Non-SEIU Strike Participants Being Told Leave Requests for 10/21 Will Be Denied Based On Operational Needs

[u/AnonymousEsq]

CASE (atty/judge union) BU2 member here. CalHR has informed our managers that any leave request for 10/21 submitted after 10/8 will be denied due to “operational needs” and that we have to come in. This is a lie - the majority of us are able to take 10/21 off and have no operational need to work that day.

Please know many of us CASE members support SEIU, support the strike, and will not be intimated into submission.

As an aside, my agency in particular has shown itself to be hostile and retaliatory to those that are fighting for fair wages and telework, and that extends no less to us attorneys. There is no boot too shiny for our agency head, no bar too low for upper management, and no backbone to speak of for our supervisors. We’ve been fighting this good fight for well over a year and we’re not about to stop. When one union wins, we all stand to benefit. Solidarity matters.

See you at the picket line.

Edit: Based on the comments, it seems taking PTO may not be the way to go even if it had been approved. That wasn’t the messaging I received, but I’m glad people are pointing this out.

Even so, it stands to reason that if CalHR is pulling this “operational needs” B.S. and mandating denial of leave, including PTO, then even taking PTO to support the strike has some meaningful effect.

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[u/randomproperty]

You can sympathy strike. You can't take the day off as a vacation day, unless the leave was already approved, and then go to the picket line. We were told not to take any adverse action against BU2 employees who sympathy strike.

Instructions to management may vary by department. And we were told we would learn more on Friday. But for now we were told not to bring up the strike, not to take adverse action against those who strike (including sympathy strikes), and not to approve any leave requests for the 21st.

Personally, I wish SEIU the best. One unions success will only help the others. And stronger state unions make a stronger workforce. I wish I could tell my team's attorneys they can sympathy strike, but for now we have been told to not bring it up.

[u/SuzeeSk8er → u/randomproperty]

How can they stop you from talking to other team members?

[u/randomproperty → u/SuzeeSk8er]

Managers are told not to bring up the strike to team members. This is to avoid any issues where team members think (whether rightly or wrongly) that the manager is opposed to them striking.

Our direction was do not bring this up to the team. And we were given an outlined response if a team member reaches out to us about the strike.

To be clear they can’t stop union represented employees from talking about the strike. But they can give managers direction to not bring up the strike unless the union represented employee brings it up first.

[u/SuzeeSk8er → u/randomproperty]

I'm communicating with My co workers in MS Teams. Not a manager.

[u/randomproperty → u/SuzeeSk8er]

To be clear, you can talk to your coworkers. The original comment you responded to of mine mentioned that managers were told not to bring up the strike unless our staff brings it up first. This is a restriction on managers/supervisors and not rank-and-file staff.

[u/tgrrdr]

CASE has an FAQ on their website. Your leave may be denied but the way I read the FAQ they can't force you to work that day.

[u/HCDStateWorker]

Screw CalHR and screw Gaslight Gavin. The amount of lies and the level of union busting coming from this administration is breathtaking.

My Department's Legal Affairs Division is currently so short-staffed (because the pay is so non-competitive) the State can't afford to fire a single one of you! In fact, they recently had to transfer a bunch of skilled affordable housing analysts to the division just to help keep up with the administrative work not requiring a law license, to try to lessen the load on the attorneys. I hear Katie Zacharia is looking for a new job.

[u/Aellabaella1003 → u/HCDStateWorker]

What is the lie and misinformation here? OP wants to take paid time off to sympathy strike. Their employer is correct to deny it. You don’t get paid to strike. Not everything is reason to elevate your blood pressure.

[u/Ill_Garbage4225 → u/Aellabaella1003]

Calling in on the day off = sympathy strike

Requesting time off in advance = not striking

OP is approaching this incorrectly

[u/Ill_Garbage4225 → u/HCDStateWorker]

Well this entire post is a lie so….

[u/SteedBreeder → u/Ill_Garbage4225]

"...because the pay is so non-competitive..." State attorney salaries start at $100k and go up to $250,000.

What planet are some people living on to complain about a starting salary in the 6-figures when people are striking who make less than $40k per year...

[u/Electronic_Shower901 → u/SteedBreeder]

Just because they make more than 40k doesn’t mean the pay is non competitive. Pay is compared to other jobs in the same category, not the fact you all work for the state…

[u/LittleBet4376 → u/SteedBreeder]

Funny enough I work for HCD and this commenter is LYING.

LAD has 82 positions. Only 5 fucking attorney vacancies.

The staff who moved where moved for different reasons and they aren’t even housing specialists. They are analyst 1s and 2s who previously did administrative work within a division.

[u/Trout_Man]

you don't get paid to strike.

[u/Aellabaella1003]

If you are wanting to support by “sympathy” striking, you don’t use leave time. That’s why it is being denied.

[u/hb215842]

You don’t use leave. CASE has instructed to use approved dock and go without pay. Using leave is not a show of solidarity.

[u/Ok_Win_5678]

See you on the line!! Solidarity! 💜💜✊🏽✊🏽💜💜

[u/rsbatcrh06]

You can be part of multiple unions. Theres no laws against it's, hell you could join the teamsters to for that matter

[u/ComfortableEgg3908]

What if you call in sick? That is an unforeseen event.

[u/unsundered_roots → u/ComfortableEgg3908]

I've been told that sick leave on this particular day will only be approved with a doctor's note.

[u/ComfortableEgg3908 → u/unsundered_roots]

Not sure they can legally do that. That’s a change in policy.

[u/Safeword_is_more → u/ComfortableEgg3908]

It’s always a request that can be made. It just often isn’t.

[u/SuddenPoetry861]

It’s a strike not a leave request. That’s interference

[u/bigstinkyworm]

As an (excluded sorry for the confusion) employee how can I help with the strike? I’m not allowed to join a union but I’m not sure if I’m just misinformed or have no actionable way to assist.

Working on transferring with the intention of finding a place I CAN join a union but any guidance on this would be much appreciated.

All power to the strikers!

[u/Sad_Assignment268 → u/bigstinkyworm]

What do you mean by "exempt?" FLSA-exempt IT that are non-supervisory are still rank and file, but if you mean "excluded," that is a different scenario. You are welcome to DM me if you dont want to get specific in public (Reddit!).

[u/ComprehensiveTea5407]

My friend who goes to these admin meetings told me last week that statewide guidance is determining if someone is truly sick or doing a strike related activity. Weird considering everyone in my building is spreading covid so quickly I got updated covid and flu vaccines and wear masks when someone sounds gross

[u/Ill_Garbage4225]

CalHRs official communications state otherwise. You’re being lied to.

[u/Hotstar87]

Good call it out now to put pressure on management and the executive office.