eNewsletter - August 15, 2008
Port of Oakland cuts 15% of staff positions
Over a decade ago, "Vision 2000" was the Port of Oakland's overly optimistic view of the future. Despite its optimism, the Port's plan to modernize and expand its facilities never came to fruition, and the bill has come due at a time of reduced revenues, credit crunch, and economic recession. Guess who is paying the bill?
Senior management at the Port has refused to evaluate the mistakes of "Vision 2000" as they push forward with their new "realignment" and "Public-Private Partnerships." First on their agenda is a plan to eliminate staff by approximately 15% in order to pay down debt brought on by these past mistakes.
While asking for the cooperation of employees who will remain, senior management cares little about employees going out the door. With security guards on hand, the Port plans to notify approximately 60 employees on Friday that they no longer have a job and show them the door the same day. Such fear of one's own employees is unknown in the public sector.
On August 6, after four hours of bargaining over the impact of layoffs, the Port continued to refuse to notify Local 21 of which positions are being laid off. It was the Local 21 negotiating team who had to provide Port negotiators with a list of 16 members slated for layoff. At the second bargaining session on August 11, the Port confirmed the accuracy of Local 21's list, except in one instance where an employee will be transferred. Three of the eight members of Local 21's negotiating team were on the layoff list.
With only hours left before employees are escorted out the door, and bargaining over the impact of the layoffs far from complete, Local 21 is consulting with its attorneys on ways to challenge the Port for failure to complete bargaining before any layoffs are implemented, as well as for targeting union leadership.
Barack and John did it. You can run for office too!
The mark of a great public sector union is one that produces results for its members while simultaneously improving public services. As more of the public agencies we work for take regressive steps to mitigate budget cuts and other challenges, the responsibility often falls on Local 21 members to make a difference through their own hard work and the organized efforts of their union.
Union officers in particular have the ability to make a significant impact on our public agencies and the way they, along with the rest of us, are perceived by the press and public. With the nation's attention focused on the upcoming Presidential election and the impact a new leader will have on our personal lives, employment, and the economy, Local 21 members will have more than one important election to focus on - eleven union offices.
Don't miss the opportunity run for union office and play a vital role in shaping the successes and effectiveness of our union!
The election of union officers may lack the fanfare of Presidential parades down Pennsylvania Avenue. None the less, union officers have a unique opportunity to improve the future of public service for all Local 21 members and the communities we serve. Facing the many challenges before us, your colleagues and union need the very best to lead Local 21 - Could that be you?
Local 21 members can become official candidates for union office one of two ways: After the union's election committee convenes in September, all Local 21 members may petition the committee to become a formal candidate; members may also be nominated by the nominating committee without submitting a petition. Union officers are elected for a two year term, and are formally elected by the entire membership (ballots will be mailed in mid-November).
Stay tuned for more details, including the official notice of the election and more!
Save-The-Date! Delegate Assembly is September 20th
The next Delegate Assembly will be on September 20 at the Marriot Hotel in downtown Oakland. The agenda will focus on strengthening Local 21's political action and effectiveness across the Bay Area. Discussions and presentations at the Assembly will highlight key races in San Francisco and the East and South Bays, as well as offer training and opportunities for all participants to become more involved in local and national political efforts as we approach the November 2008 elections and beyond.
Registration and continental breakfast begins at 8:30 a.m. and the Assembly starts at 9:00 a.m. All delegates and any members interested in attending should R.S.V.P. to Mandy Bratt at mbratt@ifpte21.org.
Upcoming Labor Day Events
In 1882, Peter J. McGuire, Founder and General Secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners, addressed attendees at a Central Labor Union meeting in New York City and proposed that "a day [be] set aside as a festive day [for] a parade through the streets of the city." That year on September 5, over 30,000 workers representing various trades marched in a parade down Fifth Avenue with banners reading "Labor will be United" and "Eight hours for work - Eight hours for rest - Eight hours for what we will".
Just two years later, workers held similar parades in various cities across the country, and the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions called for the formal recognition of the first Monday in September of each year "be set apart as a laborers' national holiday." The first nation-wide observance of Labor Day took place the next year, and by 1894, was formally adopted by Congress as a national legal holiday.
Today, Labor Day continues to be a day when workers and their families balance a day of rest with a day of contemplating the political, economic, and civil issues that shape their work and lives. This year, most public sector employees will enjoy September 1 as a day of tranquility, but also as a day to celebrate and commemorate the historical and ongoing struggles of workers across professions. Below is a list of free Labor Day events open to all Local 21 members and their families:
NBLC Pancake Breakfast
The North Bay Labor Council will hold its 'Annual Labor Day Pancake Breakfast' on Monday, September 1st. Breakfast will take place from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., and will be followed by a campaign kick-off for the upcoming local and national election season. The event will be held at the Carpenters' Labor Center at 1700 Corby Avenue in Santa Rosa.
ILWU 10 Labor Day Festival
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 10 will be hosting its first Labor Day Festival on September 1 at 400 North Point Street in San Francisco from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will include music, food, art exhibits and documentary films on the struggles and contributions of labor throughout history, and activities for children including face painting, clowns, and magic shows.
Remembering the Struggle: Understanding the Watsonville Cannery Strike through Art
An art exhibit illustrating the Watsonville cannery strike and its impact on the community will be on display through September 21 at the Pajaro Valley Arts Council and Gallery at 37 Sudden Street in Watsonville. The exhibit is part of a series of free events aimed at facilitating an understanding of the struggles of over 1,000 strikers and the hardships they faced in the mid-1980s. More information can be found on the Remembering the Struggle website.
L21 Express is the bi-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
