Tag: Contract

  • Contract Negotiations: 2025-28

    Contract Negotiations: 2025-28

    May 27, 2025

    CSEA Chapter #399 Negotiation Update

    Your CSEA negotiations team met with the District on May 27, 2025. The District proposed reviewing all contract language article by article. We spent the day clarifying language and discussing definitions across several sections. No decisions were made during this session, and the District did not present any formal proposals.

    One of the discussions that the District proposed was limiting rest breaks to 10 minutes to align with the Ed Code. In response, we proposed maintaining all rest breaks at 15 minutes, highlighting the importance of sufficient break time—especially for members working in high-demand roles. We are currently awaiting their response.

    The District also shared that they are not ready to discuss salary and fringe benefits at this time and plan to address those topics at a later date.

    Our next negotiation session is scheduled for June 12, 2025. We’ll continue to keep you informed as we move forward.

    April 16, 2025

    Initial Proposal

    CSEA Chapter #399 Initial Proposal to
    Calexico Unified School District

    Pursuant to the Educational Employment Relations Act (EERA) requirements, the California School Employees Association (CSEA) Calexico Chapter 399 submits the following initial proposal for a successor contract with the Calexico Unified School District. This proposal will address the following Articles.

    • Article VI – Grievance Procedures

    CSEA proposes revisions to existing language.

    • Article VII – Evaluation Procedure

    CSEA proposes revisions to existing language.

    • Article X – Hours & Overtime

    CSEA proposes a revision to existing language that will better suit the needs of both parties

    • Article XI – Salary & Fringe Benefits

    CSEA proposes a fair and equitable increases to the classified salary schedule and fringe benefits

    • Article XII – Health & Welfare Benefits

    CSEA proposes a fair and equitable increases to the classified health and welfare benefits

    • Article XVIII – Changes in Position and Class

    CSEA proposes revisions to existing language.

    • Article XX – Term of this Agreement

    CSEA Proposes a three-year contract term from July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2028

  • Contract Negotiations: 2022-24

    Contract Negotiations: 2022-24

    2022-25 Sunshine Proposal

    Tentative Agreement 2022-23 & 2023-24

    Calexico CSEA CONTRACT RATIFICATION
    Calexico CSEA COUNTING VOTES
    Calexico CSEA EBOARD
    Calexico CSEA leadership
    Calexico CSEA members1
    Calexico CSEA members2
    Calexico CSEA members3
    Calexico CSEA members4
    Calexico CSEA Negotiators
    Calexico CSEA team
    Calexico CSEA voting results
    Calexico CSEA VOTING

    August 16, 2023

    Greetings! Fellow Chapter 399 Members,

    Thank you to all who attended our Ratification  Meeting.

    Here are the results.

    VoteCount
    YES328
    NO18
    ABSTAIN1


    School Board of Education will be voting on August 24 2023 to make it official the Ratification of the CSEA Tentative Agreement, Salary Schedule, and AB 1200 Disclosure of Proposed Collective Bargaining Agreement with California School Employees Association (CSEA) Chapter 399 for Fiscal Years 2022/2023-2023/2024.

    Hope you all can attend!

    August 8, 2023

    Greetings! Fellow Chapter 399 Members,

    Hope you all had a very restful summer and are ready to commence this year with positivity and enthusiasm.

    It’s with much joy that we present to you our Tentative Agreement to be ratified by us, Chapter 399.

    I would like to thank our negotiators for their dedication and hard work to get this done. Without them, this TA wouldn’t have been possible.

    To all members, be at ease, your negotiators have presented to you the best reasonable Tentative Agreement possible. 

    A meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, August 16, 2023, at Willie Moreno Junior High School, release time from 8:00 am – 10:00 am has been approved.  

    Please take time to review the attached agreement thoroughly before we gather any questions or concerns you may have.   

    Voting time will be from  8:15 am – 9:45 am

    Hope you all can attend!

    August 1, 2023

    We hope you are having a great summer. We are excited to announce that we reached a tentative agreement with the District for the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 school years.  We are grateful for all of your support and positive vibes. Below is a brief summary of the contract articles we completed during these negotiations.

    Summary of Article VII, item A – Evaluation procedure:

    ● Allow unit members to receive another evaluation to improve in “areas of improvement” received in an annual evaluation and qualify for future promotions, summer work, and other job opportunities.

    ● Doubled the number of days from five (5) to ten (10) to provide a response to evaluations. 

    Summary of Article XI, item A – Salary and benefits:

    ● 2022-2023: 5% ongoing salary schedule increase, retroactive to July 1, 2022.

    ● Health and welfare benefits paid by the District for the 2022-2023 school year.

    ● 2023-2024: 7% ongoing salary schedule increase, retroactive to July 1, 2023.

    ● Health and welfare benefits with the current plan paid by the District for the 2023-2024 school year.

