acoile's blog

CSUEU has reached an agreement with the Office of the Chancellor to expand vision and dental plan coverage for dependent, unmarried adult children up to age 26 instead of the current age 23. The memorandum of understanding was signed just this morning (August 26).

The change parallels expansion of medical coverage up to age 26 for dependent children as a result of the new healthcare law, the Federal Patient Protection and Affordability Care Act, which was successfully promoted by the Obama administration and signed into law last March.

These changes are all effective January 1, 2011.

From CSUEU President Pat Gantt:

Yesterday, Gov. Schwarzenegger made public an executive order that could temporarily reduce pay for more than 200,000 state workers to the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. According to the union's preliminary review, the executive order does not apply to CSU staff or to other CSU employees.

Unlike many other state agencies, the CSU and other public higher education segments generally are not under the direct executive authority of the governor.

State Controller John Chiang, whose office issues state paychecks, released a statement Thursday saying that he won't follow the order unless a court tells him to. Today, the California Court of Appeal, looking at a similar executive order from 2008, held that Schwarzenegger had the authority to issue such an order. Again, to the best of our knowledge, these orders do not apply to CSU staff or to other CSU employees. Chiang can -- and likely will -- seek a review of the appellate court decision by the California Supreme Court in the coming days and weeks.

We are in contact with the California State University Chancellor's Office, and received an official response (see attachment), which says the CSU will not be cutting their paychecks.

For their part, members of the state legislature have adjourned for summer recess.

In Union,
Pat Gantt
Pat Gantt, President
CSUEU/SEIU Local 2579

The deadline for participating in the Fee Waiver Program for the Fall 2010 semester at CSUMB is just around the corner.  Please mark your calendar and submit your forms early to avoid any registration problems or late fees if you have not done so already.

 CalPERS approved new rates for Health Insurance coverage today, 6/17.

As some of you may be aware, the next CSUEU Board of Directors meeting will be held at the Grand Sierra hotel in Reno, Nevada.

Some people are already trying to spin their own reasons why the Board is meeting in Reno:

• There's a casino!  They're gambling with your dues money.
• It's a resort!  They're going to lounge by the pool all day.

Here's the reality, for me, of our Board of Director's meetings: