Court Closures Approved
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Today the Budget Conference Committee approved the AOC’s request to implement a statewide closure plan of all California courts one day per month for a one-year period beginning July 1.
The Committee did not approve language that had been previously negotiated by union labor representatives (AFSCME, IFPTE, SEIU, UPE, and others) as to the details of the closure plan, including an alternative plan to set the closure date on the third Friday of each month, instead of the third Wednesday as requested by the AOC. Efforts continue and details of closures and will be released soon.
In order to achieve the projected $102 million savings as a result of these closures, trial courts will begin local negotiations with trial court employees regarding whether employees of local courts will be furloughed. This determination will be made based on the individual trial court’s reserves and budgetary considerations.
Labor representatives remain concerned with specific employee rights regarding closures and imminent furloughs, specifically to be negotiated at the local level with their individual court. Of main concern has been how employee reduced compensation may affect benefits and retirement. The language as submitted, though approved by union reps, was not part of the package approved by the Conference Committee:
“Any court closure or reduction in earnings as a result of this section shall not constitute a reduction in service for the purposes of calculation of retirement benefits or other employment-related benefits for court employees otherwise eligible for such benefits.”
The offered statutory court closure legislation also stated that any closure due to the current budget crisis would be “treated as a holiday for purposes of performing any act requiring the transaction of judicial business.”
The Conference Committee adopted the concept of one-day court closures but did not adopt specific trailer bill language. Details will be released as soon as proposed language is finalized.
Posted on June 17th, 2009 by Lyn Yard
1 Comment
June 17th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
Thank you for the many updates regarding possible closures and for giving us the language regarding benefits and retirement. Hopefully at the local level individual counties that implement a furlough will be able to use it. Once again, thank you, COCRA, for your dedication and hard work to the reporting profession.