Update on CFS Mandatory Rotations
Dear OCEA members,
As many of you know, OCEA has been actively meeting with CFS and SSA leadership to address the ongoing concerns around mandatory rotations. These meetings have been part of a formal meet-and-confer process—the legal avenue available to your union when management makes changes that affect working conditions.
It’s important to understand the structure we’re working within. Under California labor law, certain decisions—including the implementation of rotations—fall under what’s called management rights. That means the employer has the legal authority to make the final call on whether rotations happen. However, the impacts of those decisions—how they’re carried out, how employees are affected, what protections or mitigations are put in place—are negotiable. That’s where OCEA comes in.
So while we may not have the power to stop a rotation outright, we do have the right to demand that the County listen to how these decisions are impacting you—and to fight for changes that reduce harm, create fairness, and respect your service.
When it became clear that these rotations were harming our members, causing disruption, stress, and deep frustration, we demanded that the agency halt the process and take a serious look at what was going wrong. We called for a solution that was not only more worker-friendly, but one that treated employees with the dignity and respect they deserve.
After months of meetings with executive management, and after bringing your concerns directly to the Board of Supervisors, the agency has announced that the June rotation will be skipped. Instead, they plan to revisit the process in the fall. They have also announced that some changes will be made to the program.
While this pause is a welcome step, it is not enough. Among the announced changes is a new grandfathering exemption, but only for employees with 28 or more years of total CFS service.
Let us be clear: OCEA advocated for a 15+ year exemption because we believe in honoring long-serving workers and protecting the broader workforce from constant disruption. Grandfathering in workers with 15 or more years doesn’t just recognize their service—it creates more stability across the board. Without it, the rotation policy will continue to destabilize teams, unsettle workloads, and cause anxiety as more and more employees hit the rotation mark.
This issue affects everyone, even those early in their CFS careers. Today’s newer employees are tomorrow’s veterans. A policy that forces sudden, disruptive moves with no relief in sight isn’t sustainable for anyone. If we don’t fight for fair protections now, we’re normalizing a cycle of instability that will hit all of us, sooner or later.
CFS will host a Townhall tomorrow, June 10, 2025, to discuss the changes with employees. We strongly encourage all members to attend, listen carefully, and then reach out to us afterward. We want all feedback—good, bad, questions, concerns—so we can bring your voices to the table in our ongoing meetings with the agency. Our ability to vigorously and effectively represent you and your co-workers depends on hearing from you.
Across California, workers are stepping up and demanding better. From teachers to nurses to public sector employees, the labor movement is alive and it’s gaining strength. Just last month, thousands of LA County workers went on a two-day unpaid strike after their County offered 0% wage increases.
We are fortunate to have an OCEA-negotiated 4% raise in Orange County this July, but that doesn’t mean the work is done. Respect, fairness, and transparency aren’t guaranteed—they’re won. This is one of those opportunities. Now is the time for solidarity and involvement.
The worker movement is here. Let’s make sure OC’s social workers are a part of it.
In Solidarity,
OCEA
Publication Date: June 9, 2025