THE ORGANIZER
An
Official Publication of
The United Public Employees of California
LIUNA Local 777
Fall 2000
"Keep the Movement Moving!
" - Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Terence M. O'Sullivan
LIUNA General President
Terence M. O’Sullivan
Coming To Riverside Building Dedication!
As we go to press we have just been informed that LIUNA General President Terence M. O’ Sullivan will be coming to Riverside to attend our Building Dedication and Holiday Celebration to mark the opening of the Union’s first member-owned office! This will take place on Friday, December 15, from 4:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. and all Local 777 members are invited!
It’s not just that he is coming all the way from Washington, D. C., nor is it that he is the President of our great union that makes his visit such a thrill and an honor. It is because of who he is.
Terry is the youngest union President in the United States, having recently turned forty-five years of age. He is also the brightest and hardest working of the Presidents, which means the astronomical growth and dynamism of LIUNA will only continue.
He leads one of the largest and most diverse unions in the AFL-CIO. LIUNA represents more than 800,000 members who work not only as public employees at the state and local level, but as federal postal workers (Mailhandlers), in construction, hazardous waste remediation, health care, maintenance, food service, and education.
Before becoming General President of the Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA) on January 1, 2000, Terry previously served as LIUNA Vice President, Mid-Atlantic Regional Manager, and Assistant to the General President. He is also married, and he and his wife Jeanmarie have two children, Brendan, a thirteen year-old, and Caitlin, who is eight.
We will also be saying good-bye to Max Warren, by far the individual who deserves the most credit for providing the support that has allowed Local 777 to grow into the successful organization it has. Max is retiring (see the “Lowe-Down” column on the back page for more on this great man) after sixty-three years of LIUNA membership at the end of the year, stepping down from his position as LIUNA Vice-President, Regional Manager, and Organizing Director.
Please mark your calendar to attend this celebration that has also been planned to coincide with the Holiday Season. What better way to conclude this, the first year of the Millennium!
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Meet Sandy Brown!
It’s time you learn a little about your elected Officers, and so what better place to start than with our own Local 777 President, Sandy Brown!
Sandy is a Riverside County employee, working as an Investigative Technician in the District Attorney’s Office in Indio. “I am one of those rare employees who truly loves her job,” Sandy reports. While she does everything from serving subpoenas to assisting investigators and attorneys in trial preparation, what Sandy enjoys the most is helping to recover missing children in child custody cases.
She started as a Clerk Typist in the DA’s Office 13 years ago, then as a Legal Stenographer, finally working her way up to Investigative Technician. She also enjoys the travel that is required to enforce child custody and visitation cases—including having to travel a couple years ago to Guatemala to bring back a child who had been missing for 2 years!
Sandy got involved in the Union at very beginning of the organizing campaign, which began in January of 1997 in Riverside County. “It was then that I realized we, the employees, would have to get involved to make things happen at work,” she explained.
“When I saw the difference a strong union could make I was thrilled. There was finally good representation and with the parity studies and annual raises UPEC negotiated, I earn substantially more than I was making three years ago!” she reports.
She became so inspired that she continued to remain involved and ran for Local 777 President and was elected, without opposition!
Sandy’s final message: “I just want the members out there to know that making a commitment to your union does not mean having to work twenty hours a week doing it. I have three teenagers at home, and I am very involved in their school activities and can still be involved in my union and you can too!”
Riverside County
Sheriff's Gold Star Awarded To Two UPEC Members!
The highest award given to staff by the Sheriff’s Department is the Sheriff’s Gold Star. UPEC members Patrick Bushey and Steve Roth were both presented this award by Captain Stanley Sniff for their outstanding work at Ben Clark Training Center (known as BCTC).
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How good was their work? Well, the remodeling they did at Dispatch enabled the department to receive a two million dollar grant from the State of California!
Who says public employees don’t take pride in their work! Congratulations Patrick and Steve!
One Month's Pay Reduction Rescinded!
Members from the Blythe DPSS office are doing their part to raise funds for Cancer Research. On October 13-14, the American Cancer Society held a Relay for Life in Blythe. The DPSS Tootsie Pop Chicks took their turns walking and running the track for an hour at a time each. UPEC would like to wish them the best and congratulate them on fighting for a worthy cause.
Blythe Members Help Fight Cancer!
Members from the Blythe DPSS office are doing their part to raise funds for Cancer Research. On October 13-14, the American Cancer Society held a Relay for Life in Blythe. The DPSS Tootsie Pop Chicks took their turns walking and running the track for an hour at a time each. UPEC would like to wish them the best and congratulate them on fighting for a worthy cause.
UPEC Offers Free Notary And Copy Service
The UPEC Riverside Office now offers free notary public services as well as providing up to twenty-five free copies—by appointment only.
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Please call Teresa Moreno at (909) 682-4590 for further information or to schedule an appointment.
