Updates to Contracts and Agendas and Minutes
Friday, June 25, 2010
Updates to several contracts and Agendas and Minutes have been posted to the downloads page.
NEW PERS Rates for 2011 Posted
Thursday, June 17, 2010
We’ve posted the latest on new PERS medical rates for 2011. These rate sheets are available now in the downloads section, at the top of the page. Only members will be able to access the downloads page and so if you need an account but don’t have one, please click “register” on the right-hand side of this page to sign up for an account!
State Union’s Agree to Roll Back Pension
SACRAMENTO - The California Highway Patrol officers’ union and three other state labor groups have agreed to contract terms with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger that roll back pension benefits for new state hires and increase all employees’ retirement contributions.
The deals would also protect the unions’ members from the threat of minimum wage when lawmakers don’t enact a state budget on time and eventually add a top step pay increase.
“We’re not blind or deaf to the unique times in California. We want to get the necessary discussion of (pension) reform behind us,” said Jon Hamm of the California Association of Highway Patrolmen.
The three other unions are the California Department of Forestry Firefighters, the California Association of Psychiatric Technicians and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, with the contracts covering 23,000 state employees including patrol officers, firefighters, health and social service professionals and psychiatric technicians.
The tense negotiations wrapped up around midnight on Tuesday, a source with knowledge of the talks told The Bee. It’s the first time that several unions have coordinated their negotiations.
The contracts must be approved by rank-and-file members and the Legislature, and then signed by the governor. The process will take several weeks, but the contracts would take effect immediately when signed.
The outcome of the contract talks reflects the emphasis that the Schwarzenegger administration has put on cutting employee pension costs. Newly hired patrol officers and firefighters would come in under a new pension formula that would allow them to retire at age 55 with 3 percent of the average of their highest three years of pay multiplied by their years of service up to 90 percent of that average wage. Current employees can retire at age 50.
New and existing employees in all four groups would increase their pension contributions to the California Public Employees’ Retirement System from the current 5 percent of their pay to 10 percent. That has also been high on Schwarzenegger’s agenda.
The agreements also include a provision that covered employees would be paid even when lawmakers fail to enact a budget by the June 30 fiscal year-end. Unions have long sought that protection, since the law allows state worker pay to be withheld to the federal minimum wage when there’s no money appropriated in a state budget to pay the employees.
Schwarzenegger invoked that law in 2008, although opposition from state Controller John Chiang delayed action on the order long enough for the Legislature to enact a budget, rendering the governor’s order moot. But the issue has resurfaced. The 2010-11 budget year is about to start on July 1, and it looks likely that lawmakers won’t get a budget deal done by then.
The agreements for the psych techs and the health professionals include one day of unpaid personal leave per month during fiscal year 2010-11, the equivalent of just under a 5 percent pay cut. The contract proposals for firefighters and patrol officers don’t include that provision.
Story Courtesy of Sacramento Bee 6/17/10
Redding City Council Approves Ballot Measure
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
REDDING - The Redding City Council approved their own ballot measurers for the November 2, 2010 election. The measure, if passed, will be advisory to the Council and establish policy for future Council members to follow.
“The “three” decided to waste as much as fifty-thousand tax dollars on an initiative that doesn’t benefit the citizens of Redding and allows Councilman Bossetti and Jones to use it for their own political gain”, said UPEC Business Manager Chris Darker. Meanwhile, as many as twelve (12) fireman will be given pink slips in the next 40 days.
Their are two measures, one will ask voters if the council should enter negotiations asking workers to pay a portion of their California Public Employees’ Retirement System pensions. The requirement would be phased in over the length of the contract up for negotiation. The other measure would require a minimum five years of service and enrollment in Medicare for those eligible before the city would contribute to a retiree’s health insurance premium cost. Retirees with 25 years or more service with the city could get up to 50 percent of their premiums covered.
“There were no surprises at last nights meeting. Like many other issues on the council agenda, the people speak and then the “three” do what they were going to do anyway”, said Darker.
The public pension initiative, the retiree health insurance measure would establish the city’s opening bargaining position. The council could change its position through the bargaining process, City Attorney Rick Duvernay said. “Something the Council has done and can continue to do without wasting our tax dollars”, said Darker.
Council members Dick Dickerson and Mary Stegall, who have opposed the ballot measure since then-Mayor Rick Bosetti proposed it in October 2009, voted no on the measures.
Dickerson, who called the ballot measures “ludicrous,” wondered why the council could not agree on an opening bargaining position tonight, without spending up to $50,000 to put two measures on the ballot that voters may reject. “Nothing in the ballot measure will expedite the process,” Dickerson said. “It just doesn’t do anything.”
According to the Record Searchlight report, “the ballot measures will de-politicize the benefits issue, which unions are already using against council members this election season, said Bosetti, who will defend his seat in November.”
Noting some have commented the proposed ballot measures lack teeth, Bosetti suggested Redding become a charter city, where voters can decide employee compensation. The suggestion drew scattered applause.
Contributions by Redding Record Searchlight
New Union Bank Benefits
Wednesday, June 09, 2010
Get your $50.00 and many more benefits exclusively available for UPEC members from Union Bank. Login and check the benefits page for details!
SCGU JUNE MEETING ANNOUNCMENT
Tuesday, June 08, 2010
The Shasta County General Unit June 14, 2010 meeting has been rescheduled. SCGU will have their monthly meeting on Monday, June 21, 2010 at 5:30 PM at the Local Union Office.