On July 17, 2024, UPE met and conferred with Sacramento Court over the Court’s plan to reduce the number of workers automatically allowed off on vacation in the Appeals Unit downtown. The Unit was originally part of a larger group of workers with two automatic spots. It was broken off from that Unit, and its number of vacation slots was reduced to one. In November of 2023, Unit members petitioned their Supervisor and Manager to try allowing two people off automatically. The Unit’s leadership agreed to try it for three months. It appeared to be a success because the three months came and went until this Spring when upper management discovered the change and ordered it stopped.
UPE questioned the Court at the meeting about why they are reducing from one to two. Such a reduction might make sense if there was a negative impact on Court Operations. In a rare moment of honesty, the Court plainly stated there were not any problems. The only justification the Court offered was that there might be a problem at some point. This justification is ridiculous. At this point, the Court has eight months of evidence, including the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, that nothing bad has happened. The only conclusion UPE can draw from this is that the Court simply wants to exert its control over its workers and make their lives a little less enjoyable for no other reason than they can. The Cruelty is the Point. At this point, the Court has reduced vacation in four different units. UPE knows access to vacation is an important issue for its members. UPE continues to fight these changes and has taken the matter into Contract Negotiations.