While OPEB went down 1% from 4.4% to 3.4%, it also changed from a fixed rate to a variable rate which can be adjusted .5% ANNUALLY with no cap. This year is the first year that OPEB could be adjusted per the last contract, and guess what… OPEB will be going up the maximum this year of .5% and we will see what happens next year. Historical healthcare cost go up anlmost annually, not down. So over a 30 year period an employee could potentially lose up to 15% of their pay to OPEB increases. The devil is in the details.
Nothing is a requirement, which is why it’s called bargaining…
L2881 has many “requirement’s” from the membership during bargaining and CalHR tells L2881 to pound sand on our requirements all the time. How is it any different when a stipulation comes up that L2881 doesn’t agree with.
Yeah, about that. Then Governor Brown got pension reform put into law and eliminated 3%@50.
Governor Newsom REQUIRED all bargaining units to take a 10% GS reduction in 2020. AAAAAANNNNNNNDDDDDDD
The Governor required all bargaining units to accept a modification to OPED during the last round of contracts.
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Both of the example you stated have nothing to do with contract negotiations.
Brown enacting PEPRA had nothing to do with L2881 or bargaining.
Newsom requiring all state employees to take a 10% pay cut during COVID also had nothing to do with L2881 or bargaining.
The bargaining team ultimately agrees or disagrees with the offers presented by the state, if the bargaining team doesn’t agree with a stipulation, they are not required to accept that stipulation. This is all spelled out clearly in the Dills Act which governs collective bargaining. Nothing is a requirement in bargaining, if that was the case what would be the point of collective bargaining in the first place…
Let be real here a BC on overtime makes what 900 a day take home an Fc 700. Can we get a raise. If this contract doesn’t come with significant pay raise…… probably going to be a hard no from a lot of folks in the north.
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Back in my day stories are meant for Porch swings, kool aid and station visitors. They rarely do anything for morale let alone bargaining.
I do sure appreciate a ol Cat Skinner tellin me about fighting fire with an open cab while his swamper went and bought 6 amp fuses. But the facts remain, houses aren’t cheap, it’s 22 dollars for lunch at pizza factory anymore and tires for my 200k mile HD truck are 1500 bucks. Put everyone on a 72, give us pay raises and let us retire after 50 but before 57. Mahalo. 
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$11,434 is amount needed to maintain the same living standard as 2021. That only factors in food, gas, and utilities.
So unless the pay raise matches inflation. It’s a pay cut.
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Times have sure changed eh arff? I have to laugh at times. We’ve always been behind the inflation curve, suffered from pay parity, longer work hours and had to fight for everything we have. We saw it year after year, contract after contract. I’m an old school CDF’er who made it thru the uniform change. All this is nothing new, just different faces. Transparency is still a vital missing link. Watched it year after year. Don’t sell out the old guys and their wisdom (stories). They were sleeping on the ground eating k rations while many of you were dirtying your diapers IF you were even here yet lol.
40 years from now you’ll be able to come back here with a huge case of Déjà vu. Best advise I’ve seen here is to educate yourselves and and demand answers.
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I certainly appreciate you, your thoughts and the working conditions you were subjected too. Glad it improved, glad we don’t drive model Ts anymore either.
Btw, some of us were feds, myself for 14 years. I slept in the dirt and ate my fair share of MREs. I never knew what “hanging a ticket meant” I stared season after season waiting to wear the patch. I didn’t have a mechanic at Basecamp or at home. We did everything ourselves. I also routinely traveled to natural disasters across the states while sleeping on the side of the highway or in Walmarts. So cheers to the past, porch swings and been there done that stories.
Everyone on a 72, retire after 50 but before 57.
This is getting slippery, just have to stand up for myself and coworkers point of views
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I completely agree, simply putting everyone on the same schedule would be a win for a lot of members. I did some looking through the 1500 manual last night and I found two resolution, both which were passed nearly 20 years ago, to eliminate shift pattern 2. I hope it doesn’t take another 20 years for something to happen.
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Out of curiosity, who do you think prevented the elimination of shift pattern 2 for the past 20 years? Past CDF/Cal Fire management sitting as the technical experts on the State side of the table maybe?
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After all was said and done, my pay was reduced by 403 a month with the loss of the 260 pay. I’m not going go negative or the sky is falling, I’m just saying this is my baseline for what will get me back to even, and what I will be looking for with GSI’s etc. I will be measuring the new contract with this baseline in mind. It’s important to establish your baseline. This will help you decide if it’s a good deal for you…among other considerations.
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Yep, we often forget but the union is fight a war on 2 fronts. One against CalHR and another in many cases the Department
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SP 2 is most currently used for HFEOs
Up until the state hired “relief or project” HFEO Positions, there was never adequate HFEO personnel to Staff a Dozer seven days a week W/O the occurrence of unplanned OT.
I say most currently, because there are still some hold out units that work their HFEOs 4 days a week. I’m assuming to be mechanics, at least that’s what they’ve always told me
So with that all in mind, now with all the extra HFEOs, everyone a 3 day work week (72), retire after 50 but before 57.
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Shift Pattern 2 was originally used at 2 engine stations in the 80s. At 2000 hours, one operator would go off shift and the firefighters would climb on the other engine for the night. 5-0 staffed for the night. All to save the department a few dollars.
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That’s wild
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Good Preview on the contract. ……
I want to see the Movie…
Then decide to BUY the Blu-Ray.
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Ok, so who blocked the elimination of Shift Pattern 2 over the last 10 or so years when CF management’s priority has allegedly been employee health and wellness?
The same folks that like project work and want you to work in the shop
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The shop. The easy button for management.
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