California worker union reaches deal for monthly telework stipends

Workers represented by California's largest state employee union will be eligible for monthly telework stipends under a new agreement.

SEIU Local 1000, under new leadership after union officials suspended president Richard Louis Brown, signed an agreement with the California Human Resources Department on April 28th.

The agreement resembles those reached by other state worker unions last fall. It provides $50 monthly stipends to employees who spend more than half their time working remotely, and $25 monthly stipends to those who spend more than half their time in the office.

The stipends will be paid retroactively to January, according to a post on Local 1000's web site announcing the agreement.

Eligible workers should receive the money in 90 to 120 days, depending on how quickly CalHR and the State Controller's Office process the payments, spokesman Brian Nash said in a text.

Local 1000 represents about 100,000 state employees in a wide range of jobs, including many analytical and administrative roles that are suitable for telework.

Other state employee unions reached telework agreements that were effective around October. Local 1000 held out for more money under the leadership of Brown, who called the state's $50 proposal "crumbs" in a livestreamed Facebook meeting. Brown had been pressing for $100 stipends.

Union vice presidents suspended Brown's presidency at the end of February, based on a list of allegations ranging from misspending union money to shutting out union officials from leadership.

Board member Bill Hall is serving as chairman of the union's board. Complaints against Brown are moving forward as part of an internal union hearing process.

Hall said the state had stopped negotiating over telework stipends and other matters with Brown, but has resumed talks with vice president of bargaining Irene Green.

"We're focused on sitting down with the state and getting business done," Hall said Monday.

Hall said the union's next target is reaching an agreement to secure premium pay for essential workers. The state agreed to negotiate over premium pay once federal guidelines for a batch of COVID-19 relief money were finalized. That happened last month.