008 DHA - ABAWD Implementation Meet & Confer

Greetings union brothers, sisters, and friends,

Your 008 bargaining team met with the department regarding the re-implementation of the ABAWD requirements for Cal Fresh due to HR1. These changes will take place effective June 1st, 2026. The department stated that our members will be required to assess cases for ABAWD exemptions and that they have devised a training plan they will roll out over time in late April through May.

Most but not all of the information will be relayed to staff in unit meetings by supervisors who have already received the training. We requested copies of all training materials, the all-county letter dictating the implementation, and the draft program document to better evaluate the impact on our members. We will be meeting with the department again later this month to discuss the training in more detail.

Stay Tuned.

Special thanks to James Starr, Stephanie McCall, Nichole Gorman, Olivia Brown, and Michelle Moyer for their assistance in these negotiations.