Posts tagged state employees.
As Newsom’s return-to-office mandate is just one week away, state workers and unions continue pushback
June 29, 2026 // Governor's order requiring most employees in the office four days a week takes effect July 1 amid concerns over costs, staffing and workplace readiness
Governor Hochul Announces Five-Year Labor Agreement with Civil Service Employee Association
June 1, 2026 // The agreement includes increases in salary for employees in each year of the agreement. The agreement also includes paid prenatal leave, increases in location pay and health insurance changes that reduce costs for employees by eliminating certain co-pays and minimizing reliance on out of network providers. CSEA represents New York State employees in four bargaining units. The contract agreement must be ratified by CSEA rank and file members.
Gov. Gavin Newsom to California agencies: Get ready for a four-day return to office
May 15, 2026 // SEIU Local 1000 President Anica Walls said that union members recently began receiving notices from their departments that they will be expected to report to work in person four days a week. “This was not a surprise at all,” Walls said of Newsom’s communication to departments. “We knew that this was going to be a fight from the beginning.” The return-to-office deadline was originally set to go into effect July 2025, but that timeline was pushed back last year after the Newsom administration and unions struck a deal in the face of larger-than-expected budget problems last summer.
General Assembly rejects amended bill on collective bargaining for public workers
April 27, 2026 // The General Assembly is holding a reconvened session to consider the governor’s amended and vetoed bills, including SB 378 and HB 1263 from Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (D-34) and Del. Kathy Tran (D-18). The General Assembly did not take up Spanberger’s substitute to the legislation yesterday or today (Thursday). The General Assembly-passed legislation expands upon a 2020 Virginia law that gave localities the choice to adopt ordinances to collectively bargain with public employees for the first time since 1977. Fairfax County is among the jurisdictions to subsequently authorize collective bargaining, approving contractors for general county government employees as well as police and firefighters.
Connecticut: Lamont’s Golden Age; Commentary
March 19, 2026 // A few days ago, CT Mirror reported that “The administration recently reached tentative, four-year agreements with 10 [union bargaining] units that collectively represent nearly 20,000 state employees [almost half the workforce].” Lamont released only wage increase information, nothing about reform of COVID-era remote work privileges. Lamont’s spokesman said “Because these negotiations are still underway, we are unable to provide additional comment.” Lamont wants union members to know he aims to give them four more years of robust 4.5% annual pay raises comprised of a 2.5% general wage increase (GWI) plus a 2.0% “step increase,” a deal identical to the one he gave them four years ago, which followed two years of 5.5% increases. These ten increases compound to about 60%.
California union pushes work-from-home bill as Newsom calls state employees back to the office
February 10, 2026 // The legislative proposal by the California union known as PECG would require state agencies to offer telework options “to the fullest extent possible” and mandate they disclose how much money they save by allowing remote work.
Caregivers pay SEIU dues for no real union benefits
January 15, 2026 // The caregivers’ union doesn’t have the power to bargain with the Department of Health and Human Services over wages or working conditions. Stipends for home caregivers are decided legislatively. In sum, the SEIU can collect dues, but it can’t negotiate better pay and working conditions — the very reason unions typically exist. At best, it can “advocate” for higher wages, something that is more akin to lobbying than bargaining. So, what’s the point of this union? The only real answer is that this is just another partisan power grab to fill the coffers of its preferred political party.
UAW member wants federal monitor to investigate local president
December 20, 2025 // A member of UAW Local 6000, based in Lansing, Mich., has asked a federal court-appointed monitor to investigate the local's president, Rachael Dickinson, for alleged corruption and retaliation. An internal UAW investigation found Dickinson engaged in a pattern of discrimination toward minority women, including stripping elected leaders of their duties. The request compares Dickinson's alleged actions to those of UAW International President Shawn Fain, who is also under investigation by the monitor for retaliation.
Unions skeptical of potential Healey plan to offer buyouts to state employees
November 5, 2025 // Local 509 SEIU, which represents 8,600 employees that fall under the executive branch, most of whom are human service workers, sent a memo to its members on Friday saying that the administration “has presented all state worker unions, including Local 509, with a proposal to reduce the number of full time employees across the Commonwealth.” The new of potential buyouts was first reported in The Boston Herald. “The Commonwealth has proposed $10,000 for a voluntary resignation and $20,000 for retirement. Our understanding is that when these positions become vacant, they would not be backfilled and would be eliminated,” the memo says. SEIU President David Foley said he and other union officials who represent the over 45,000 executive branch workers in Massachusetts were immediately concerned about the idea, especially since the Healey administration chose last month not to adjust its revenue estimate despite raising alarms that they can no longer reliably depend on federal revenues and reimbursements.
Editorial: Unions share blame for layoff fallout
November 1, 2025 // "To date, the Stamford law firm of Silver Golub & Teitell has been paid $50.8 million for representing the unions and the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition, according to the state comptroller's office," Mr. Hughes wrote. "The settlement set attorney fees at 17.5% of the total damages each class member receives," extrapolating "to roughly $290 million in compensatory and economic damages." Union attorney Jonathan M. Levine figured the actual payouts amounted to between $190 million and $215 million.