We'll see on Monday how much pull the state's biggest public employee's union has - with its own members.
The fight over whether Columbus Day remains a paid holiday for state workers "has become the hill that our union is willing to die on," said Angela Morales, a job steward for Service Employees International Union Local 1000.
Yvonne Walker, president of the local, has told the 95,000 employees she represents to treat Monday as a paid day off.
It's not, says Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's Department of Personnel Administration. On Tuesday, DPA's Julie Chapman fired off a letter to the union that said it was "advocating an illegal job action." The state will consider anyone who doesn't show up AWOL and will dock their pay.
Walker shot back with a her own letter: "Rather than threatening honest, hardworking state workers ... the governor and DPA should focus on consulting their legal advisers concerning compliance with California's labor laws."
The fight stems from legislation passed earlier this year that dumped Columbus Day and Lincoln's Birthday as paid state holidays. Around that time, SEIU and the administration struck a deal dropping the holidays and adding two personal days off. But Republican legislators twice blocked the new contract. So the personal days are gone, and SEIU believes Schwarzenegger pulled a switcheroo.
The union says the old deal with the two holidays remains in force and has filed a grievance over the issue. It plans to file thousands of individual grievances after Monday, seeking either holiday pay or to restore docked pay.
But here's the big risk for SEIU: What happens if Columbus Day goes off as just another workday?
This is, if you believe the union, yet another example of Schwarzenegger the furlough-loving union-busting lawbreaker whose word is worthless. SEIU members got so mad about their stalled contract this summer that they authorized a strike.
That makes Monday a rare opportunity to gauge SEIU's strength statewide, although it's downplaying that angle. Walker told this column that "even if just one person stands up for what's right, that's a win."
Just guessing, but she'd probably be happier if a half-dozen DMV offices couldn't open on Monday.
It'll take workers like Morales to make that happen, "but," the job steward said, "I have to do what's good for me and my family." She and tens of thousands like her may not decide that until Monday morning.
Call The Bee's Jon Ortiz, (916)321-1043. Read his blog, The State Worker, at sacbee.com/blogs.
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