for promotion without the fear of losing employment in their district.”
Robert Alvarez, Health Aide, Perris Elementary Chapter 489
AB 22 (McCarty) Universal Transitional Kindergarten
AB 22 requires the California Department of Education to collect the necessary student and workforce data to understand the impact of California’s historic investment in universal transitional kindergarten secured by CSEA and our allies in the 2021-22 budget. This bill was just signed into law in 2022.
“The funding CSEA secured in 2021 to provide Universal Transitional Kindergarten (UTK) for all four-year-olds by 2025 will close the gap that existed when children had no access to kindergarten because of birth date restrictions.”
“Now AB 22 requires data on UTK to be collected and analyzed. It will reaffirm the impact this expanded program is having on our youth, classified employees and the state of California. I am hopeful that the data will demonstrate a positive and robust impact on California.”
Pablo Peraza, Custodian, Antelope Valley Chapter 612
