eNewsletter - September 12, 2008
Contra Costa Water District Chapter Prepared for Bargaining
Local 21 members at the Contra Costa Water District (CCWD) Chapter have been busy preparing for contract negotiations over the past several months, and officially began bargaining on September 10. The district's three year agreement expires on November 16, 2008. Last month, Local 21 Research Analyst Anjali Asrani conducted a training on preparing salary equity proposals. Additionally, Chapter Officers, President Doug Anderson, Executive Vice President Diane Tomkins, and Administrative Vice President Donna Grimes prepared, distributed, and tabulated a survey to gauge member priorities at the bargaining table. The survey received record high responses, and indicated a primary concern of keeping up with the current high rate of inflation.
Special Districts do not face budget cuts to the same degree as some other Local 21 jurisdictions, since they are not as affected by the economic pressures of state budget cuts or declining property values. However, this year is viewed by some meteorologists as the start of a drought cycle that could last seven years and drastically affect water district revenues. Nonetheless, CCWD members are determined to see salaries and inflation addressed fairly in the next collective bargaining agreement. The union's negotiating team includes Doug Anderson, Diane Tomkins, Shawn Kelly, and Local 21 Senior Representative Bob Britton.
Action Item: Call Gov. Schwarzenegger in support of Single Payer Health Care!
Health care reform has long been a priority for union members and retirees. In recent years, skyrocketing health care costs and threats from employers to cut active and retiree medical benefits have shed even more light on the need for a single payer health care plan that affords health care to all while safeguarding employers' costs and increasing efficiency.
After months of debate on the Senate and Assembly floors, SB 840 (sponsored by California Senator Sheila Kuehl) has reached Governor Schwarzenegger's desk. Please contact Gov. Schwarzenegger and let him know you support SB 840 and believe that all Californians deserve quality health care that is affordable for employers, patients, and the State of California. Call 916/455-2841 or email the Governor and tell him to sign SB 840 into law!
SB 840 has been sponsored by unions and labor councils across the state, including the San Francisco Labor Council, Alameda Labor Council, South Bay Labor Council, and the California Labor Federation. The legislation closely mirrors HR 676, a national single payer health care bill which the Local 21 Executive Committee and the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) endorsed in May 2008.
Save-The-Date! Delegate Assembly is September 20
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, and will feature guest speaker Sharon Cornu, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Alameda County Labor Council. Discussions and presentations at the Assembly will highlight key races in San Francisco and the East and South Bays, as well as at the State level. We will also 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 8:30am and the Assembly starts at 9:00am. All delegates and any members interested in attending should R.S.V.P. to Mandy Bratt (mbratt@ifpte21.org).
Local 21 Takes Political Action
With less than two months until Election Day, Local 21 members are gearing up to ensure their voices are heard!
In addition to planning phone banks and precinct walks, Local 21 members in various chapters have circulated questionnaires to City Council and County Board of Supervisor candidates. Questionnaire responses enable members to better evaluate which candidates to support and recommend for formal endorsement in their run for public office, as well as make informed and strategic decisions about how Local 21 participates in local politics.
Do Politics Matter?
Your career and future as a public sector employee lie with you as a Local 21 member, and in the hands of the elected officials that govern our employing agencies. Politics play a central role in shaping our lives and livelihood, as these officials not only approve our contract, salary increases, and benefits, but also oversee our agency's budgets, deciding what services are provided, and whether to keep public jobs or outsource our work.
Why Now?
This November, we have a lot at stake at the local, state, and national levels. It's critical that Local 21 members have a voice in electing leaders who value public employees and the services we work hard to provide. The actions we take today will shape our struggles and successes in the years to come.
City and County of San Francisco
Local 21 members across San Francisco have organized Political Action Committee (PAC) meetings to evaluate San Francisco candidates and propositions, phone banking nights to call union-households in support of the candidates and propositions Local 21 endorses, and an afternoon of precinct walking the Saturday before the election.
The first of two PAC meetings took place on Monday, September 8 to evaluate candidates running for the Board of Supervisors. A second PAC meeting focusing on local ballot measure is scheduled for 4:30pm on Monday, September 15 at Local 21.
Phone banks will take place from 5:30-8:30pm on Thursday, September 25, Thursday, October 9, and Wednesday, October 22. For more information on how to get involved, visit the Latest News section of our website.
City of Oakland
Last June, several Oakland City Council seats were up for election. One of the most contested races was a five-way contest for the at-large seat, which is the Council's only citywide position. Because none of the candidates received a majority vote, a run-off election will take place on Tuesday, November 4 between AC Transit Board member Rebecca Kaplan and School Board member Kerry Hamill.
Local 21 invited both candidates to attend a Forum at noon on Friday, September 12 in City Hall Hearing Room 3. Local 21 members will have the opportunity to interview both Kaplan and Hamill, and cast their vote to determine which candidate to recommend for endorsement. Completed candidate questionnaires can be found on the Oakland Chapters webpage as they are received.
Additionally, Local 21 will be adopting the phone banks at the Alameda County Labor Council on Thursday, September 25 and Thursday, October 23, as well as coordinating precinct walks in various districts across Oakland on Saturday, September 27 and Saturday, November 1. For more information on how to get involved, contact Local 21 Supervisors and Managers Chapter Membership Director Tom Manley (tmanley@oaklandnet.com) or visit the Oakland Chapters webpage.
City of Richmond
Local 21 members in the City of Richmond have circulated questionnaires to ten City Council candidates running for election, and have invited all ten candidates to participate in a Local 21 Candidate's Forum at 5pm on Wednesday, September 17 at the Harbor Master's building across the street from Richmond City Hall. The questionnaire, which inquires about the candidate's record and perspective on labor relations, public leadership, and political experience, will help Local 21 members conduct candidate interviews, and eventually determine which City Council candidates to recommend for endorsement.
Local 21's Political Endorsement Process was adopted at the June 7, 2008 Delegate Assembly. Visit our Political Action webpage to learn more about the policy and how our union makes informed, member-driven decisions when making official endorsements.
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
