eNewsletter - January 9, 2009
San Francisco Budget Update: City Requests Wage Deferral
Save-the-Date! Local 21 Hosts State Budget Briefing, January 23
Upcoming Trainings for East Bay members
San Leandro Members Vote for Contract Extension
Save-the-Date! Western Workers Labor Heritage Festival,
January 16-18
Union Benefit: Union Plus Scholarships for Students, $500-$4,000
Save-The-Date! Delegate Assembly, January 31
San Francisco Budget Update: City Requests Wage Deferral
The City recently requested that Local 21 members defer a 3.5% wage increase until the end of FY09-10. The request is being made of all unions who have raises scheduled between December 2008 and April 2009 (A list of unions and their scheduled wage increases is on our SF Budget webpage).
Local 21 told the City there was not enough time between the date of the request and December 27, the date of the scheduled increase, to consider a deferral. To buy more time, the City requested the union consider a "lock box," which would safeguard the increase until our membership has adequate time to make a decision. While this approach would allow more time to fairly consider a deferral, many Local 21 leaders believe any postponement of the wage increase, even into a "lock box," requires extensive member input and a membership vote. However, union leaders agree that we should maintain an ongoing dialogue with the City.
The negotiated salary increase is being implemented as scheduled. While it may seem selfish to the public that we insist on receiving the 3.5% increase, there is a growing list of reasons why this is the right position for Local 21 to take for the remainder of the current fiscal year and until a lengthier dialogue can take place.
The 3.5% raise came late in 2008 though when we were in negotiations several years ago we wanted it to occur sooner. To help the City, we consented to a later raise. A second deferral is unappealing and, as many members have pointed out, it may be the last raise we receive for some time. As part of the Labor Council coalition we are working collaboratively with other city unions on the budget. What the other unions decide to do will be an important consideration for us.
Local 21 attended a briefing on the City's budget, but we still need a deeper understanding of the projected deficit and the City's overall plan. The union is awaiting a letter from the Mayor, which will be sent to all City employees, explaining the budget situation and the case for the deferral request. We would also like to be part of the City's team approaching Congressional representatives about a bailout package for the Bay Area.
The City needs to take a hard look at the millions of dollars contracted out to private companies every week. Earlier this week, we asked the Civil Service Commission to postpone the approval of over $300 million in Personal Services Contracts (PSCs) that were on the January 5 agenda. Many of the contracts are for services from the same departments suffering significant layoffs.
Everyone knows these are unprecedented times and many people are hurting. We don't intend to be insensitive to the conditions around us or stubbornly refuse to consider reasonable requests to help that are made in a timely fashion. In the days and weeks ahead, Local 21 will be gathering more information on the City's budget and host a series of chapter and other meetings to gather broader member input. We will also continue our discussions with the City and other unions. If we act collectively and intelligently, our union has the capacity to make wise, realistic, and caring decisions as we move forward together into what is certain to be a very challenging year. Please visit our website for more updates as they become available.
Save-the-Date! Local 21 Hosts State Budget Briefing, January 23
Are you concerned about the state budget crisis and what it means for local government funding, public hospitals and social services, infrastructure, public transit, and public safety? Please join us for a union-hosted state budget briefing with Jean Ross, California Budget Project (CBP) Executive Director.
CBP is California's preeminent fiscal and policy think tank, and works to improve public policies affecting the economic and social well-being of low and middle-income Californians. Ms. Ross will be speaking to us about California's budget and the impact it will have on Local 21 members' jobs, workplaces, and communities.
Friday, January 23, 2009 at 2pm IFPTE Local 21, 1182 Market St. #425, San Francisco (near SF Civic Center BART station) Space is limited; Please RSVP to 415/864.2100 or union21@ifpte21.org. Refreshments will be served.
Jean M. Ross is the founding Executive Director of CBP. Her prior professional experience includes serving as Principal Consultant to the Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee; Senior Consultant to the Assembly Human Services Committee, where she staffed the California Legislature's Joint Select Committee on the Changing Family; and Assistant Research Director of SEIU in Washington D.C., where she was responsible for coordinating the union's research on tax, budget, and employment policy issues. For more information on Ms. Ross, visit the CBP website.
Upcoming Trainings for East Bay members
2009 will be a busy year at the bargaining table for many Local 21 chapters! The union is hosting two January trainings for all interested East Bay members on representation in the workplace and at the bargaining table. Please RSVP to ensure enough materials and food will be available.