Demotion Rescinded in DPSS!
Mike also left behind a wife, Colleen, aAngela Flores was demoted last February from an Eligibility Technician III to an ET II, and decided to fight back. She contacted her UPEC Representative Dee DeJong, who recommended she file a grievance.
Angela has worked for the County for eight years, working for the last four as an ET III in the Department of Public Social Services.
The grievance was taken all the way to arbitration (which Dee also ably handled!) and Angela won her case and was reinstated on August 24th to the Eligibility Tech III position.
After receiving the written decision from the arbitrator, Angela reflected, “I am sorry it had to go this far. I am very happy with the work the union did for me and I am glad the union helped me clear my name.”nd a nine-year old daughter, Michelle.
Los Angeles and Orange Counties
Newport Beach Joins!
Newport Beach city employees overcame “AFL-CIO” scare tactics and voted overwhelmingly to join Local 777 after witnessing first-hand what professional representation really means.
The eighty Professional and Technical employees had been represented through a service agreement by the Orange County Employees Association, while Local 777 has been representing the White Collar employees for five years.
The professional/technical employees decided they wanted stronger representation while also noting the enhanced benefits their co-workers were receiving through their participation in the LIUNA National Pension Plan, and notified the Orange County Employees’ Association of their decision.
“We look forward to the new group coming into the fold as it will unify labor relations with the City as well as help coordinate more effective bargaining,” reports Local 777 Representative Paul Bechely, who conducted the campaign. Paul concluded that, “We hope that the Newport Beach League will follow suit and affiliate as well.”
Free Mousepad For Visiting Our Website!
Visit our website and give us your e-mail address and we will send you a free Local 777 Mousepad! We are offering this because it will help us better communicate with you. You must apply online in order to receive your mousepad at our website at: http://www.liuna777.org.
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Save April 15 for Laker Day!
We asked early and got lucky! We were able to purchase a block of tickets for the Lakers vs. Trailblazers! The game will be on Sunday, April 15, 2001 at 2:30 p.m. and these tickets will sell out very fast!
The tickets are at the Staples Center, in the nosebleed section upstairs, and the price is $21.00 each, and we were lucky to get anything!
Due to limited seating no more than two tickets per member will be sold and we must receive your check within seven days of receiving your telephone reservation. Make your check out to “LIUNA Local 777.”
5-Day Suspension Rescinded!
Fred Calhoun, Senior Detention Officer for the Los Angeles Police Department, called his Union Representative Steve Belhumeur to inform his that he had unfairly received a 5-day suspension. A grievance was filed and management was made to understand that the accusations were false and had not been proven.
As a result of the information provided in the grievance meeting the Department agreed to completely rescinded the discipline.
How
To Avoid Discipline At Work
When Using Your Computer At Work
As your computer at work is the property of your employer, you are not allowed to use it for personal use, including sending e-mails or using the Internet, unless your employer has provided a written Policy allowing you to do so. Here are a few tips to think about:
• Remember that any information that is on your employer network can be monitored by your employer. If you’re not sure if your employer monitors, ask.
• Know that deleting emails does not protect you. If an employer wants to track down an email, there are ways to do so even if you’ve relegated it to the e-trash.
• Use discretion in your emails; if you wouldn’t yell it over the office loudspeaker, don’t write it in an email at work.
• The only fail-safe: Total abstinence. If you are worried about workplace monitoring, don’t use the workplace network in a way that might cause you problems.
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The "Lowe-Down"
by Fred Lowe, Business Manager
With the announced retirement of Max Warren at the end of this year our labor movement will lose one its very few true visionaries.
The Pope once wrote that when he was a coal miner in Silesia he would have become a union organizer but instead chose the one higher calling.
Working for unions is a calling. You work long hours for little recognition because you believe that working people have within them the potential to learn that by sticking together they have the power to change their circumstances.
As a member and leader of LIUNA for sixty-three years, Max has helped make a lot of history. I can tell you that without his support and leadership there would be no Local 777.
The way you can tell if someone continues to love what they have been doing for a long time is to see if they still have that spark of youthful enthusiasm. For Max that spark has always been present when you mention anything having to do with Organizing.
He has been an inspiration to me as well as many other LIUNA staff throughout the United States and Canada. I have had to correct myself when I have said that he has also been like a father-figure, because parents aren’t supposed to give their kids whatever they ask for and Max has just about done that for the membership of Local 777, providing the necessary resources to help us grow and prosper. Words will never do justice to how much he has contributed to this great union, and how much he will be missed…
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MEMBERSHIP
MEETING DATE: TUESDAY, NOVEMBER
28, 2000 FOOD AND DRINK PROVIDED! |
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MembersMart Has Arrived! Do you have something you need to sell? Your union might be able to help! That’s because MembersMart has arrived! What is it? It is a FREE opportunity for you to sell whatever you want online through our Web Site. Just log on to www.liuna777.org and click on the MembersMart Button. You will then be able to e-mail us the info on what you want to sell and we’ll post it! It’s that simple!! |
TAKE ME WITH YOU ON NOVEMBER 7!
