This’ll probably be another carefully orchestrated COVID type “deficit” where the state cries like chicken little and furloughs everyone and cancels the 66 hour work week only to mysteriously end up with another $100 Billion surplus.
In the end, it’ll be state employees who pay the price.
Anyone else hearing rumors of planned Schedule A and Amador station closures like I am?
If you didn’t see this coming, you are
A) Blind as a bat
B) Have your head buried in the sand
C) Spend too much time on SM
This freight train has been coming all year. Inflation has been 7%+ all year long. Interest rates have doubled and will continue to go higher till inflation is back below 3%
Who in their right mind thought Prop 30 was a good idea? Look at Elon, he has moved all of his headquarters out of state, why? STATE INCOME TAXES.
How many on this site work in California but commute from out of state and save 3-5% on their income taxes. Not to mention pay $1.00/Gal less for fuel?
How many on this site look at what fuel costs when they fill up the engine and think "how do they budget for fuel that is $2-3/Gal more when the engine gets 5MPH?
We may not get the 66hr work week. But do you really think had the Agreement been rejected we would have gotten more with these projected budget deficits? REALLY?
Or were we supposed to be like the engineers and continue for additional years at the wages of the prior contract while inflation continued to reduce real wages by 7% per year?
I will bet an EDWC check the Governor still runs in 2024. And he will still thumb his nose at L2881 and even CPF & IAFF. What does he really have to lose doing just that as blue as California has become?
No, how would that make sense?
When are we getting this back pay deal asking for a friend…
“What does he really have to lose doing just that as blue as California has become?”
He has to convince 49 other states, so would like endorsement of national unions, ie IAFF. IAFF hears CPF.
The counties with Amador have been cutting a Fat Hog. Running fire season into late Nov or Dec the last few years. Then starting to hire seasonal early for the 02350 mission. Three to four months of Amador. That’s pretty cheap fire protection! Sch A now that might be another story.
Actually
If you earn in CA, you must file and pay state income taxes in Ca regardless of where you live. And it is more like 6% to 8%.
The State always banks on the fact that 2881 has no fight in it. When has 2881 ever taken a strong stand against the State and fought for a better contract than the one the State has put on the table? Sometimes it takes sacrifice to move forward for better wages and working conditions. This contract was the chance to do just that. Unfortunately, many thought a pocket change raise was worth more than taking that stand once a for all. I can assure you the State will use this deficit that the majority, and Newsom, created to stall any further positive contract increases for years. So, when we had some leverage we blew it. Some of you now will never see another wage increase nor a different shift schedule other than a 72hr. as you’ll retire before Ca. has another positive budget outlook. Of course we keep giving money hand and fist to those crossing our southern border, but you ge nothing!
When he toured a number of units during the voting period last month, President Edwards assured us that the membership would have a final opportunity to vote on how the 66 will be implemented in terms of how the final schedules will look, how it affects EDWC and PERSable income, and all the other details.
He said this may not come in the form of a standalone vote on the terms of the 66 hour week and, instead, will likely be intermingled with the new MOU to be negotiated in 2024.
While I would much prefer a standalone vote on the 66, since it would more readily expose any potential flaws in the deal, it sounds like that may not be the case.
If the vote comes as part of an intermingled MOU vote, the membership needs to be extremely leery of CalHRs history of pushing smoke and mirrors type deals on 2881 that bait the weak sheep with short term rewards while simultaneously gutting sheep and wolves alike in the long term.
If the state pulls the deficit card to delay implementation of the 66, who knows what will happen.
Regardless, the membership needs to ask the tough questions and think for themselves. There is too much at stake.
President Edwards was ADAMANT that he WOULD NOT bring a proposal to the membership for a vote regarding the 66 hour work week that negatively affected PERSable income. He-and 2881 as a whole-need to be held to that standard.