    Summary of Article XI, item E – Professional Growth Incentive:

    ● Increase incentive from 20% to 25% with two additional one-time bonuses.

    ● Streamlined process on course approval.

    ● Simplified approval process.

    Summary of Article XI, item H – Classroom supervision

    ● Minimum amount of minutes eligible for supervision decreased from 30 minutes to 15 minutes

    ● Rate per hour increased from $10 to $16

    Summary of Article XII, Holidays

    ● Include Juneteenth (June 19th)

    Summary of Article XV, item H – Bereavement Leave

    ● Increased amount of days for Bereavement leave from 3 days to 5 days.

    ● Removed the mileage requirement.

    Summary of Article XVI – Safety

    ● Streamlined the process of how unit members report safety incidents to the district.

    ● Alignment to Educational Code and Board Policy to allow reasonable self-defense of unit members.

    Summary of Article XVII, item B – Notice of Layoff

    ● Unit members shall be notified by March 15 of potential layoffs for the following school year.

    Our Labor Relations Representative, Daniela Vega, will be submitting our Tentative Agreement through the 610 process. As soon as it is approved by the Field Office, we will reach out with an update and send you all the Tentative Agreement for ratification. We are tentatively scheduled to meet on August 16th from 8 am to 10 am. The District will be providing release time for all unit members to attend this meeting. Place and time will follow at a later date, along with the Tentative Agreement. 

    The CSEA Negotiations Team is proud of the agreement and is excited to share it with you. Thank you to all of the negotiators. We look forward to gathering as a union on August 16th.

    Enjoy the rest of your summer. Have a great 2023-2024 school year.

    June 27, 2023

    Your Negotiations Team met with the District on Monday, June 26, 2023, for the new 2022-2025 contract negotiations. We discussed health and benefits in great detail. 

    The following is the District’s salary proposal:

    • 2022-23: 5% ongoing on the salary schedule and retroactive to July 1, 2022
    • 2023-24: We have discussed several packages that include more health insurance options with zero out-of-pocket contributions.

    Negotiators continue to advocate for more competitive packages and continue to push for the existing health insurance plan. 

    The next Negotiation session will be on August 1, 2023.

    June 14, 2023

    Your Negotiations Team met with the District on Wednesday, June 14, 2023, for the new 2022-2025 contract negotiations. We discussed the following: Salary and Health and Welfare Benefits.

    The District has slightly moved on their salary proposal. The following is the District’s salary proposal:

    • · 2022-23: 5% ongoing on the salary schedule and retroactive to July 1, 2022
    • · 2023-24: 7.8% ongoing on the salary schedule and effective July 1, 2023

    The District is proposing the following health and welfare caps:

    • · $10,000 for single coverage premiums
    • · $17,000 for single plus one coverage premiums
    • · $21,500 for family coverage premiums

    The District has offered insurance option #2 at no cost – including the family plan. Negotiators continue to advocate for more competitive packages.  

    The next Negotiation session will be on June 26th, 2023.

    May 31, 2023

    Your Negotiations Team met with the District on Wednesday, May 31st, 2023 for the new 2022-2025 contract negotiations. We discussed the following: Salary, Health & Welfare Benefits, and Professional Growth.

    For Professional Growth, we are waiting for clarification on language before coming to an agreement. 

    The District has slightly moved on its salary proposal. The following is the District’s salary proposal:

    • 2022-23: 5% ongoing on the salary schedule and retroactive to July 1, 2022
    • 2023-24: 6% ongoing on the salary schedule and effective July 1, 2023

    The District is proposing the following health and welfare caps:

    • $10,000 for single coverage premiums
    • $17,000 for single plus one coverage premiums
    • $21,500 for family coverage premiums

    The District has offered family plans at no cost, but the negotiators continue to advocate for more competitive packages. 

    The next Negotiation session will be on June 14th, 2023.

    May 23, 2023

    Your Negotiations Team met with the District on Tuesday, May 23rd, 2023 for the new 2022-2025 contract negotiations. We discussed the following: Salary, Health and Welfare Benefits, and Professional Growth.

    CSEA has decided to table the Bilingual Stipend discussions since we have not come to an agreement with the District. The District wants to implement a bilingual test and have everyone take it. They did not entertain a conversation on grandfathering the current folks in.

    The negotiators advocated adopting the current Professional Growth MOU language into the contract with some additional changes. We want members to be able to take any course that will allow them to grow professionally. The discussions are promising.  

    The District has not moved on its salary proposal. The following is the District’s salary proposal:

    • · 2022-23: 5% ongoing and retroactive to July 1, 2022
    • · 2023-24: 5% ongoing and effective July 1, 2023

    The District is proposing the following health and welfare caps:

    • · $10,000 for single coverage premiums
    • · $17,000 for single plus one coverage premiums
    • · $21,500 for family coverage premiums

    Your negotiations team continues to advocate for a fair living wage increase and for reasonable insurance costs. We ask for your support throughout this process.  

    The next Negotiation session will be on May 31, 2023.

    May 10, 2023

    Negotiations with the District were initially supposed to continue today. Negotiations have been rescheduled until May 23rd. By then, Governor Newsom will have announced his revised budget for the 2023-2024 year. 

    The next Negotiation session will be on May 23, 2023.

    May 5, 2023

    Your Negotiations Team met with the District on Friday, May 5th, 2023 for the new 2022-2025 contract negotiations. We discussed the following: Salary and Health and Welfare Benefits.

    Today, the District presented its salary and health and welfare proposal. The following is the District’s salary proposal:

    • 2022-23: 5% ongoing and retroactive to July 1, 2022
    • 2023-24: 5% ongoing and effective July 1, 2023

    The District is proposing the following health and welfare caps:

    • $10,000 for single coverage premiums
    • $17,000 for single plus one coverage premiums
    • $21,500 for family coverage premiums

    Your negotiations team continues to advocate for a fair living wage increase and for reasonable insurance costs. We ask for your support throughout this process.  

    The next Negotiation session will be on May 10, 2023.  

    April 27, 2023

    Your Negotiations Team met with the District on April 27th, 2023 for the new 2022-2025 contract negotiations. We discussed the following: Salary, Health & Welfare Benefits, Professional Growth, and Bilingual Stipend.

    Article XI Salary & Fringe Benefits:

    Salary:

    • 2022-2023: The District continues to offer an increase below the 6.56% cost of living.
    • 2023-2024: The District continues to offer an increase below the 8.13% expected cost of living.

    Bilingual Stipend:

    The District has proposed to do away with our existing bilingual stipend language. Although they want to make it broad for more members to qualify, they want to lower the stipend check. Your negotiators have no intention of doing away with already existing benefits and language. 

    Professional Growth:

    Your negotiator’s proposal included bringing the existing language in the Professional Growth MOU into the contract, while also improving the language so that members can take any classes – not just those that fall within their classification. The District continues to push for pre-approval from the Superintendent and do away with courses taken through institutes, lectures, workshops, seminars, and conferences. 

    Article XII: Health and Welfare Benefits

    Your negotiators continue to advocate for fully paid benefits. The District proposed the currently existing insurance caps and has not moved away from that.

    • $10,000 per plan year for single coverage premiums
    • $17,000 per plan year for single plus one coverage premium
    • $21,500 per plan year for family coverage premiums

    The next Negotiation session will be on May 5, 2023.

    April 26, 2023

    Your Negotiations Team met with the District on Wednesday, April 26th, 2023 for the new 2022-2025 contract negotiations. We discussed salary, Health & Welfare Benefits, Professional Growth, and Bilingual Stipend.

    Today, the District presented its salary proposal. To our disappointment, they did not propose COLA (cost of living adjustment). The following is the COLA for the years we are negotiating:

    • · 2022-23: 6.56%
    • · 2023-24: expected to be 8.13% (final COLA to be announced June 2023)

    CUSD’s classified staff are already some of the least paid in Imperial County. The District expects classified staff to pay for insurance without increasing salaries AT LEAST to the cost of living.

    The CSEA negotiations team is hopeful and passionate about advocating for a reasonable Health and Welfare package and a generous salary increase. Now is the time to stand together and united. These negotiations are not only about ourselves; it is about our families and the sacrifices our CSEA brothers and sisters have made in the past. We ask for your support throughout this process.  

    UNITED WE CONQUER. DIVIDED WE BEG.

    The next Negotiation session will be on April 27, 2023.

    April 19, 2023

    Your Negotiations Team met with the District on Tuesday, April 19th, 2023 for the new 2022-2025 contract negotiations. We discussed the following: Salary, Health & Welfare Benefits, and Bilingual Stipend.

    Today, the District gave the negotiations team a budget overview. The CSEA negotiations team will present their budget proposal at the following negotiation sessions. We ask for your support and patience throughout this process.  

    The next Negotiation session will be on April 26, 2023.

    March 30, 2023

    Your Negotiations Team met with the District on Thursday, March 30th, 2023 for the new 2022-2025 contract negotiations. We discussed the following: Bereavement Leave, Bilingual Stipend, Professional Growth, and Health and Welfare and Salary. We continue to have great communication and everything looks promising.

    We agreed on Bereavement Leave language that was updated in accordance with the law – which extends bereavement to 5 days regardless of distance. We are close to agreeing on Professional Growth. Your negotiation team will work diligently to advocate for a substantial salary increase and benefits. We ask for your support and patience throughout this process.

    The next Negotiation session will be on April 19, 2023.

    March 22, 2023

    Your Negotiations Team met with the District on Wednesday, March 22, 2023, for the new 2022-2025 contract negotiations. We discussed the following: Bilingual Stipend, Professional Growth, and the Classroom Supervision Stipend. We came to an agreement on the Classroom Supervision Stipend. We continue to have great communication, and everything looks promising.

    The next Negotiation session will be on March 30, 2023.

    March 10, 2023

    Your CSEA Chapter 399 Negotiations Team met with the Calexico Unified School District negotiation team on Friday, March 10th, 2023 for the new 2022-2025 contract negotiations. We continue to have great communication, and everything looks promising

    We discussed the following:

    • Bilingual Stipend
    • Professional Growth
    • Classroom Supervision Stipend

    The next Negotiation session will be on March 22, 2023.

    February 28, 2023

    Your CSEA Chapter 399 Negotiations Team met with the Calexico Unified School District negotiation team on Tuesday, February 28, 2023. This was the third negotiation session for the new 2022-2025 contract negotiations. We discussed the following changes:

    • Article XI Salary & Fringe Benefits: At this time, we have not begun discussions on the salary increase. We discussed increasing the Classroom Supervision Stipend, including Transportation in the Bilingual Stipend, and amending the Professional Growth portions of the article.

    The next Negotiations session will be on Friday, March 10, 2023.

    February 21, 2023

    Your CSEA Chapter 399 Negotiations Team met with the Calexico Unified School District negotiation team on Tuesday, February 21, 2023. This was the second negotiation session for the new 2022-2025 contract negotiations. At this time, changes were proposed in the following Articles:

    Evaluation Procedures, Safety, and Layoff Procedures. The following were the changes made:

    • Article VII Evaluations: When employees receive a “Needs Improvement” or “Not Satisfactory” mark, they will receive a second evaluation on that item prior to June 1st of the same year. The second evaluation will supersede the first evaluation.
    • Article XVI Safety: Update contract to reflect Education Code 49001(a) that allows an employee to use reasonable and necessary force when necessary for self-defense, to protect another person or property, to quell a disturbance threatening physical injury to others, or to obtain possession of weapons or other dangerous objects on or within the control of a student.
    • Article XVII Layoff Procedure: Update contract to reflect Assembly Bill 438 and the new layoff notice date of March 15

    The District and CSEA continue to have good communication. The next Negotiations session will be on Tuesday, February 28, 2023.

    Below we will include answers to some Frequently Asked Questions:

    • Who and when did you inform the membership is on the Negotiations Team? All committees were announced on January 26th at the Chapter Meeting.
    • Based on this email, what proposals were submitted to the District? Where is a copy? The sunshine proposal was presented to the membership in November and was emailed by the Previous Chapter President to everyone on November 3rd, 2022. It was also approved by the School Board on November 28th, 2022.
    • Did you survey the membership before submitting a proposal, if so when? The Previous Chapter President emailed the survey on May 19th and gave a deadline of June 1st. Members were also given extensions and surveys were collected until late August.
    • When was the membership notified of the Articles that will be negotiated? The sunshine proposal was presented and copies were shared at the November 2022 Chapter Meeting.
    • What is the intention of negotiating the Bilingual Stipend? Transportation members submitted negotiation surveys to be eligible for the bilingual stipend. The negotiations team is advocating for them to be included. The goal is to also increase the stipend amount.

    February 16, 2023

    Your CSEA Chapter 399 Negotiations Team met with the Calexico Unified School District negotiation team on Thursday, February 16, 2023. This was the first negotiation session for the new 2022-2025 contract negotiations. At this time, the Negotiations Team has introduced proposals with the District, but no agreements have been made.

    We introduced updates to the Articles:

    • Article XIII (13) Holidays
    • Article XVI (16) Safety
    • Article XVII (17) Layoff Procedures.

    The team also proposed changes to the salary schedule to comply with California’s Minimum Wage Standards and equitably distribute the increase.

  • Classified Salary Schedule

    Classified Salary Schedule

    A classified salary schedule is a structured pay system used by Calexico Unified School District that outlines the salary and compensation levels for employees in classified positions, such as administrative assistants, custodians cafeteria workers, IT employees, or maintenance workers.

    By having a clear and transparent salary schedule, employees in classified positions can understand how their compensation is determined and can negotiate for better pay and benefits.

  • Parental Leave Benefits

    Parental Leave Benefits

    Having a child is one of the biggest events to happen in an employee’s life. Both employees and their children can benefit from time together to bond, especially in the first few months of life. However, for many employees, taking an extended period of time off is unrealistic if they have to worry about finances and the possibility of losing their jobs.

    Recognizing this, California has led the charge to ease this burden for new parents bypassing some of the most protective leave laws in the nation. Although paid maternity leave is often framed as an issue that matters only to working women, paid paternity leave or bonding leave is also available for fathers who need bonding time with their newborn child.

    What Is Bonding Leave?

    Parental leave, also called “bonding leave,” is the time off that parents take to bond with their new child. For women in California, maternity leave is a combination of parental leave and pregnancy disability leave (see below for an explanation). For men in California, paternity leave is the equivalent of parental leave.

