THE ORGANIZER

Three very happy Dispatchers Theresa Schles, Maureen Moreau, and Ellen Vicondoa

ALso negotiated was an additional 2.75% increase once a Dispatcher becomes P.O.S.T. certified.

Maureen Moreau, a UPEC Steward who was on the negotiating committee, reported that, while being a Steward is normally a thankless job, she and the other two negotiating committee members, Theresa Schles and Ellen Vicondoa, all received "thank you" cards from her co-workers.

Riverside Staff Supervisor Carol Maccra, who conducted negotiations for the Union, asked that she not be given any credit in this article as it will only generate more phone calls from other County employees waiting for their special adjustments. Please folks, give Carol a break! She's doing the best she can - which is pretty good, come to think of it!

For years, General Services security personnel had been coded security responsibilities by the LAPD around City Hall, and the employees actually had a more impressive arrest record than their counterparts at the airport and Harbor. While they had been granted Peace Officer status during the Olympics when they were held in Los Angeles, they were unsuccessful in obtaining full sworn status until now with the creation of a police division within General Services.

From left to right, Sgt. Dial, Lt. Wolford, Sgt. Mendoza and Sgt. Payan.

Special thanks goes to Sgt. Rick Dominguez and Sgt. Victor Dial, who really carried the ball on this. We can't win every fight but if we don't fight, we'll never win.

Christina McIntyre, a Senior Legal Document Classifier in the Recorder's Office, successfully proved that her department wrongfully denied her a temporary promotion. At the Second Step, McIntyre brought out the documentation to back up her claims.

"That's what really makes these victories possible," said Jefferson. "Our members need to know to get as much as possible on paper - and save it! Nothing is more convincing than real proof in black and white."

Jefferson also helped Tammy Van den Hof, a Family Support Office in the District Attorney's office, win her grievance - at Step One. Van den Hof also had the documentation she needed to prove her case. After working out of class for a couple of years - waiting for a promised promotion - she finally said "Enough!" Faced with the proof, her department agreed to pay her for her years of service above-and-beyond the call of duty.

Family Support Officer Tammy Van den Hof

If you are asked to work at a higher classification, try to get your supervisor to list your added responsibilities in writing. The boss won't write it out? Send him or her a memo outlining your understanding of your new tasks. Ask your supervisor to initial it and return it to you. Keep a log of how much time you spend working out of classification or, if you're filling in for someone on leave, keep track of when you start. Make sure you note the days and times of conversations when management makes promises: who said what, where, when and who witnessed it.

Bill Underwood, a Riverside County Building Inspector, challenged an eighty-hour suspension. His UPEC representatives, Stephen Switzer and Kirsty Burkhart, were able to convince the state mediator that the County's discipline was inappropriate.

"Bill was treated unfairly. His department was trying to hold him to a different standard and a different set of rules," said Switzer. "County management has an obligation to notify employees of changes in work rules or in their enforcement."

The state mediator, Dolores Lobina, found that the County had by-passed these basic employee protections. The County did not give Mr. Underwood adequate notice of their expectations.

She reduced the proposed eighty-hour suspension to a written reprimand.

UPEC hears from a number of union members who've been harassed or subjected to disparate treatment by a "toxic" supervisor. Unfortunately, it's often too late by the time the member contacts his or her union rep. Too many members think accepting written warnings are "no big deal," and they have false hopes that acceptance will mean the supervisor will go easier on them in the future. This rarely occurs.

Supervisors are trained to build performance issue "paper trails." These start with written warnings and reprimands. They gradually (sometimes quickly) build to suspensions, poor performance reviews and even termination. Don't slide down this slippery slope.

We can't help you if we don't know what's happening at your work site. If you believe your supervisor is singling you out or has written you up unfairly, call us immediately. We have many options: setting up a conference to discuss the matter(s); filing a grievance for harassment; writing a rebuttal to the written warning; and/or advising you on how to protect yourself against further problems. There's no time to waste!