Your Expert Opinion on Union Memo to Employees

[skbee1980]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? CA

I work for a county in California, in the Child Protective Services Division. We are part of a union. The union and the county keep us well posted on budget and our job status (lay offs, etc). So far, so good. Our department is, thus far, secure. No one is getting a pink slip in the near future as it stands. The union did, however, distribute the following (I will retype what the memo said). Also, let me note, that negotiations between the union and the county resulted in our department receiving a COLA raise of almost 3% this July. Hard to believe when other departments (mental health, probation) are being brutally hit by reductions. Here's what the memo to our department said (we received it today):
_______________________
UPE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE COUNTY OF ***** (dated 5/27/09)

VOLUNTARY REDUCTION IN HOURS

A. The county may, as an alternative to, or in conjunction with a layoff, call for volunteers, from amongst the members of the class in the dept in which layoff is contemplated, to work reduced hours in lieu of the deletions of full time positions.

B. Approval of request for part time employment lies within the discretion of the appointing authority (I guess that means the county). Once a request for part time employment is approved, the employee will be assigned to PT employment as soon as it is administratively feasible. A volunteer so assigned may not be involuntarily returned to full time status any earlier than six months following such assignment and may continue in a PT position for subsequent six month periods upon the mutual agreement of the employee and the appointing authority.

C. The county is to provide UPE (the union) a list of volunteers and a list of accepted request for reduced hours no later than 20 days after submission of request and approval.
____________
That's it.

What is your general take on something like this. I'm not dismissing it, but I'm very cautious too. I don't see anything about how it affects benefits, etc. I have so many questions, but i want to hear professional opinion on this first.

Thank you in advance.

[justalayman]

What is your general take on something like this. I'm not dismissing it, but I'm very cautious too. I don't see anything about how it affects benefits, etc. I have so many questions, but i want to hear professional opinion on this first.

I'm not a pro but I like to think I am somewhat educated to the point of understanding what you seek.

as to how it affects benefits;

that would depend on your contract concerning part time employees. The part time employee would be entitled to whatever benefits are afforded a part time employer per the contract. In other words, if a PT employee is not eligible for any bene's, they do not get them. This appears to be a complete and formal reclassification from a full time employee to a part time employee.