Civil Service JSA Non-Professional Supervisors organizing with CWA
This page is built to support handouts and follow-up conversations, so workers can read the basics quickly, learn more at their own pace, and get back to us with questions.
Quick overview
- Unit: 131 - Civil Service JSA - Non-Professional Supervisors
- Current focus: Build support for CWA representation
- Separate from: Unit 120 and Unit 130
- Dues proposal: 2 hours of your hourly rate plus $0.50 per month
- Dues collection: Secure self-pay, not employer payroll deduction
- Long-term plan: Secure Unit 131 first, then evaluate Unit 130 later
Start here if you are short on time
These are the main points someone should be able to skim in a minute or two from a handout.
1. What this is about
Unit 131 is looking at whether CWA should become the bargaining representative for Civil Service JSA Non-Professional Supervisors. The goal is to rebuild real representation with the ability to negotiate and enforce a contract.
2. What does not change
You stay a City employee. Your title, employer, and day-to-day duties do not change just because the unit organizes.
3. What you gain
A separate supervisors contract, enforceable workplace protections, a grievance process, and representation backed by both the Local and national CWA resources.
4. Why this would be separate
Unit 131 would not be folded into Unit 120. It would be a separate supervisors unit with its own contract focused on the needs of this group.
5. Conflict of interest protection
If any union officer has a conflict in a case, that person should step out and another representative should be assigned. Workers should be able to trust the process.
6. Dues
For this proposed unit, dues are 2 hours of your hourly rate plus $0.50 per month. Under current public sector rules, dues are paid through secure self-pay, not employer payroll deduction.
Why workers may want to learn more
This is not about changing who employs you. It is about whether Unit 131 should have its own structure, its own bargaining voice, and its own written contract again. CWA brings local experience, national support, and a framework that can assign different representatives when conflicts arise.
If someone is in a rush, they can read the sections above first, then come back later to the FAQ and title list below for more detail.
What this means for Unit 131
- A separate supervisors bargaining unit with its own contract.
- A written agreement covering wages, hours, and working conditions.
- Representation and enforceable processes for disputes.
- A local union with national resources behind it.
- Next step: learn the basics, ask questions, and help build support for recognition and bargaining.
Dues at a glance
- Dues formula: 2 hours of your hourly rate plus $0.50 per month.
- The $0.50 is tied to the Members' Relief Fund requirement for public sector units.
- Dues are collected by secure self-pay, not employer payroll deduction.
- Payment can be set from a bank account or debit or credit card on pay days.
Why representation structure matters
- If a union officer has a conflict, that person should not handle the case.
- A different representative should be assigned when needed.
- Representation should be something workers can trust, especially in discipline cases.
- A stronger structure helps avoid the problems workers have complained about in the past.
Learn more: common questions about Unit 131 and CWA
It means your unit organizes with CWA, CWA becomes the certified bargaining representative once recognized, and a written contract is negotiated and enforced over wages, hours, and working conditions.
Yes. Joining a union does not change the fact that you remain a City employee. Your job duties do not change just because the unit organizes.
You gain enforceable protections and a formal process for disputes. A contract becomes the rulebook for the unit.
No. Public sector leverage comes from bargaining, public pressure, legal compliance, and contract enforcement, not work stoppages.
For this supervisors unit proposal, dues are 2 hours of your hourly rate plus $0.50 per month.
It is tied to the Members' Relief Fund requirement used for public sector units that cannot strike.
Since the enactment of SB 256 in 2023, public sector unions now collect dues through self-pay instead of payroll deduction from the employer. CWA uses a secure payment processor that deducts dues from a bank account or debit or credit card on the same days you are paid by the City.
No. Unit 131 is a separate supervisors bargaining unit and would have its own contract. Unit 120 remains separate.
Unit 130 is the professional supervisors unit and would require a separate contract. The plan is to secure an active first supervisors contract for Unit 131, then expand later.
A conflicted officer should not handle the case. If any union officer is in the disciplinary chain, part of the decision-making process, or otherwise conflicted, a different representative should be assigned immediately.
Do I fall in Unit 131?
Unit 131 covers Civil Service JSA Non-Professional Supervisors. If your title is one of the classifications being targeted for this unit, this campaign may apply to you. If you are not sure, reach out and we can confirm whether your title falls within the group.
Examples of included areas
Clerk of the Courts, Fire and Rescue, Neighborhoods, Office of Administrative Services, Office of the Sheriff, Parks and Recreation, Public Library, Public Works, Tax Collector, and more.
Examples of titles
Court Operations Supervisor, Fire/Rescue Communications Supervisor, Code Compliance Supervisor, Fleet Superintendent, JSO Communications Center Supervisor, Park Maintenance Supervisor, Assistant Library Supervisor, Revenue Collector Supervisor, and many others.
Need to check your title?
If you are unsure whether your position is part of Unit 131, contact us. It is better to verify than assume.
Unit 130 comes later
Unit 130 is the professional supervisors unit and would require a separate contract. The plan is not to split focus. Secure an active first supervisors contract for Unit 131, then build from a proven first contract.
Questions?
If you are interested, have questions, or want to talk through what this would mean for your title, reach back out to us. The goal is to give Unit 131 enough information to make an informed decision.