Will State (CA) Workers Stay Home on Columbus Day?

Will State Workers Stay Home on Columbus Day?

SACRAMENTO, CA - President Obama is taking a three-day weekend along with other federal workers, but whether Monday's Columbus Day is a paid holiday remains a point of contention between Gov. Schwarzenegger and state workers.

The Service Employees International Union, the largest state worker union, is telling its 94,000 members to stay home on Monday. But the governor is telling state employees to report to work.

State workers took Columbus Day as a paid holiday in the past, but two state holidays were eliminated this year due to budget cuts, including Columbus Day. The Governor's Office said state law now allows for 12 paid holidays a year, not 14, and workers who don't show up on Monday are committing an illegal job action and could face disciplinary measures.

SEIU contends a new contract wasn't ratified, so workers are still entitled to the holi

http://www.news10.net/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=68441&catid=2

If employees don't report to work Monday and are docked pay (and potentially may also be disciplined) SEIU may issue another press release, but it's the employees that will be further screwed if they follow SEIU's instructions. And SEIU knows that.

PECG (the state engineers' union) puts it this way to their members: "

"What should you do regarding working on Monday, October 12? A long-established rule in labor relations is - obey now, grieve later. This means that, in most circumstances, employees must obey directions from supervisors and managers and then obtain an appropriate remedy through the grievance procedure, which PECG is pursuing in this case."

The rest of PECG's letter on Columbus day issue here: http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/the_state_worker/090929%20PECG%20memo.htm

State attorney's union, CASE, takes the same position as PECG:

"It is CASE's opinion that the "no strike" clause of our MOU precludes us from instructing Bargaining Unit 2 members to ignore the instructions of their employer with regard to the upcoming Columbus Day holiday. Put another way, the fact that the State has unilaterally breached one section of the MOU does not permit CASE to breach a different section of that contract. Indeed, such a course of action would jeopardize our ongoing litigation efforts. Moreover, CASE is cognizant that the State may invoke the "obey now, grieve later" doctrine in any potential disciplinary proceedings. Therefore, CASE is taking the position least likely to expose its members to retaliatory discipline, especially in these difficult times when members are already suffering the stressful consequences of furloughs, higher caseloads, and lagging salaries and benefits." http://www.calattorneys.org/pubinfo.cfm

Washington's state employees swapped that out for "Black Friday" a long time ago. (not so much for the shopping as who the Hell wants to go back to work after a Thursday off and a big starch & tryptophan filled dinner)

cut Columbus Day and Lincoln's birthday.

Many years ago CA's Admission's Day (into the USA) was a state holiday but was traded for Black Friday. (At that same time, Columbus Day also was proposed for elimination. My recollection was that the then State Senate President, David Roberti, said no way. So Columbus Day remained a state holiday until recently.)