No On Proposition 35!
If Proposition 35 passes protections against privatization that City and County employees now have will be eliminated. How? If you work for Riverside County which is a General Law County the state law prevents privatizing work that County employees can do. Proposition 35, if it passes, will allow bidding by private contractors on Engineering and Landscape Services (a very vague term that could allow for a lot of maintenance work to go to private contractors).
If you work for a City and have language in your MOU protecting against privatization, think again, as you would also no longer be protected.
If Proposition 35 passes there will be another initiative by contractors like the engineering companies that are behind this to push for further privatization of public services.
Privatization in California is a real threat as it means big profits to major corporations, who stand to gain millions in taxpayer dollars. It also means inferior public services and potential loss of thousands of jobs for public employees.
When the San Diego County Board of Supervisors passed charter language similar to Prop. 35, it wreaked havoc with the public sector workers there. All told, more than 1,000 San Diego county employees lost their jobs as a result of the charter change. One of the biggest blows came to information technology professionals, who saw their work privatized to the tune of a $625 million outside vendor contract.
Please let your co-workers and friends and family know that when it comes to protecting public employee jobs this is the most critical issue facing public employees on the ballot at the state level.
Please vote NO ON PROPOSITION 35 and call your union office to volunteer a couple of hours.
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Governor Signs Major Reform Bill For Public Employees!
Governor Davis has signed Senate Bill 739, the most significant piece of reform legislation the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act (MMB) has seen since it was first passed in 1968.
The MMB is the collective bargaining law for City, County, and Special District employees in California. Sponsored by State Senator Hilda Solis, and, on the Assembly side by Assembly Member Scott Wildman, SB 739 provides for many positive changes.
First, MMB-covered employees have been the only ones excluded from filing Unfair Labor Practice charges with the Public Employment Relations Board. All other public employees in California covered by the other three public sector laws—covering State employees, Higher Education (CSU and UC) employees, and K-12 School employees (both certificated and classified) have always enjoyed this right.
What does this mean? It means that when an employer is guilty of an unfair labor practice, for example, discriminating against you for being active in your union, or changing your working conditions or a benefit without first Meeting and Conferring (negotiating) the union will now be allowed to file a charge with the Public Employment Relations Board and have a hearing - at no charge - in about three weeks.
For all these years our only recourse was to go to court which is time consuming and costly, and face a judge who many times came from a background deficient in either labor law or having worked for a living....
This law includes another important change, as it no longer allows employers to keep unions weak by refusing to negotiate Agency Shop agreements. With the Governor’s signature if a majority of employees vote for Agency Shop it will automatically become an MOU provision and will no longer have to be negotiated! Chalk one up for the working people!
Other Important Bills Signed By The Governor
The same rights granted in SB 739 as well as many others became law when the Governor signed SB 2140 by Senator John Burton for Trial Court employees. This bill contains all of the rights necessary to ensure that the separate status for Court employees will not result in placing their future in jeopardy.
Governor Davis has also signed AB 1852 which was sponsored by Assembly Member John Longville from the Rialto area of the Inland Empire.
The legislation began as a result of a court decision that the Cathedral City police officers lost after the City imposed a three year MOU on them after giving their last, best, and final offer.
Before that, unions in the public sector believed that a public agency could never impose a final offer of more than 12 months in duration.
Assembly Member Longville was approached by labor to fix this injustice by the courts and agreed to sponsor the legislation, which was signed by Governor Davis and is now law incorporated into Government Code Section 3505.4.
In our next issue we will highlight several other Bills signed by the Governor that will improve the rights and working conditions of public employees in particular, and working families in general.
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Don't
Mess With Texas!
'Cuz It's Ranked... |
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•
50th in spending for teachers’ salaries |
AND | •
5th in percentage of population living in poverty • 1st in air and water pollution • 1st in percentage of poor working parents without insurance • 1st in percentage of children without health insurance • 1st in executions (average of one every two weeks during his five years as Governor) |
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With
a record like that just think what he
could do for the Country if elected President! |
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Don’t
Get Bush-Whacked!
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Los Angeles
Yes On Proposition F
If you live in the City of Los Angeles please remember to vote for Proposition F. Also called the Public Safety Ballot Measure, this proposed Bond Issue will generate $532.6M, including $378.5M for Fire Stations and $154.1M for the Department of Animal Services.
The money would be used to modernize existing Animal Services and Fire Department structures as well as build new ones and this renovation is long overdue.
If the Bond Issue passes, the owner of an average home assessed at $185,900 would pay $2.80 per month for the 25 year life of the bond.