Cory

Petitioner California State Employees’ Association (CSEA), a nonprofit corporation organized to represent employees of the State of California, in action number 20487, invokes the original jurisdiction of this court seeking extraordinary relief in the nature of mandamus pursuant to article VI, section 10, California Constitution and rule 56, Rules of Court. We heretofore issued an alternative writ.

CWA Psych Tech Union, Local 11555 v. Cory action number 20433, was filed as an original proceeding in the Supreme Court of California and by order of that court transferred to this court with directions to issue an alternative writ of mandate. Petitioner is another state employee organization whose members are psychiatric technicians employed at California State Hospitals throughout California. We have likewise issued an alternative writ in this case.

The issues in each case are identical. We therefore, on our own motion, order the two cases consolidated on this appeal.

The issues presented are: 1) whether state employees are entitled to prejudgment interest on lump-sum salary payments allowed by Senate Bill No. 91, 1979 Regular Session (Senate Bill No. 91), and 2) whether a…