California approved state workers’ contracts, when will employees see pay bumps?

Earlier this week, newly bargained contracts for public employees cleared the final hurdle when Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 181. The three contracts finalized this year cover compensation and benefits for California Highway Patrol officers, state scientists and firefighters with the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Members of the California Association of Highway Patrolmen and the California Association of Professional Scientists voted to ratify their contracts in recent months. The voting process for Cal Fire Local 2881 will wrap up later this month as members from across the state are still casting ballots on the contract Newsom approved this week.

CHP officers and the scientist will see their new salary adjustment beginning Oct. 30. State firefighters eligible for a salary increase will see the change in their paycheck beginning Nov. 30, according to the State Controller’s Office.

The Controller’s Office noted CHP officers and scientists will receive a supplemental payment in October that includes retroactive pay for the period between July 1 and Sept. 30. SCO said state firefighters’ adjustment is not retroactive.

“If employees have any questions regarding specific provisions of their bargaining agreement, we encourage them to contact their human resources office or their union,” SCO Press Secretary Bismarck Obando said.

California scientists will see the biggest jump in their salaries after their union secured significant raises — between 9% and 23% — for members across the board to address a longstanding pay gap between CAPS-UAW members and state engineers who do similar work. Scientists with decades of state service will see even larger pay bumps to prevent experienced members from retiring.

The state will continue paying CHP officers yearly salary adjustments based on a formula that roughly equates highway patrolmens’ wages to those of law enforcement officers working in five of the most expensive local jurisdictions in California.

Instead of significant salary adjustments, firefighters with Cal Fire secured a major schedule change that will reduce rank-and-file members’ workweek to 66 hours. When fully implemented, the shift will provide employees with 13 additional days off per year, which union leaders say is a much needed change to improve firefighters’ physical and mental health, while helping Cal Fire retain workers.