Fundraiser set for January 25

Thursday, January 10, 2008

REDDING - A Special Fundraiser will be held in Redding on Friday, January 25th for nine year old Michael Woods, Jr.  Michael, the son of Redding Police Officer Michael Woods, has relapsed with cancer and is in need of a bone marrow transplant. The fundraiser will consist of a bake sale at the Redding Police Department and Redding City Hall starting at 8:00am followed by a tri-tip lunch at Redding City Hall from 11:00am - 1:00pm. The cost for the lunch is $7.00. There is a need for bakers and any help would be appreciated. UPEC members can contact the union office at 530-245-1890 for flyers and additional information.

Presidential Candidate Poll

Wednesday, January 09, 2008

LIUNA HQ - LIUNA will commission a second, independent, random-sample survey of members on which candidate they are supporting to be the next U.S. president. Polling is scheduled for next week. An initial poll was conducted in September 2007 with results showing a strong majority of members favored a Democrat in the White House and preferences among candidates generally mirroring the U.S. population at large. O’Sullivan has said the union will endorse a candidate when 60 percent or more of the membership favor a single candidate. “Our members view this as a Presidential race about their everyday concerns - not an endorsement race,” he said. “Our goal is to engage our members - an army one-half million strong - so that they engage the candidates to speak to “build America” issues. UPEC Business Manager Chris Darker said he was glad LIUNA didn’t rush to endorse a candidate like so many other unions have in this race. LIUNA’s stand of 60% will give the membership a real opportunity to decide if a candidate will get our endorsement. “I think this is democracy in action and that our restraint to endorse will pay off as the Presidential Prmary process smokes out the bad ones and gives us all an opportunity to know the candidate’s better before we commit”, stated Darker. 

Union Staff to Visit Worksites

REDDING - Union staff will vist member worksites in Shasta County beginning this month. The worksite vists are part of an overall Local wide communications and member relations plan put together by UPEC Business Manager Chris Darker. “We are meeting the members where they are and we are looking forward to meeting with them”, stated Darker. UPEC staff will be talking with Shasta County members and Shasta Regional Medical Center members about bargaining proposals and getting member input on a host of issues. Also at the top of the agenda is presenting information on UPEC’s new website features and assisting members with registrations and showing them what is available. “Our website is our primary source of communication with our members. Our members are busy and the website forums are the new meeting venue where every member can go and have a voice in the process 24/7. Most UPEC members have internet access which gives them the latest and most updated information”, said Darker.  The Local is in the middle of installing a new phone system that will give members better phone access to staff and staff with a host of new features to improve efficiency and member communications such as an automated phone tree.

LIUNA Approves Grant for Local 792

HEADQUARTERS - LIUNA approved a grant request from Local 792 for organizing the federal sector employees in the San Francisco Bay Area.  LIUNA, with the approval of the Local Executive Board, transferred three (3) bargaining units into Local 792 last summer. Staff from Local 792 wrote the grant last year requesting funding to cover the costs of recruiting new members from these bargaining units. “There are only 15% of these represented employees who are union members”, said Business Manager Chris Darker. The Local is planning an organizing campaign for a period of 10 days in February. UPEC members who are interested in participating in the member recruitment should contact UPEC at 530-245-1890 for further details. The grant allows for members to be paid while participating in the organizing campaign and to pay for expenses such as travel, meals and lodging.

UPEC Board Approves Member Benefits

HEADQUARTERS - In the January UPEC Executive Board meeting, the Board approved a new retainer agreement with the law firm of Goyette and Associates and approved a plan to provide a free Notary Service. The legal services agreement provides for advice and consultation to all Local 792 Union members who make an appropriate request, on any legal matter. UPEC members can telephone G & A and talk to an attorney about their personal legal issues and get advice. Members are under no legal obligation to retain G & A for their legal matters.  However, should a member want to retain legal services, G & A will offer their service at a very reduced hourly rate. The retainer also covers services for UPEC affiliated associations such as Political Action Committee formation, Ballot Initiatives, Disciplinary Defense, Fitness for Duty Representation and many more. A full description of legal services and costs will be available soon on the UPEC website. UPEC hopes to have the Notary Service available in February 2008.

Local Hires Labor Representative

Tuesday, January 01, 2008

Headquarters - Business Manager Chris Darker is pleased to announce the local has added another Labor Representative to the Local staff. Richard “Rick” Burruss accepted the position effective January 1, 2008. Rick retired as a Police Lieutenant after twenty four years combined service with Alameda County Sheriff’s Department and the City of Livermore (California) Police Department. During his law enforcement career, Rick served as the Livermore Police Officers’ Association President, published several articles in CPOA magazine, and was an active member of both PORAC and RPORAC. Rick graduated from the University of San Francisco, earning a Bachelors Degree in Public Administration. Rick has worked as a Labor Relations Representative for over nineteen years, serving numerous police, public works, and management personnel organizations in administrative and disciplinary matters, collective bargaining, arbitration proceedings, and retirement benefit issues. The Local has not added a Labor Representative since 2003.
The Local Executive Board decided that with the addition of over 650 members and the local expanding to the Carmel area it was necessary to ensure that services expanded as well. Business Manager Chris Darker said he is relieved that the Local was able to quickly find such a qualified individual as Burruss to take over the units in the South Bay area. Labor Representative Tim McCormick of Local 270 will remain on staff during the transition until March 31st. “I am very fortunate to have both McCormick and Burruss to represent our members in the South Bay, they are very qualified, competent and motivated men and I look forward to working with them,”. said Darker.