    The federal Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and the similar California Family Rights Act (CFRA), require employers with 50 or more employees to provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to bond with a new child. The New Parents Leave Act (NPLA) provides for the same amount of leave for new parents who work for employers with 20 to 49 employees. Below are the most common reasons for taking advantage of the FMLA right:

    • For the birth and care of the newborn child of an employee;
    • For placement with the employee of a child for adoption or foster care;
    • To care for an immediate family member (i.e., spouse, child, or parent) with a serious health condition; or
    • To take medical leave when the employee is unable to work because of a serious health condition.

    Paid Parental/Child Bonding Leave

    As provided by Education Code section 45196.1, employees shall be entitled to parental leave as set forth in this section. For purposes of this section, “parental leave” shall be defined as leave for reason of the birth of the employee’s child, or the placement of a child with the employee for adoption or foster care.

    • Employees shall be entitled to use all current and accumulated sick leaves for parental leave, for a period of up to twelve (12) workweeks.
    • When an employee has exhausted all current and accumulated sick leave and continues to be absent on account of parental (child bonding) leave under the California Family Rights Act (CFRA; Government Code section 12945.2), he/she shall be entitled to 50% pay for any of the remaining twelve (12) workweek period. Such 50% payment shall be paid as set forth in section C (Entitlement to Other Sick Leave) above but shall not count against the leave entitlement set forth in that section. In order to use 50% pay, the employee must be eligible for leave under the CFRA, except that he/she is not required to have worked 1,250 hours in the twelve (12) months immediately preceding the leave.
    • Any leave taken under this section shall count against any entitlement to child bonding leave under the CFRA and the aggregate amount of leave taken under this section and CFRA shall not exceed twelve (12) workweeks in any twelve (12) month period.
    • Employees shall not be entitled to more than one (1) twelve (12) week period for parental leave in any twelve (12) month period.
    • Unit members shall give thirty (30) calendar days’ notice of parental leave. Parental leave under this section shall be taken in increments of at least two (2) weeks’ duration, except on two (2) occasions leave can be of shorter duration.

    In Conclusion

    Maternity, Paternity, and Adoption leave, more commonly referred to as “Parental Leave,” is leave associated with the birth of an employee’s own child or the placement of a child with the employee in connection with adoption or foster care. A variety of leave programs are available to Calexico Unified School District employees. Get informed and take enjoy the benefits of your employment rights.

    Read the Pregnancy Disability Leave article if you or your spouse need more information about our pregnancy disability rights.

  • Prevent Workplace Harassment

    Prevent Workplace Harassment

    Workplace harassment is an all too common problem in today’s society that can have serious and long-lasting impacts on both employees and employers. No matter the size of the business or the industry, it is important for employers to take steps to ensure that their employees feel safe and respected in the workplace.

    It can range from subtle forms of discrimination to physical or verbal abuse and can have a huge impact on employee morale and productivity. It is also unlawful for an employer to permit a hostile work environment for employees due to their race, religion, ethnicity, disability, or another protected status.

    Unlawful sexual harassment in the workplace is either (1) “quid pro quo” harassment (pressure on an employee to engage in sexual behavior in order to stay employed or as the basis for employment decisions such as promotion), or (2) a hostile work environment, where adverse comments or actions are so severe or pervasive as to create an unreasonably uncomfortable environment and are either explicitly sexual or motivated by the victim’s sex.

    How do you know if someone is harassing you at work?

    Ordinary work criticism does not amount to unlawful harassment unless it is motivated by the target’s sex, race, age, etc. AND is so extreme or repeated that a reasonable person would find them so offensive as to fundamentally alter working conditions.

    Hostile environment harassment can take many forms, including:

    • sexist remarks regarding an employee’s body, clothing, or sexual activity, or reflecting disrespect for all females (or males);
    • constant leering or ogling;
    • offensive touching, patting, pinching, or invasion of personal space;
    • postings of nude or scantily-clad persons
    • Comments, requests, and demands.
    • Continuing to talk to someone after they have asked to be left alone.
    • Flashing.
    • Following or stalking.

    What to Do if you Believe you have been Harassed at Work

    There are several things classified employees should do if they are
    being unlawfully harassed, including:

    1. Act quickly – The best defense against harassment is a strong offense. Confront the harasser. Tell him/her that his/her behavior is offensive, and ask him/her to stop.
    2. Document it – Save offensive emails and texts. Keep a diary where entries are in ink and dated. This avoids any allegation later that these entries were created long after the fact.
    3. Get support from co-workers – Make sure co-workers are aware of harassment situations and efforts being made to remedy them.
    4. File a grievance – If the collective bargaining agreement contains language prohibiting sexual harassment, utilize the grievance procedure to resolve the problem. In addition, review the employer’s written policy on sexual harassment.
    5. Notify the employer – regardless of whether your harasser is a supervisor or co-worker. If the employer is not notified, it is not liable for harassment by co-workers (only supervisors). Put it in writing, and keep a copy.
    6. Find other victims – If evidence can be found to show that the harasser has abused other workers, or that the harassment has been condoned by management, your harassment claim will be strengthened.
    Note: The laws governing discrimination are extensive. If a classified employee feels he/she might have been the victim of a discriminatory practice, he/she should contact his/her CSEA Labor Relations Representative, or the federal or state agency to determine what actions are appropriate.

