2008 Legislative Recap

Despite an all-out effort from CALSAGA staff, our lobbying team and members to secure meal break reform for our industry, once again, politics prevailed over sensible fixes to the law.  As many of you know, our industry was part of a legislative deal [Senate Bill 529] that would have provided legal clarity to the contract security industry regarding on-duty meal periods. 

Several factors contributed to the demise of SB 529, including the recent Brinker court decision which was viewed by Labor as a victory for employers, making labor less willing to give employers another “win.”  Additionally, several large employer advocacy groups in Sacramento were opposed to the bill, claiming that a more global fix was needed.  Finally, while we had the support from SEIU, opposition from others entities in the Labor coalition helped derail the bill. 

While we didn’t get the result we wanted, the good news is that our work this year will pay off in the long run.  CALSAGA held numerous meetings with legislators, related industries and the Governor’s Administration on the meal break issue.  In fact, in a press conference on August 20, the Governor specifically called for reform for the security industry as an urgent need. 

CALSAGA members were effective in participating in a grassroots effort by having members write letters to legislators and to the Governor urging them to support SB 529.  This effort alone proves that our Association can assemble and take action when needed.  CALSAGA will continue our efforts for reform in 2009 and with your continued support, we know we will eventually get there. 

In other legislative efforts, CALSAGA explored legislation that would have allowed BSIS to establish a reciprocity agreement with another state[s] so that licensed security officers from those states would be allowed to work temporarily in California in the event of a state of emergency declaration by the Governor.  We also looked at legislation that would have established BSIS regulatory authority over employers of proprietary security.  However, as often happens when the state is in the midst of a budget crisis, new ideas, even good ones, are delayed as the Legislature focuses on fiscal matters.  We will be bringing these items back in 2009. 

CALSAGA is also awaiting a final recommendation from BSIS on the proposed training curriculum for proprietary security officers that the BSIS Advisory Committee on SB 666 developed this summer.  We believe at the very least, it will be a 16 hour training curriculum.  Additionally, we are hopeful that the curriculum will also include the 4 hour weapons of mass destruction course to push it to 20 hours.

2008 was another successful year for our Association, as we further established ourselves in Sacramento among key elected officials and industries.