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Raises for Coleman Related Mental Health Care Classes

Read President Nancy Swindell's letter on Coleman Raises

I am pleased to announce AFSCME 2620 has reached a tentative agreement with the State regarding the implementation of the Coleman Court order of June 28, 2007. The agreement will be sent out to the affected members for ratification by vote.

On July 27, 2007 Pam Manwiller and Nancy Swindell met with the State to receive their proposal for the implementation of the June 28, 2007 Coleman Court order. The initial proposal from the State included:

  • Salary to Clinical Social Workers, Rehabilitation Therapists, Psychologists and Senior Psychologists, in DMH, DDS, and DVA, to a rate of 95% that which is being paid to the same classifications in CDCR.
  • A multi-year phase in of persability based on the % of increase between the new Coleman Salary placement rate and the old maximum salary rate for the class, not to exceed three years.


The union counter-proposed:

  • Inclusion of the Consulting Psychologists, the Behavior Specialists I and II, the Occupational Therapists, the Senior Occupational Therapists and the Social Work Associates.
  • The 3.4% COLA to be calculated after the court ordered salaries have been applied.
  • The base salary plus all R & R’s to be used when calculating the % of the increase from the old salary ( base + R & R) and the new Coleman placement salary.
  • Full persability of all salary increases.

Pam Manwiller and Nancy Swindell met with the State again today, July 30, 2007. At today’s meeting the union also proposed a salary increase to State Chaplains as members of the mental health treatment team.

The state responded as follows:

  • "The State Chaplains are considered Spiritual Leaders and not mental health clinicians. The Coleman Court orders of December 15, 2006 and June 28, 2007 do not refer to Chaplains. The current administration does not recognize Chaplains as mental health providers. The State advises the union to discuss the inclusion of Chaplains as a part of the mental health treatment team with CDCR management."
  • The Social Work Associate will not be included in the Coleman Salary increases, as there is not a like class for comparison.

We are pleased to announce the union won a number of victories to be included in the package deal.

  • We were successful in negotiating the higher rate of the base salary plus the R & R’s to be used to calculate the percentage of increase for phased in persability.
  • We were successful in negotiating the inclusion of Consulting Psychologists, Occupational Therapists, Senior Occupational Therapists, and Behavior Specialists I and II to receive salary increases.
  • We were successful in establishing that the 3.4% COLA will be paid on the new higher salaries.
  • We were successful in establishing the effective date for the new salaries to be July, 1, 2007.
  • We were successful in ensuring that all of those included in this salary increase shall have a new anniversary date of July 1st, and will therefore receive an MSA every July until they reach the maximum of the class.

The package negotiated includes the phase in of persability not to exceed three years. In many of these classifications, all salaries will be fully persable in one or two years.

We believe this is a significant victory for our members. By rolling the R & R’s into the base salary we have forever removed the states discretion to abolish any R & R in these classifications. We also now have a much higher salary base on which to negotiate future general salary increases.

The new salaries in most cases are to be 95% of the minimum Coleman salary plus 5%. They are as follows:

Rehabilitation Therapist (art, dance, music, recreation, occupational)
$ 5230 to $ 5865
Salary Placement: $5230 + 5% =$5492


Occupational Therapist
$5230 to $5865
Salary Placement: $ 5230 + 5% = $5492


Senior Occupational Therapist
$5753 to $6452
Salary Placement: 5753 + 5% = $ 6041


Clinical Social Worker (unlicensed)
$5112 to $6214
Salary Placement: $5112 + 5% = $5368


Clinical Social Worker (licensed)
$5500 to $6662
Salary Placement: $5500 + 5% = $ 5775


Psychologist (unlicensed)
$6554 to $6786
Salary Placement: 6554 + 5% = $6786


Psychologist (licensed)
$7737 to $8225
Salary Placement: $6554 + 5% = $8124


Senior Psychologist
$7751 to $8636
Salary Placement: $7751 + 5% = $8139


Consulting Psychologist
$7737 to $8225
Salary Placement: $ 7737 + 5% = $8124


Behavior Specialist I
$4637 to $5636
Salary Placement: $4637 + 5% = $4869


Behavior Specialist II
$4869 to $5918
Salary Placement: $4869 + 5% = $5112