UPEC Board to Meet in Milpitas

Sunday, February 28, 2010

HQ - The UPEC Executive Board will take their first road trip meeting of 2010 to Milpitas on Saturday, March 20th. Milpitas Employee Association President Paul Mullett is organizing the event which will include lunch. The UPEC Executive Board and Staff travel 2-3 times each year to meet with members. This event provides presentations about the services UPEC provides, Local updates and provides members an opportunity to meet the Board and give feedback and ideas. The event will be held beginning at 11:00 am at 1275 North Milpitas Blvd. with lunch served at 1:00 pm. Members and their families are welcome to attend. Please RSVP to Patti Wyatt at the UPEC Office at 800-241-1890. Members from all areas are welcome to attend. The Board is planning to visit Monterey in the fall in conjunction with the Annual Monterey Bay area Picnic. 

Business Manager Comments on SCGU

Friday, February 26, 2010

Click on “Business Managers Office”.

Monterey General Employees Vote to Meet with City on Concessions

Thursday, February 25, 2010

MONTEREY - The GEM Board faced a packed house at their member meeting Wednesday night to discuss and vote on the request by the City that members give up their 3% raise in July. A very close vote by the membership decided that the GEM negotiations team will explore options with the City on whether the members will tax themselves the 3% or come up with alternatives to bail out a projected City financial shortfall. GEM Chair Randy Malispina will be sending a letter out to his members requesting their input on this issue. Malispina wants to ensure that every member has an opportunity to participate in this process and to explore all avenues for solution. 

Shasta County Workers offer to pay 7% PERS

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

REDDING - The largest bargaining unit in Shasta County, Shasta County General Unit Members, made a formal concession this morning to the Shasta County Board of Supervisors in open session. The members recently voted to pay the employee share (7%) of their retirement in exchange for a status quo contract and an extension to April 30, 2012. The SCGU contract expires on April 30, 2010. SCGU follows a list of other County unions who have agreed to do the same over a 12 month period. The unit was waiting to see what County elected and department heads were willing to do before sending the offer to the Board. Labor Relations Representative Cinamon Pitts presented the concession on behalf of Business Manager Chris Darker who was in the Monterey Bay area this week working on concession issues in the City of Monterey and attending various meetings.
“This was not an easy decision for the members, said Darker. This unit, like so many others, have given up salary and benefits to achieve and maintain 100% paid retirement over the years. In fact the County improved the retirement by dropping the 5 year PERS payment requirement by newly hired employees just 4 years ago. There was no concern then or as recently as two years ago about sustainability”, said Darker. Darker also said that it was cheaper and saved the tax payers money to pay the PERS rather than grant salary increases. In recent months, the media, and politicians looking for public approval ratings have been making a lot of hay about the golden public employee pensions even though the average pension is less than $24,000 a year and no Social Security benefits.
Even though the concession offer was just made at 9:15 am this morning, by 10:30 am, the County called UPEC and requested to meet with the UPEC negotiations team to begin negotiations for the SCGU next Wednesday, March 3rd. “At this time, we don’t know if that means that the generous concession by our members has been rejected by the Board or that a contingency plan has been staked out by County Administrators”, said Darker.

GEM To Vote On Salary Concession

MONTEREY - The City of Monterey is facing another budget shortfall and is asking UPEC members to give up a 3% raise due July 1, 2010 to help finance the City budget shortfall. City workers deferred their increase from 2009 and now the City is asking members to forgo the 3% completely. GEM members will vote to decide Wednesday night in their membership meeting on this concession. Business Manager Chris Darker met with GEM Board members Monday to discuss the proposal. “This is a request to amend the GEM contract which was extended to 2011 for economic reasons”, said Darker. This is not something that the City can force the bargaining unit to implement.

UPEC President Awards PED Director

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Photo President Mike Cottone and Director Bob Purcell

San Francisco - UPEC Local 792 President Mike Cottone awarded an Appreciation Plaque to LIUNA Public Employee Director Bob Purcell for his service and support on behalf of the UPEC Executive Board, Staff and Members.