    *Classified Employees Cannot Be Sexually Harassed or Harassed Based on
    Another Protected Status

    • Source: Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 USC § 2000e)
    • Source: Fair Employment and Housing Act (Cal. Govt. Code § 12940)
    • Source: Cal. Education Code Sections 212.5, 230, 231.5

    In Conclusion

    Employees at CUSD should be aware of the policy and how to identify and address potential incidents. Employers should also take steps to create a culture of respect in the workplace. This can be done by encouraging open dialogue, promoting diversity and inclusion, and providing employees

    As you can see, Workplace harassment is an all too common problem in today’s society that can have serious and long-lasting impacts on both employees and employers. This article is just to show you an overview of the rights and tools that we as CSEA employees can utilize to fight for your rights.

  • Retirement Benefits

    Retirement Benefits

    Do you want to know when you are eligible to retire? Are you wondering what formulas are used to calculate your retirement benefit? These are among the most common questions classified employees ask.

    As an employee of Calexico Unified School District, you are part of the CalPERS retirement program. The California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) is an agency in the California executive branch that manages pension and health benefits for more than 1.5 million California public employees.

    Your retirement benefit is based on a retirement formula using the following criteria:

    • Total service credit
    • Age at retirement
    • Highest average annual compensation (12-month or 36-month consecutive period)

    You may have more than one retirement formula based on your membership date, your membership category, and your employer’s contract with CalPERS.

    Eligibility Requirements for Retirement

    Your minimum retirement age depends on your retirement formula:
    *50, 52, or 55 Note: If you have a combination of classic and PEPRA service, you may be eligible to retire at age 50

    The minimum service requirement is five years, or 10 years if you are a State of California Second Tier member There are exceptions to the minimum service requirement:

    • You’ve worked at least five calendar years as a permanent part-time employee (Government Code section 20970)
    • You’ve established reciprocity with another California public retirement system Refer to the publication A Guide to CalPERS When You Change Retirement Systems (PUB 16)

    Basic Retirement Calculation

    The key to calculating your retirement benefit is to understand how service credit, age, and final compensation are used in the basic retirement calculation Increase any one of these factors and you’ll increase your overall benefit. The basic retirement calculation is shown below:

    Basic Retirement Calculation

    Service Credit

    Service credit is earned on a fiscal year basis, which is July 1 through June 30. If you are paid every month, 10 months of full-time employment will equal one year.

    You cannot earn more than one year of service credit in one fiscal year. If you work less than eight hours per day, it will take you longer to earn a year of service credit.

    Check the pdf file below to see a cheatsheet charts PDF file. It contains two charts that show the benefit factor increases and the percentage of final compensation you will receive.

    Benefit Factor

    Your benefit factor, also known as the “age factor,” is the percentage of pay you’ll receive for each year of service credit earned. It is determined by your retirement formula and age at retirement.

    Starting at your minimum retirement age, your benefit factor increases every quarter year up to a maximum age. For example, if your retirement formula is 2% at 55 and you retire at age 55, you will get 2% for each year of service credit. The percentage increases every quarter after age 55 up to the maximum age of 63.

    View Benefit Factor Charts Online

    Go to www.calpers.ca.gov/benefitcharts to find the retirement formula charts for your benefit factor and final compensation

    Benefit Factor Chart

    Retirement Planning Checklist

    As you plan for your retirement and get ready to submit your retirement
    application, use the following checklist as a reminder of what you need to
    consider You can find a detailed checklist with links to all our retirement
    planning resources at www.calpers.ca.gov/retirementchecklist

    In Conclusion

    As you can see, retirement planning might sound scary. Make sure you talk to your CSEA representative and ask for advice on the process. This article is just to show you an overview of the rights and tools that we as CSEA employees can utilize to fight for your rights.

  • Vacation Benefits

    Vacation Benefits

    Here is everything you need to know about your vacation benefits. You can find more information in the Calexico Unified School District’s Employee contract. (ARTICLE XIV).

    *One (1) month before the end of school or the end of the fiscal year (whichever comes first) the District will provide all employees with vacation balances in order to be in compliance with the maximum allowable carryover vacation days.

