Paid Sick Days Bill Passes Assembly

Friday, May 30, 2008

SACRAMENTO - On Wednesday, the Assembly approved the groundbreaking bill that would allow all California workers to earn paid sick days. The bill, AB 2716 sponsored by Assemblywoman Fiona Ma (D-San Francisco), now heads to the Senate. If signed into law, AB 2716 would make California the first state in the nation to guarantee paid sick days for all workers.
Currently, 40 percent of California workers have zero paid sick days, and are forced to make the impossible choice between going to work sick or staying home and risk losing wages or even their job. Visit http://www.PaidSickDaysCA.org to learn more.

Notice to All Participants of the LIUNA National (Industrial) Pension Fund

This notice is important for any covered employee and/or participant who is approaching age 62, or older. When you are going to retire and want to commence receiving your pension benefits, be sure to contact the Pension Fund’s Administrative office promptly to discuss how to apply for benefits.

Under the Rules of this Pension Plan, no benefits are payable until you have retired from covered service unless you have attained the Pension Plan’s “Required Beginning Date” which means the first day of the calendar month first following the date on which you have attained age 70 1/2 years.

As a general rule the Pension Plan will not pay benefits for any months before you apply.  The Plan requires that you notify the Fund Office if you have stopped - or will soon stop - working in the kind of work covered by the Pension Plan, if you want to received benefits.

Also, if you have retired and are over age 62, your monthly pension benefit may be subject to suspension for any month during which you are employed in “Disqualifying Employment”.  For the exact terms of “Disqualifying Employment,” you should refer to Article VII, Section 7.07 of the Pension Plan’s Rules and Regulations.

Unless you notify the Pension Fund’s Administrative Office, they will take it for granted that you have not retired and are still working so that pension benefits are not yet payable to you.  If you retire but delay filing, you may lose benefits for any months of delay.

A complete description of the Pension Plan’s Rules on payment and suspension of benefits are available to you upon request.  These Rules are subject to Department of Labor Regulations (2530.203.3, Title 29, Code of Federal Regulations).

If you have any questions about this notice or the way it applies to you, address your question immediately to the Pension Fund’s Administrative Office.  Your questions will be reviewed and answered promptly.

You may contact the Pension Fund at:  1 (800) 544-7422
905 - 16th Street, N. W., Washington, D.C.  20006-1765

UPEC Career Opening

Thursday, May 29, 2008

REDDING HQ - Business Manager Chris Darker is looking at adding an additional Labor Rep. to the local. The local has grown to 4,200 represented employees and the local jurisdiction now extends to Pacific Grove, California. “We are looking for an energetic person for an entry level position”, said Darker. Additional information on the career opening for a Labor Relations Representative I can be found at ReddingJobs.com or contact the union office for details. 

