STILL TIME TO SIGN UP FOR THIS FUN EVENT
UPEC Annual Scholarship Golf Tournament
Friday, June 14th, 2013, 12 Noon check in
Gold Hills Golf Club, Redding, Ca.
4-person scramble
$100.00 per person: includes Green Fees, Range Balls, and Light Lunch, golf Cart and Dinner, Prizes immediately after tournament.
Make Checks payable to: UPEC Local 792 or by Paypal on the UPEC website at http://www.upec792.org
SACRAMENTO - For the second time in five years, the union representing thousands of University of California hospital workers is poised to strike.
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299 said this morning that 97 percent of its members have voted to authorize a walkout. The union’s announcement didn’t detail how many members voted.
The local represents some 13,000 custodians, gardeners, cooks, patient care assistants, vocational nurses and radiology technicians at the five hospitals in the university system, including the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento. Those employees have been without a contract since October.
AFSCME has complained that the university routinely understaffs hospitals and wants to cut employee compensation while it spends more on pay and benefits for administrators. The university has brushed aside those barbs as union posturing during deadlocked contract negotiations.
During talks for its last contract in 2008, the union mounted a five-day strike despite a restraining order by a judge who found that the labor action would endanger public safety.
Read more here: http://blogs.sacbee.com/the_state_worker/2013/05/university-of-california-employees-vote-to-authorize-strike.html#storylink=cpy
Union Plus Discounts
With the weather change, comes an opportunity to travel and have family getaways.
Recently I was planning a family trip to Six Flags. The tickets for adults at the park were $59.99 each and $39.99 for kids on the Six Flags website.
I decided to check out our member benefits at Union Plus. They do offer discounts to Six Flags for the $39.99 price. They did have a processing fee of $ 4.95 and did not require a 3-day advance purchase. I also booked a hotel room and car rental at a good price. Remember to check with Unionplus.org for travel discounts as well as other benefits.
Have a happy and safe summer!
Washington D.C. - A Statement By LiUNA General President Terence O’Sullivan. As we reflect during this year’s Public Service Recognition Week, from May 5-11, 2013, on the outstanding service of the men and women who serve this nation as federal, healthcare, education, state, county, and local government employees, it is with great pride that the Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA) represents over 70,000 public employees. LIUNA public employees provide critical health care services, keep our parks clean, pick up our trash, maintain our roads, process our mail, and respond to emergencies both foreign and domestic. They work in all kinds of harsh environments, and often put their lives at risk to serve others.
LIUNA was chartered in 1903 as a Construction Union, but in the 1920s chartered the first Public Sector local in Minneapolis, Minnesota, realizing the importance of representing our brothers and sisters in the public sector. In the 1960s, LIUNA chartered our first federal employee Local Union and now represents tens of thousands of workers at the Defense Department, Indian Health Service, Federal Aviation Administration, National Park Service, and other agencies. LIUNA understands the importance of fighting for the rights of our members to have fair wages and good working conditions through the collective bargaining process at all levels of government. Through the daily battles of attacks on collective bargaining, pensions and retirement security, and sequestration, LIUNA has come together in solidarity to let the country know that we are here to fight the good fight for our members.
LIUNA is proud to support a resolution sponsored by U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) that unanimously passed the Senate on April 16. The resolution expresses the sense of the Senate that public servants should be commended for their dedication and continued service to the United States during Public Service Recognition Week.
LIUNA will continue to educate and support our members not only during this week of recognition but for the lifetime of our great Union. We at LIUNA want to say thank you to all public service employees who serve our communities each and every day.
Washington, D.C. (April 11, 2013) - Terry O’Sullivan, General President of LIUNA - the Laborers’ International Union of North America - made the following statement on the departure of John Berry as Director of the Office of Personnel Management:
“John Berry has been a strong supporter of federal workers over his entire career. From his time as a congressional staffer handling federal employee issues to his becoming Director of the Office of Personnel Management in the Obama Administration, Director Berry has been a tireless advocate for the dedicated public servants who work for the federal government.
“During his tenure at OPM, Director Berry has promoted the hiring of veterans in the federal government, worked on reforms to speed up the hiring process and to implement training and work/life programs for federal employees. He has overseen the creation of new labor-management partnerships in the federal government and has constantly stood up for the hard-working federal employees who keep our skies safe, parks clean, protect us from threats both foreign and domestic and provide essential services for veterans and Native Americans.
“On behalf of the 500,000 men and women that LIUNA represents throughout North America and especially our 25,000 federal employees, I thank John Berry for his service to our nation and wish him the best in his future endeavors.”
WASHINGTON DC - Office of Personnel Management Director John Berry’s term expires in less than two weeks, and he is expected to announce his departure from OPM soon, Government Executive has learned. His exit would come just as federal employees at a number of agencies start to feel the effects of sequestration, including furloughs. Federal law states the OPM director serves a four-year term. Berry assumed office April 13, 2009. OPM did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Berry is eligible to be re-nominated to the position, but recent media reports have suggested he is likely to become the U.S. ambassador to Australia. Max Stier, president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service, a federal employee advocacy group, said Berry’s likely departure would be emblematic of a systemic problem with leadership turnover in government. “It’s great that he’s actually spent four years at the job,,” Stier said. “But another four would be even better.” Stier highlighted OPM’s renewed commitment to the annual federal viewpoint survey—the survey included a record number of participants in 2012—and its new Pathways Programs to bring students and recent graduates into government as critical pieces of Berry’s legacy. Stier added Berry would be leaving at a time of “incredible stress” on the federal workforce and his successor must be able to lead, both as the chief talent person across government and as the head of an agency. “I hope [the replacement] is someone who can do that job, who can really engage the very top leadership across the government, from Cabinet secretaries to the White House.” Stier said.
The deputy director position at OPM is currently vacant, meaning one of five associate directors stands in line to serve as interim director. Chief Operating Officer Chuck Grimes could also be a candidate to temporarily replace Berry, or President Obama could choose to tap someone outside the agency.
By Eric Katz
April 2, 2013