Free Republic

The California Senate soon will show whether it is a wholly owned subsidiary of the prison guards' union, the California Correctional Peace Officers Association (CCPOA). The union, which is in the midst of contentious negotiations over a new contract with the state, opposes confirmation of the state's chief labor negotiator, Dave Gilb. The Senate Rules Committee must vote on Gilb's nomination this week or next to meet a July 1 deadline. The union is displeased that the state asked for negotiations to be submitted to mediation. Where Gilb believes mediation is the "best path to get to an agreement," a...

SACRAMENTO (AP) - State senators assailed a revised state prison guard contract as fatally flawed and said it would set a precedent preventing lawmakers from refusing to fund the pact in the future. Sen. Dede Alpert, D-San Diego, chairwoman of the special committee overseeing the contract, said Monday she couldn't support a fatally flawed deal that would steal power from lawmakers. She said lawmakers had already made terrible mistakes tying guard raises to pay hikes at the California Highway Patrol. "The Legislature bears much of the responsibility and has to accept that responsibility," she said in concluding the meeting. "But...