    Vacation Time-Off Rules

    1. Every employee in a permanent, probationary, restricted status or a permanent employee temporarily assigned to a provisional position shall earn vacation at the prescribed rate as part of his/ her compensation. Vacation shall be earned during a paid leave of absence.
    2. Earned vacation shall not become a vested right until the completion of the initial six months of employment.
    3. Classified employees who are employed on an hourly basis shall earn vacation at the ratio of their hours worked bear to eight (8) hours per day, forty (40) hours per week, weeks per month, or months to a calendar year.
    4. Employees with more than six (6) months of service who, either voluntarily or
      involuntarily discontinued their employment with the District, shall be entitled to the unused vacation time they have earned and shall be granted vacation pay. Employees who terminate with less than six (6) months of service shall not be entitled to vacation pay.
    5. Employees working less than a 12-month calendar will take their vacation during the winter and spring vacation periods consistent with the needs of the District. The remaining annual vacation leave shall be used during the year in which it is earned. In the event that vacation cannot be taken or is not granted by the employee’s supervisor, vacation days may be paid out at the end of the fiscal year in which they were earned. Vacation days in excess of the days that were paid out may be carried over for use in the following year. Employees working less than a 12-month calendar may accrue a maximum total of ten (10) vacation days. Prior to retirement, all vacations shall be used.
    6. Employees may have their vacation split, but no employee will be denied at least two weeks of his/her vacation to run consecutively during the prime time. Said prime time will be considered to be from March 1st through October 31st. This is not taken to mean that an employee will not be granted his/her full vacation at one time, provided the administration can see fit to approve it during the prime time.
    7. Vacation time shall be used during the year that it is earned. Vacation may, with the approval of the supervisor, be taken at any time during the school year. In the event that vacation cannot be taken or is not granted by the employee’s supervisor, a maximum of fifteen (15) days may be carried over for use in the next year. Prior to retirement, all vacation leave shall be used.
    8. Authorized paid holidays to occur in the period in which an employee is on paid vacation shall not be counted as vacation time. A period of illness occurring during a vacation period may not be construed as sick leave except as follows: Any employee may interrupt or terminate vacation leave in order to begin sick leave without returning to active service, provided, the employee notifies his/her supervisor within twenty-four (24) hours and subsequently provides a statement from his/her attending physician attesting to the illness and its duration.
    9. Vacation schedules shall be prepared by the administration with due regard to sections 6 and 7. Efforts shall be made to enable vacation to be taken at times convenient to the employee, consistent with the needs of the service and the workload of the department, with preference being given in seniority order.
    10. Unit members shall earn vacation on the following basis:
    Calexico Unified School District Vacation Hours

    In Conclusion

    As you can see, there are many rules for vacation time. This article is just to show you an overview of the rights and tools that we as CSEA employees can utilize to fight for your rights. Take a moment to review your contract.

  • Professional Growth

    Professional Growth

    Are you interested in earning an additional 5% on your monthly paycheck? Are you planning to go back to school? All employees at Calexico Unified School District can apply for additional compensation.

    This additional compensation is an award earned by a classified employee who successfully completes ten (10) semester units or the equivalent in academic courses. Course obtained must pertain to the employee’s specific classification or area of employment.

    Classified Professional Growth Committee:

    The Professional Growth Committee consists of:

    • No more than five (5) full-time district employees.
    • Four (4) members shall be from the Classified Service, appointed by the CSEA Chapter
    • One (1) from the Administrative staff, appointed by the Superintendent.

    Duties of the Committee

    • Prepare a course list for recommendation to the Superintendent containing representative courses for each classification of employees or groups of employees, such a list is not to be exclusive, but to serve as examples and guides only.
    • Place unit values on all approved courses.
    • Recommend additional or revised policy to the Superintendent for Board adoption as necessary (i.e., how many units of approved coursework constitute additional compensation increment, etc.)

