April 2025 – California Staff Organization

CTA Revised Meal Guidance

April 27, 2025 Angela Su

On Monday, April 21, CTA issued Updated Meal Guidance. In response to our April 8 correspondence to CTA and the filing of an Unfair Labor Practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board, the revised guidance removes the alleged unilateral changes to Article 15.4. The Updated Meal Guidance is now appropriately limited to Article 15.3 and the Brand Arbitration Award. For this reason, CSO has withdrawn the ULP. Should you continue to have questions regarding meal expense reimbursements under our CBA and the Brand Arbitration Award, please refer them to the CSO Grievance Committee.

The CSO Grievance Committee is in the process of formulating more specific CSO guidance around meal expense reimbursement in the aftermath of the Brand arbitration decision and CTA guidance that has been issued. As mentioned at the Annual Meeting, before potentially issuing any further guidance the committee is asking CSO members to fill out this survey by May 2 so that the committee can analyze the data prior to the CTA All Staff meeting at the end of May. If you have any logistical questions about the survey please contact Karen Taylor at taylormvms@gmail.com.

CTA CSO Business Expenses Guidance-meals update 4-16-25_

Take Action to Protect Federal Labor Agencies

April 25, 2025 Angela Su Leave a comment

During the CSO Annual Meeting, President Saathoff asked that all staff participate in NSO’s action to protect federal labor agencies. Similar to other federal agencies under attack by Trump/Musk/DOGE, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) are facing serious threats to their funding and ability to fulfill their mission required by federal law. These agencies are vital to our work. The NLRB protects our right to organize, ensures fair union elections, and is responsible for processing and hearing unfair labor practices. The FMCS helps us resolve contract disputes through mediation and avoid strikes or impasses. According to a recent article in the LA TIMES, 130 federal mediators were fired on March 26 and moving forward,
DOGE has said the agency will limit its services to labor disputes that involve more than 1,000 employees. A recent Bloomberg article has listed the number of federal mediators down to just four. Please call on your legislators in Congress to fully fund the NLRB and FMCS by taking action here.

CSO Bargaining Update April 2025

April 25, 2025 Angela Su

On Tuesday, April 22, CSO notified CTA of our intent to begin 2026 Successor Negotiations at the end of this calendar year. The letter, which can be read here, includes proposed bargaining dates for November and December 2025. We are currently awaiting CTA’s response. The CSO Bargaining and Organizing Committees are currently reviewing the data shared during the Annual Meeting table discussions and working together to continue scheduling small group meeting outreach through the spring. Opportunities to participate in small group meetings in your area will be communicated with you by your regional colleagues serving on these committees.