PSYCHIATRIC CARE: Davis Administration Forges Agreement with Union

      The Davis administration reached a tentative agreement Wednesday with the California Association of Psychiatric Technicians union under which the state agreed to a 5.5% raise effective April 1. In addition, the administration agreed to "pick up increases in health care premiums retroactively to Jan. 1," the Sacramento Bee reports. The terms were "identical" to those accepted by six other unions earlier in the week. "It shows that if people bargain in good faith, good things will happen. ... Clearly, they were entitled to a raise, and I think it is an appropriate raise," said Davis, who added, "We'll have to see if there's any money left in the bank beyond that, starting in the budget year." The Bee reports that the psychiatric technicians, which primarily work in state hospitals, developmental centers and prisons, had not received a cost-of-living in the past four years of Gov. Pete Wilson's tenure. Terms of the temporary agreement will expire in June, but negotiators in the meantime will work on a long-term contract (Green, 3/4).