The California State Employees Association (CSEA), was founded in 1932 in Sacramento, California. Its early achievements include creation of the first retirement system for California state workers (now called the California Public Employees' Retirement System), creation of a credit union for state employees, winning collective bargaining rights for state and university employees, winning voter approval of the merit system for state civil service, and a 40-hour workweek. When California adopted collective bargaining for state employees in 1979, CSEA began a long period of reorganization wherein its members were divided into four distinct classes depending on their employment or retirement status with the State of California. Ultimately, each of the four classes of employees formally incorporated their respective organizations within the corporate structure of CSEA. Each of these four affiliates have assumed authority for their respective member representation programs. Today, CSEA is a federation of four affiliated organizations which represent active and retired state and California State University system employees. CSEA offers legislative, IT, accounting, printing and member benefits services, and assists in the coordination of affiliate activities.
CSEA's four affiliates are:
SEIU Local 1000 - (Local 1000) - Represents about 95,000 rank and file civil service state employees in California.
Association of California State Supervisors - (ACSS) - Represents about 7,000 state civil service managers, supervisors and confidential employees who are excluded from collective bargaining.
California State University Employees Union - (CSUEU/SEIU 2579) - Represents about 15,000 rank and file employees of the California State University system.
California State Employees Association Retirees - (CSEA Retirees) - Represents about 30,000 retired state employees including rank and file employees regardless of bargaining unit as well as managerial and other non-represented state employees who retired from active service with the state of California.