When a school or community college district hires short-term employees, if those employees work more than 195 days or 75% of the school year, they are entitled to benefits, including 11 days of sick leave, retaliation protection, and seniority and rehire rights.

But Mitch Steiger, CFT’s legislative representative, says that section of the education code is being openly violated. Steiger says this is happening to people who have worked more than two, or even three, decades.

“We heard from one person who worked in a bookstore for 37 years as a short-term temporary worker, so that person for 37 years worked alongside everyone else in the bookstore, getting none of the benefits that everyone else there was getting,” he said. “What the employers typically do is fire you at the end of the year, bring you back at the beginning of the next year, and then save a bunch of money by not giving you any of the benefits you’re supposed to get.”

This is why Assembly Bill 2142 was introduced earlier this year, to amend the education code and establish that a short-term employee is part of the regular classified service after 195 days. This would mean that the classified workers get their benefits, as well as more job security and union representation.

Steiger says employers have signaled strong opposition. “They are going nuts. We had a meeting with them where they really lost their minds,” he said. “They just openly, explicitly said, we should be able to keep people on indefinitely as short-term temporary workers. I was pretty stunned they just said it out loud, but they did.”

CFT has joined with the California School Employees Association to work on passing the bill. So far, it has gone through one policy committee, and through the Public Employment and Retirement Committee and was scheduled to go to the Assembly Higher Education Committee in late April.

Steiger says the employers are not concerned with accuracy in their objections to the bill.

“God only knows what they’re going to say,” he said. “Personally, I kind of welcome the fight. If they want to try to make the case that someone who’s been there for 37 years is a temp, feel free.”

The issue has brought renewed attention to the role of classified professionals—the employees whose work, often behind the scenes, helps schools and colleges function day in and day out. The fight is ultimately about ensuring that years of service are recognized with the rights, protections, and dignity that workers have earned.

The bill is one step toward making sure no employee who has dedicated their career to serving students is treated as temporary indefinitely.