Thursday, January 22: Collective Bargaining Training, 5:15pm - 8:30pm
Local 21's Collective Bargaining Training is designed to provide first-time bargaining team members with in-depth training on what to do and expect at the bargaining table, as well as offer valuable tips to veteran negotiators. The workshop aims to impart members with practical strategies for winning a fair contract, and focuses on bargaining timelines and processes, leveraging power throughout negotiations, fighting take-aways and bargaining in tough economic times, delivering and analyzing proposals, the psychology of bargaining, and strategies for effective communication.
The training will be held at Alameda County Public Works at 399 Elmhurst Street in Hayward. Meet us in the Annex Building, 2nd Floor Training Room. Please RSVP to Bob Britton by Monday, January 12 to reserve your spot.
Thursday, January 29: Steward Training, 5:15pm - 8:30pm
Please join us for a practical workshop aimed at developing hands-on skills for East Bay stewards and other union leaders to assist in successfully representing members and solving problems at the workplace. The training will focus on roles and responsibilities of stewards, grievance handling and problem solving, organizing your worksite to resolve problems, discipline (rights and representation), and working with challenging people.
The training will be held at the Alameda County Labor Council Headquarters at 100 Hegenberger Road, Suite 150, Oakland (in the rear of the United Labor Bank Building). Please RSVP to Bob Britton by Monday, January 19.
San Leandro Members Vote for Contract Extension
Last month the San Leandro City Employees Association (SLCEA) voted to ratify a contract extension that preserves the terms and conditions of their current MOU and protects members from take-aways. SLCEA's contract, which originally expired at the end of 2008, is now extended through December 31, 2009. Given the City's current budget difficulties, the extension does not include a wage increase, but provides for two additional floating holidays in 2009.
Save-the-Date! Western Workers Labor Heritage Festival,
January 16-18
Local 21 is a proud sponsor of the upcoming Western Workers Labor Heritage Festival, which honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s contribution to the civil rights and labor movements. Please join us for a weekend of solidarity in an era of hard times, hope, and change!
The festival will feature speakers, workshops, films, and musical and theatrical performances, including an appearance by the Bay Area Labor Chorus and Women's Voices. Some of the trainings offered will focus on immigration, political satire, YouTube production, and political writing.
Visit the Festival's website for a detailed schedule and information on how to register. We have three (3) free tickets to the Festival's Sunday night benefit concert with Ava de Leon. The tickets will to the first member who emails a request to Sarah Clark.
Union Benefit: Union Plus Scholarships for Students, $500-$4,000
Local 21 members are eligible for a variety of benefits under Union Privilege and Union Plus, a program developed by the AFL-CIO to provide quality products, discounts, and services to union members and their families. Union Plus offers a range of benefits from legal services and insurance discounts to savings on health, travel, and recreation.
Since 1992, the Union Plus Scholarship Program has awarded more than $2.5 million to students of working families who want to begin or continue their post-secondary education. Last year, 108 students received scholarships, including two children of Local 21 members in the San Leandro City Employees Association and San Francisco IT Professionals chapters.
The Union Plus scholarship program is preparing to accept scholarship applications for 2009. Children, step children, spouses, and dependents of Local 21 members are eligible to apply. The scholarship program is open to students attending or planning to attend a college or university, a community college, or a technical college or trade school. Applicants for scholarships are evaluated according to academic ability, social awareness, financial need, and appreciation of labor. Visit the Union Plus website for more information and application details. All applications must be postmarked by January 31, 2009.
Save-The-Date! Delegate Assembly, January 31
The next Delegate Assembly will be on January 31 at the Hotel Whitcomb in San Francisco. The program will focus on strategies for "Prioritizing Public Services," and set the stage for upcoming contract and budget campaigns across our local. We will also give recognition to the nearly 100 Local 21 members who volunteered in the November 2008, election, and swear in the new local union officers. Registration and breakfast begin at 8:30 am, and the Assembly starts at 9 am. All delegates and any members interested in attending should R.S.V.P. to Mandy Bratt. More information about the Assembly agenda will be shared as it becomes available
L21 Express is the weekly email publication of IFPTE Local 21. Local 21 represents more than 7,000 Bay Area professional public employees. Main Office Phone: 415.864.2100 South Bay Phone: 408.291.2200
