CONTENTS:

1. BUDGET CONFERENCE COMMITTEE TO CONVENE NEXT WEEK
2. BILL EXPANDING K-12 COLLECTIVE BARGAINING RIGHTS WEAKENED
3. CFA SPONSORED AB 2549 PASSES ASSEMBLY

BUDGET CONFERENCE COMMITTEE TO CONVENE NEXT WEEK

The Senate and Assembly Budget Conference Committee is scheduled to begin
deliberations on Monday, June 3rd. However, the inability of both houses to
give initial approval to the budget subcommittee reports may delay the
hearings.

Once convened, conference committee members will attempt to formulate a
budget that can receive the required two-thirds vote of each house before
being forward to Governor Gray Davis for final action. The constitutional
deadline for the legislature to approve a budget for next year is June 15th.
Although this deadline has seldom been adhered to in the past, a recent
court case is pressuring legislators to pass a budget on time or risk the
disbursement of Proposition 98 funds for K-12 and community colleges, and
restricting paychecks for state employees.

The likely conferees from the Assembly include Jenny Oropeza (D-Dominguez
Hills), Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento), and John Campbell (R-San Marcos);
expected Senate conferees include Steve Peace (D-San Diego), Wes Chesbro
(D-Humboldt), and Dick Ackerman (R-Fullerton).

BILL EXPANDING K-12 COLLECTIVE BARGAINING RIGHTS WEAKENED

CTA-sponsored AB 2160 (Goldberg), supported by CFA, was amended in the
Assembly Appropriations Committee with language that severely weakens the
bill's expansion of bargainable issues.

Instead of allowing K-12 unions to bargain issues such as textbooks and
curriculum, the amendments allow the creation of "academic partnerships"
consisting of union and district management appointees who would consider
and vote on academic matters. Any agreements reached by the partnership
would need to be ratified by the union and management, and school boards
would make the final decision when no agreement could be reached. AB 2160
is expected to be hear on the Assembly floor today or tomorrow.

CFA SPONSORED AB 2549 PASSES ASSEMBLY

AB 2549, sponsored by CFA and authored by Assemblyman Joe Nation (D-Somona),
which would allow part-time CSU faculty to qualify for membership in the
California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) passed the State
Assembly on May 29th on a 52 – 25 vote. Under the bill, part-time faculty
who teach six weighted teaching units for two consecutive semesters or three
consecutive quarters would qualify for membership in CalPERS, if agreed to
through the collective bargaining process. The bill will now be taken up in
the State Senate.