Vallejo Files for Bankruptcy Protection

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

California City Files For Bankruptcy Protection; 3/4ths Of City’s Expenses Go To Police, Fire Wages And Benefits
From The San Francisco Chronicle, May 24
VALLEJO, CA - Vallejo officially declared bankruptcy on Friday, when the city’s attorneys filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection for the financially troubled North Bay city.
The petition, filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Sacramento, comes two weeks after the City Council voted unanimously to enter bankruptcy after months of cost-cutting and labor negotiations failed to save the city from financial ruin.
The city faces a $16 million deficit with no money in reserve for fiscal year 2008-09, which starts July 1. A bankruptcy judge will be assigned to the case in the coming days.
Officials in cities and counties in California and across the nation are expected to watch Vallejo’s case closely, former federal bankruptcy Judge Lisa Fenning said Friday.
“Chapter 9 bankruptcy is very uncommon,” said Fenning, a former bankruptcy judge in Los Angeles. “Many municipalities are facing heavy salary and pension commitments which they might not have revenues to support. This will be precedent-setting because it hasn’t been the subject of much litigation.”
Vallejo is the largest city in California to declare bankruptcy, and the only one to do so because of long-term economic problems. The city of 117,000 has been hit hard by the weak housing market and rising public employee salaries and benefits.
The city will owe its police, fire and other union members $79.4 million in 2008-09, but will have only $77.9 million in its general fund, according to the bankruptcy filing.
“The general fund suffers from a fundamental structural imbalance where expenditures substantially exceed revenues,” the filing says. “Given the magnitude of its obligations under the (contracts), given the already deep cuts made to basic services provided its residents, and given other non-labor costs, the city cannot rebalance general fund expenditures without restructuring its labor costs.”
By declaring bankruptcy, the city hopes to reorganize its debts and restructure its budget, including the costs of its police and fire contracts. Union leaders have said the city is not insolvent, but is using bankruptcy as a way to scrap its labor contracts.
There’s a good chance the judge will allow Vallejo to rewrite its union contracts, said Fenning.
“Chapter 9 doesn’t necessarily terminate the contracts, but it means the debtor (the city of Vallejo) can impose terms and conditions for salaries and benefits unilaterally,” she said. “Vallejo now has the upper hand to force terms with respect to its collective bargaining agreements.”
The city is likely to impose the terms of its last offer to the unions, Fenning said. But union leaders plan to ask the judge to dismiss the case, claiming the city has money in other funds and can increase revenues by raising taxes and fees.
“Filing bankruptcy is and was unnecessary,” said Mat Mustard, vice president of the Vallejo police union. “We believe the city has a lot of other options which would protect the taxpayers as well as employees.”
That’s a longshot, Fenning said.
“The judge will hear testimony and may conclude the unions are right and dismiss the case,” she said. “But that seems far-fetched at this point, considering how long negotiations have gone on.”
The unions have already made more than $10 million in concessions since 2002-03, Mustard said.
“For me personally, that’s meant giving back $30,000,” he said.
The unions commissioned an audit of city finances by the Harvey Rose auditing firm of San Francisco, which concluded that the city can cut costs and generate revenue without slicing into police and fire salaries.
City officials and the unions have been negotiating for about two years. To meet its payroll, the city has cut funding to senior centers, libraries, museums, public works and other amenities.
Meanwhile, The Chronicle reported Thursday that city officials are also discussing a refinancing plan with financier Calvin Grigsby of San Francisco, whose firm manages billions of dollars in bonds for governments throughout the nation, including several bond deals in California.
Grigsby’s partner, Robert Ceresa, said the plan could be an alternative to bankruptcy and would be contingent on further cuts to salaries and benefits paid to city police officers and firefighters, whose compensation amounts to three-quarters of the city’s general fund. Vallejo bankruptcy
For more information, go to http://www.ci.vallejo.ca.us and click on “Bankruptcy Information.” Read the city’s Chapter 9 application at sfgate.com/ZDMO.

Susanville POA begins Safety Campaign

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Susanville - The Susanville Police Officer’s Association have recently started their Community Safety Campaign.  Association President Matt Wood will be working together with UPEC Union Relations Representative Christine Perry to launch a radio campaign to address safety issues in their community. “We are pleased to work with KSUE and KJDX Radio to bring this program to the community”, said Perry. Each month the topic will change, May featured Bicycle safety tips as May is Bicycle Safety Month.  June will focus on driving safety issues for children’s safety and vacation travel. 
Susanville POA joins many of our UPEC Law Enforcement Associations that are doing their part to promote public safety. “I commend the Susanville POA for taking this step in their community and Christine on carrying out our Community Action Plan and her commitment to assist our public safety officers both Police and Fire in promoting public safety”, said Business Manager Chris Darker. The Susanville Police Officer’s Association is proud to take a leadership position in the community to serve with pride, protect the future of their citizens and help promote their community.

SRMC and RN’s at Impasse

Friday, May 23, 2008

REDDING - Following just a few negotiations sessions, management at Shasta Regional Medical Center and the UPEC Registered Nurse Bargaining Unit declared impasse last week however, if you watched the local news SRMC management claimed the union walked away from the table and an un-named union spokesperson stated “the union was going to picket the hospital and go to the media”. Business Manager Chris Darker denied the hospitals accusations in a TV news interview initiated by a press release from SRMC Management. “We had no reason to go to the media, we were still in negotiations and had sent a letter to the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS)”, said Darker.  Chief negotiator Mike Lyon stated the hospital was unwilling or unprepared to continue negotiations and SRMC’s Chief Negotiator gave Lyon the “go-ahead” to contact the FMCS.
SRMC RN’s are currently over 12% behind other area hospitals and want parity and future increases. The hospital stated they are not interested in paying a competative salary now or in the future. SRMC Administration is concerned that the Nurses may strike and stated they have a contingency plan in place. SRMC Nurses went on a five-day strike a decade ago when Tenet Healthsystems owned the hospital and refused to restore benefits they unilaterally cut prior to voting in the union.  Business Manager Chris Darker stated that a strike is not in the works at this time and said “Only the Registered Nurses at SRMC who are union members can decide and vote on a strike”. Local 792 has only had two strikes in the past thirteen years. The hospital is now owned by Health Partners of America (HPA). SRMC is the only hospital it operates in California and has other facilities in Texas.