The time to stand our ground very well may have been with this most recent vote. However, if what President Edwards promised comes to fruition and we get a second bite at the apple, 2881 and the membership need to stand firm and not (once again) be bulldozed and misled by CalHR.
The membership can’t allow ourselves to be fooled by another “I’ll give you three shiny quarters for one of your old crumpled up dollars” routine.
I just wish we could have learned this lesson years ago.
I know several that have filed paperwork to officially change state residences for tax purposes and lowered their liability. The trick some forget is to establish residences in the new state and declare the income. You have to make quarterly estimated taxes payments in the new state of residence.
I’d look for a new tax preparer…I’m doing alright financially (standard deduction) and we paid 3.77% last year via TT.
I know several that have filed paperwork to officially change state residences for tax purposes and lowered their liability.
Maybe of their prop. tax but any income earned in the state is taxed in the state.
The trick some forget is to establish residences in the new state and declare the income.
Doesn’t get you out of paying CA state taxes on your paycheck earned in the state. Pensions not included.
I see it a little differently. The 2024 contract will be the vote to make a stand on. We just voted yes to pocket change increases and a promised 66 hour work week come November of 2024. So, if they don’t give us that promise to vote on in July of 2024, then we make the stand and say no dice. We set ourselves up for success in two years with the state having to declare financial despair (which it looks like they are going to play that card) to re-neg on their contractual promises. At that point, the people in office look untrustworthy and face serious recall ramifications if we play it right through the media.
We lost nothing and for those that think pushing the contract right now buys us something, it doesn’t. The state wins if we refuse to come to an agreement. The FF1’s will receive a COLA in the form of minimum wage increases, permanent employees will leave at a faster rate forcing those still around on duty even more, we make the same amount of money as inflation continues to rise but work 6-7 days a week every week every year because of a lack of staffing and an increase in positions. Now was not the time to put our foot down, 2024 is that time.
If they push the work schedule off again in 2024 then we go vocal with the fight. Saying no on this contract would have made us look entitled in the public perception, but when the state doesn’t hold up their promise then the script is flipped and we don’t look entitled by refusing to accept something when we were promised something else.
I agree with your logic.
The problem is that I don’t trust the membership to have enough of a backbone to vote down a poor deal in 2024.
History has shown that after decades of wage growth being driven purely by minimum wage and working the longest hours in the industry, all the while being at the forefront of mitigating every major disaster this state has seen in the past 137 years and becoming a worldwide model for disaster response, the membership is so hungry for any little scrap of anything that they’ll happily gulp down a steaming pile of junk without asking any questions and then thank CalHR for the promise to take care of them in the future.
This has happened over and over and over again, decade after decade.
2881 membership’s default vote is “yes” and that’s what’s gotten us to where we are today.
There is too much at stake for the membership than to keep getting bamboozled by CalHR. I’m talking long-term effects that can never be fixed once it’s lost.
There are a couple ways 2881 leadership can help with this:
First is for President Edwards to follow through on his promise of not bringing anything to the membership for a vote that’s not a good deal that preserves PERSable income. Mr Edwards and Mr Boctor, if the deal isn’t stellar, DON’T LEAVE THE BARGAINING TABLE. We can’t take the risk of the membership ratifying a poor deal because, on the whole, they’ve proven that they aren’t sophisticated enough to tell the difference.
Second, educating the membership on the details of 2881’s plans for 2024 needs to start now…not two weeks after the Tentative Agreement is announced, like was done this time.
2881 needs to be vocal and at the forefront, not trying to lead from behind with a master plan that hasn’t been explained to the membership.
% correct.
It will start at convention 2023 and if CalHR hasn’t/won’t step up to the table by Convention 2024. Then L2881 membership will need to become very vocal and start with print media, local media, and SM.
1st in the nation POTUS primaries are in Jan/Feb and could be Nevada.
Contract was voted in. Time to lock this thread and create new topics for discourse related to future contracts and/or firehouse politics.