    Qualification for the Award

    • An additional compensation Award may be earned by a classified employee who successfully completes ten (10) semester units or the equivalent in academic courses taken in colleges, junior colleges, adult education, or other approved educational experiences such as attendance at institutes, lectures, workshops, seminars, or conferences sponsored by educational or professional associations. Course obtained must pertain to the employee’s specific classification or area of employment.
    • Credit may be granted for courses not on the approved list when evidence that benefit will accrue to the District is shown (example: course outline) and when approved by the employee’s supervisor, the Director of Personnel, and the Superintendent (prior approval required prior enrollment).
    • An employee who wishes to appeal his supervisor’s ruling with respect to the employee’s submission of individual research plans, or proposed courses for credit, and who wishes to have the matter reviewed in a hearing of the Professional Growth Committee, must present such request in writing to the Chairman of the Professional Growth Committee.
    • Of the ten units required, not less than seven must relate to the employee’s specific classification or area of employment in the District. (All ten units may be in that area.)
    • Credit may be granted only for courses successfully completed after July 1, 1970, during the first year of the program. After the first year of the program retroactive recognition is set at six (6) years and initiative and academic credits become outdated if not used within six (6) years.
    • Participation in educational conventions, institutes, and conferences may be considered a part of this project. Credit will be allowed for participation if the District does not reimburse the participant for 51% or more of actual and necessary expenses, including mileage. A total contribution of ten- (10) hours of actual participation is required for one (1) growth point.
    • No one shall receive credit for institutions, lectures, or conventions if these are attended during the working day and/or if the employee is being paid for other services at the same time without the prior approval of the Board of Trustees.
    • Education required at the time of employment for the position may not count toward professional growth, except for promotional purposes.
    • Incumbents in positions whose job specifications now require more educational training than that required at the time of employment shall be allowed credit for units that would have counted toward the requirement.
    • One unit (or one semester hour) normally represents one hour per week during one semester in lecture or recitation work with necessary preparation time, or three hours per week in the laboratory or other work not requiring homework or other preparation.
    • Credit for classes in adult education or other approved educational experiences will be equated as follows:
    Professional Growth Table
    • Professional Growth will be capped at a maximum of 20%; Current employees can apply for two (2) additional awards of 5%, not to exceed 20%; New employees hired after July 1, 1999, can apply for one award of 5%. Thereafter they can apply for a one-time bonus of 5%.
    • At least two (2) years must elapse before an additional increment may be granted.
    • It is the responsibility of the employee to apply to the District Administration by May 1st that he/she will qualify for an award of additional compensation beginning the following July 1st. The 5% compensation shall become effective on the next July 1st, upon presentation of evidence of a grade of ‘C’ or better on completion of courses. (10 units)
    • It is the responsibility of the employee to apply to the District Administration for credit for courses taken and to present evidence of successful completion of courses.
    • Attachment A, List of Approved Courses, is a representative list of courses currently offered at nearby colleges, private institutions, the Regional Occupations Program, and adult education courses at high schools. The Classified Professional Growth Program Committee will revise the list.
    • Upon the promotion of a Classified employee to a higher range, his/her professional growth program will commence without carryover of credits earned on the previous range.
    • Limit course selection to 9 units per subject area.

    Click on the links below to obtain more information about the CUSD Professional Growth program and how to submit your application.

  • Health Benefits

    Health Benefits

    Benefit Guide & Forms

    Insurance Information

    Dental Plan

    Medical Plans

    Vision Plan

  • A Guide to Position Transfers and Demotions

    A Guide to Position Transfers and Demotions

    Labor contracts play a crucial role in protecting the rights and ensuring the fair treatment of employees in the workplace. Within your contract at Calexico Unified School District, provisions related to changes in position and class are essential for employees and employers to understand.

    In this blog post, we will explore the key points of such provisions, clarifying their significance and implications. By the end, you will better grasp the rules governing transfers and demotions outlined in labor contracts.

    Position Transfers

    Transfers allow employees to move from one position to another within the same class, either at their request or for the good of the service. It’s important to note that transfers cannot be made for punitive or preferential reasons. The immediate supervisor holds the discretion to approve transfers, ensuring a fair and objective decision-making process.

    Here are some of the rules included in the CUSD Contract:

    • An employee may be transferred at his/her request or for the good of the service, from one position to another in the same class, at the discretion of the immediate supervisor, provided that such action shall not be taken for punitive or preferential reasons.
    • A permanent employee may be transferred to a position in a related class on the same salary schedule.
    • Transfers shall be made without changes in salary rate, anniversary date, accumulated sick leave, and accumulated vacation credit.
    • A permanent employee who transfers to a position in a class in which he has not previously completed a probationary period shall be considered probationary in that class for a period of six (6) months or one hundred eighty (180) days. At any time during the probationary period, he may be returned (transferred) to his/her former class without rights of appeal, unless such action results in layoff, demotion, or reduction in assigned time. In the latter cases, the employee shall have the same appeal rights as a permanent employee who is demoted or dismissed.
    • Transfers shall have the following effects on seniority: a. None within the same class; b. From one class to another, the employee shall not receive seniority credit in the new class for service in other classes; however, he shall retain such credit as seniority in the classified service.
    • The transfer shall not be used as a device to alter the effects of an impending layoff, although employees whose positions are to be eliminated may transfer to other classes as this rule contemplates.

    Demotions

    Demotions refer to the voluntary or involuntary downward movement of an employee to a lower-class position. While involuntary demotions are not covered in this provision, it’s worth noting that voluntary demotions have certain conditions attached.

    • A permanent employee may request a voluntary demotion to a class with a lower maximum qualification for that class. Such requests require District approval.
    • A voluntary demotion is a privilege available to a probationary employee only in cases when he would otherwise be laid off for lack of work or lack of funds.

    In Conclusion

    Understanding the provisions related to changes in position and class outlined in labor contracts is crucial for employees and employers alike. By knowing the rules and implications surrounding transfers and demotions, individuals can navigate their career paths and exercise their rights effectively within the organization.

    This blog post has aimed to shed light on the critical aspects of these provisions, empowering readers with the knowledge to better comprehend and make informed decisions based on their labor contracts.