CALPELRA Conference 2025 – Session Preview
Sloan Sakai is pleased to provide a preview for our eight sessions at this week’s CALPELRA conference. Below are the details regarding times, locations, topics, and presenters. We also invite you to visit us at Booth #51 to connect with our team and discover how our comprehensive services can support your agency.
PERB Annual Update
- Tim Yeung, Partner, SSYW
- Janet Cory Sommer, CEO, CALPELRA
Date & Time: Wednesday, 10:15 am – 11:45 am
Location: Serra 1, Monterey Conference Center
Description:
A long-time conference highlight, this session provides a comprehensive update of the year’s most important PERB cases, court decisions, and key new laws affecting public sector labor relations. The session puts the year’s cases and legislation in context and provides practical advice to help you negotiate successfully in the coming year while avoiding unfair labor practices.
Are Management Rights Dead? Navigating Meet and Confer Obligations
- Dania Torres Wong, Partner, SSYW
- Ajita Patel, Personnel Director, County of Santa Cruz
- Ian Appleyard, Consultant, Management Strategies Group, SSYW
Date & Time: Wednesday, 10:15 am – 11:45 pm
Location: Steinbeck 2, Monterey Conference Center
Description:
Finishing contract negotiations doesn’t mean your work is done. Mid-contract operational changes—such as shifts in funding, restructuring, new technology, policy updates, or changes to facilities or workload—often require careful evaluation to determine if meet-and-confer obligations apply. This session walks you through real-world scenarios to help you learn when bargaining is required and when management can act within its prerogative. You’ll learn tips for working with agency departments to ensure obligations are met, and practical solutions for navigating gray areas.
Fostering Trust: Strategies For Effective Labor Negotiations
- Burke Dunphy, Partner, SSYW
- Allyson Hauck, Partner, SSYW
- Claire Laughlin, Claire Laughlin Consulting
- Lisa Murphy, Assistant City Manager, City of Salinas
Date & Time: Wednesday, 1:15 pm – 2:15 pm
Location: Serra 1, Monterey Conference Center
Description:
Negotiations can be emotionally charged and stressful. This interactive session explores the critical role of trust in building and sustaining better relations during the negotiation process. Learn actionable strategies for building and maintaining trust, enhancing communication, and encouraging long-term employee engagement.
Retired Annuitant or Consultant? Navigating the Process and Choosing the Best Option
- Dania Torres Wong, Partner, SSYW
- Carol Atwood, Carol Atwood Consulting
Date & Time: Wednesday, 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Location: Sierra 2, Monterey Conference Center
Description:
This session covers the latest rules and regulations around hiring or working as a retirement annuitant and/or consultant in the government sector. Learn about the 180-day wait period, exceptions, CalPERS and non-CalPERS limitations, and the differences between retired annuitant and consulting work—including rates, benefits, taxes, and liabilities.
Striking Differences: How PERB, Employers, and Unions Manage Strikes (and Each Other)
- Jeff Sloan, Of Counsel, SSYW
- Madeline Miller, Senior Counsel, SSYW
- Felix De La Torre, General Counsel, PERB
- Kerianne Steele, Partner, Weinberg, Roger & Rosenfeld
Date & Time: Thursday, 10:15 am – 11:45 am
Location: Steinbeck 1, Monterey Conference Center
Description:
Public employee strikes are occurring with increasing frequency. This session brings together union and management counsel and PERB’s General Counsel to discuss how to prepare for, manage, and survive a strike, with recent case developments and strategic insights from all sides.
Attendance Matters: Effective Management of Absenteeism
- Lindsey Bishop, Human Resources Manager, City of Mountain View
- Allyson Hauck, Partner, SSYW
- Genevieve Ng, Partner, SSYW
- Amethyst Uchida, General Manager, Santa Cruz Regional 9-1-1
Date & Time: Thursday, 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Location: Steinbeck 3, Monterey Conference Center
Description:
Absenteeism poses a significant challenge for public agencies. This session covers practical strategies for encouraging attendance and managing absenteeism, including compliance with California’s comprehensive leave protections and creating supportive policies for supervisors.
The Skelly Pre-Disciplinary Process: A Union-Management Dialogue on Legal Compliance and Practical Implementation
- Dania Torres Wong, Partner, SSYW
- Ivan Delventhal, Partner, SSYW
- David Sanford, Chief of Labor Relations, Contra Costa County
Date & Time: Thursday, 9:00 am – 10:30 am
Location: Steinbeck 1, Monterey Conference Center
Description:
This session offers clear insight into the procedural steps required before imposing serious disciplinary action. Learn how to avoid implicit bias in the Skelly process and the importance of a diverse pool of Skelly officers. The session features a live scenario and a lively point-counterpoint exchange.
Practical Techniques For Costing Labor Proposals
- Charles Sakai, Partner, SSYW
- Adam Benson, Group Manager, Finance, The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
- Ian Appleyard, Consultant, Management Strategies Group, SSYW
Date & Time: Friday, 9:00 am – 10:30 am
Location: San Carlos C 1/2, Monterey Conference Center
Description:
Learn practical techniques for costing proposals effectively, including both annualized and ongoing cost impacts. The session covers technical fundamentals of revenues, employee total costs, and long-term financial obligations in the public sector, as well as navigating the political aspects of labor negotiations.