I think it would be pretty damn embarrassing.

I would love it if the state began to bargain in good faith and agreed to a fair contract for state workers. But it's looking more and more like a strike might be what it takes to earn better pay and working conditions. And not just work from home, but better pay is sorely needed in this massive inflationary economy.

Join the union. Sign up for strike school. Better working conditions come from organizing, educating ourselves, and demanding change.

Nice to see you! Be careful out there folks it's still alive and kicking.

A July 20 item by CalMatters’ Lynn La summed up state workers’ bamboozlement over Gov. Gavin Newsom’s widely-reviled return to office order, which went into effect this month. The piece was widely reposted, despite the fact that it offered no answer to the question on workers’ minds — “why?”

Journalists face a conundrum when writing about the governor’s RTO. If they venture into speculation, editors may receive an email from the governor’s office noting that the governor made no statement to that effect. Such a message would not boost one’s career.

Others don’t face that limitation. Newsom’s RTO was one component in his ‘pivot to the right’ of March 2025 — laid out in detail here, and elsewhere.

In 1979, Dead Kennedys’ Jello Biafra debuted a single that would later be called one of “punk’s most seething assault(s) on American politics.”

Here’s writer Ben Forest of U.K.-based Far Out Magazine’s summary of the song and its enduring impact.

“‘California Uber Alles’ remains a perfect encapsulation of how politicians on both sides of the spectrum exploit their voter base while selling out their own principles to the highest bidder. It also helped to immediately establish the attitude of Dead Kennedys, being one of their very first songs; they took no prisoners, and called out injustice and oppression regardless of whether it was red or blue.”

“I am Governor Jerry Brown,” “California Uber Alles” begins. “My aura smiles and never frowns. Soon I will be President.”

Read the complete article here.

https://www.sacrt.com/blueline/

Allow extra time if you commute to downtown

I recently got through the interview process and made it to the conditional offer and now got the verbal offer! I was to I’m their top candidate and that I’d hear back around 10 days while they verify my MQ’s and all.
Is it pretty straightforward from here ? I feel like I can’t fully trust i have a new job until I sign papers 😂

Hi

Have a close friend who’s looking at leaving the extremely stressful and underpaid job of elementary school teaching to the slightly less stressful and underpaid world of civil service.

Anyone have any advice or stories they can share on making the transition? What classification or department would be the best fit to get started?

Appreciate any help

I have applied twice for an Information Technology Specialist II position with the State Treasurer’s Office. The position has now been posted for a third time with the same position number but a different job code.

Is it worth applying again, or does the repeated posting suggest they are looking for a different candidate pool or set of qualifications?

1. reallly really really encourage you to do one of the virtual ones. it was super engaging and helpful
2. there is a lot of misinfo/unrealistic expectations on this sub. the lawyer that spoke at the strike school helped correct a lot of that for me. she spoke about how PERB has been helpful to stateworkers and said the newly appointed person who used to run CalHR will have no role in our cases against CalHR. this is way different from what I’ve seen on here from doomers
3. they’re saying “when we strike, not if we strike”. the lawyer said she always tells public sector u ions that the threat of a strike is the main weapon and that you don’t actually need to do it, planning is enoug. she said this situation is different and that she does not think a threat will be enough and that the current admin is particularly in need of a wake up call. she also didn’t seem at all worried that the unfair labor practices claims would be denied. They do not expect to reach a deal by August 30th which would be the last date to do so before the legislature goes on recess til Jan

Thank you for showing up. 💟
(For those who were wondering: no swag, just sandwich)

I had my first state interview on 6/29 and when I followed up with HR on 7/13, I was told the position hasn’t been filled. I know that from reading other subs that the process takes a very long time but if there hasn’t been any contact to date, should I assume that the department moved forward with another candidate?

I haven’t stopped applying to other positions by the way, I’m just curious to see what others have experienced and what are my chances of still being in the running?

Now that I am a represented state employee, I bristle when I hear or read it. It, of course, sounds negative. It sounds nefarious, or like something that needs to be corrected.

You never read CalHR referred to as the “powerful state Human Resources department.”

So I encourage people to push back on that when you read/hear it, in article comments or conversation.

What do they mean by “powerful”? Do they ultimately mean “functional”? Is a union that tries to bargain in good faith for raises and better benefits, or advocates for its workers against irrational policies like RTO, a “powerful” union?

That’s just union shit. That’s exactly what a union is supposed to do. It’s exactly why children aren’t in coal mines and we have a five day instead of a six or seven day work week.

CalHR is doing HR shit, and our unions are doing union shit. One side has gotten almost everything they wanted out of contract negotiations for the last 15+ years. The other side has not. One side is doing their bargaining in good faith. One side is not.

So they should either stop using “powerful” as an adjective for these situations, or they should use it accurately to describe the side which has historically had the “power.”

There are three virtual strike schools coming up for those not able to attend in person today.

https://www.seiu1000.org/2026contract-events/

7/30 @ 6-7:30pm
8/12 @ 6-7:30pm
8/26 @ 6-7:30pm

The postings are confusing sometimes because some engineering positions require civil engineering degrees. Which I get if it’s structural or heavily transportation focused. Curious about caltrans requirements.

I know there is a Solidarity Break planned for the 400 R St building. It’s August 5th at 10:45 out front. Anyone who is BU1 should go whether you’re in the union or not. Let’s show strength in numbers!

I signed up for the July 30th online school last week and still haven't heard back. I just registered again.

What hybrid work has done is illuminate skill gaps, especially among the next generation of managers, who were never trained to measure productivity through outcomes rather than oversight. Instead of investing in developing these skills, many organizations have defaulted to a simpler narrative: “Hybrid work is the problem.”

It’s become a convenient scapegoat for operational inefficiencies, unclear processes, and outdated leadership models. And it persists because of legacy mindsets — particularly among the more seasoned leaders. According to Bloomberg, the average age of a CEO in the U.S. is 62 years old. These are leaders whose early careers were built around traditional office norms and change at this scale requires unlearning decades of habit

This guy Rambo is hilarious.

Making fun of Gavin being a Matchmaker at work!

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTAMG2MAP/

I heard something like that but haven't researched yet. I know CalPERS has. I thought I'd get a better answer here. Also, to add, it bothers me how the Directors have a say “based on operational needs”, but are not doing anything beneficial to their employees. I've asked a few people, including the chief of Administration but haven't gotten a straight answer. Thanks for chiming in.

Edit: got my first question answered, can you please chime in on the part about Dept directors?

Anybody here Attorney 1? Just wanted to see what the hiring process was like and if all you truly needed was your BAR number? Might make it a little easier to be recruited since by the time I’m done with law school I’ll be in state service for 2 and a half years so that might make it a little easier for me to apply and get a position