Hilda Solis Confirmed

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Washington - The United States Senate confirmed California Congresswoman Hilda Solis as President Barack Obama’s Labor Secretary. Solis’ confirmation gives the agency a decidedly pro-worker tilt after eight years of business friendly leadership under the Bush administration.
The 80-17 vote comes after more than a month of delays. Some GOP lawmakers were concerned over her work for a pro-union group that supports legislation easing the process for workers to organize unions.

Obama’s Tux Union Made

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

UCS News Service- Barack Obama’s inaugrual ball tuxedo-his first new tux in 15 years-was union made, according to the union that would know.  Bruce Raynor, general president of UNITE HERE, which represents clothing manufacturing industry workers, says the new president told him his new outfit was from Hart Schaffner Marx, a Chicago-based retailer founded in 1883-and one of the first clothing companies to enter into a collective bargaining agreement with a union, in 1911.

Trinity County Units Accept Payroll Lag

Friday, February 20, 2009

Earlier this week the members of the Trinity County General Unit and the Trinity County Management Confidential Unit voted to accept the County’s offer of a payroll lag. Also during the week the Trinity County Deputy Sheriff’s Association and the Trinity County Miscellaneous Peace Officer Unit also voted to accept the offer. The Trinity County Skilled Trades Unit already has the lag system in place.

Accepting the lag means that all County employees will have their salary reduced by 16 hours every month for five months. This reduction equates to an approximate 9.23% salary decrease for each of these five months for the employees. The County had told the bargaining units that the only other alternative to the payroll lag would have been furloughs or layoffs because the state has withheld needed revenue to the County. The employee’s were also told that the acceptance of the payroll lag may not prevent additional layoffs or furlough’s in the future. The employees volunteered these cuts to help save jobs being eliminated in the County.

The Union has remained neutral during this vote as each employee was affected in different ways.

Trainings and Member Meetings Set in San Francisco

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

HQ - UPEC and LIUNA Staff will be in San Francisco next week, February 22-27th to conduct a series of trainings and meetings for Presidio Trust and Golden Gate National Recreation Area and Veterans Cemetery area members. Training will be held from 8:00am - 5:00pm on Monday and Friday at the Hilton Foshermans Wharf. A meeeting for Presidio members is set for Wednesday at noon. UPEC is continuing to offer the Bonus Bucks during the week as well. 

Local Meetings Postponed

HQ - The Local 792 Membership Meeting and Executive Board Meetings set for this Saturday, February 21, 2009 in Redding have been postponed. A new date will be set and membes will be notified by mail. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Trinity County Units to Vote on Payroll Lag

Friday, February 13, 2009

The General Unit and the Management Confidential Unit in Trinity County will have a special vote to accept or reject the County’s offer to eliminate the current payroll lag in order to offset a $500,000 shortfall in state dollars.The Union was contacted by County administration this week and was told that the state has withheld payments to the County which has impacted cash flow. The County is proposing that the payroll period move from the current 1st through the 30th to the 16th through the 15th of each month. Paychecks will still be received on the last working day of each month. In order to implement and eliminate the lag it will be necessary to reduce the monthly salary of each employee by 9.23% for each of the next five months. This reduction over the five months would be equivalent to 80 hours for a full time employee. The hours are not lost but moved to the end of your employment with the County. During the next five months, you will receive your full paycheck less the 9.23%.

The County believes that the payroll lag is the best solution considering other options. A work furlough or layoff would result in losing income or jobs, whereas the payroll lag would defer income. The other benefit is that services will still be provided to the community which allows the County to bill for state and federal reimbursement dollars. Accepting the payroll lag will not guarantee that future furloughs or layoffs will occur; however, it will temporarily allow the County to address this funding issue.

County administration will allow the Union to conduct a secret ballot of the Union members at their work-site on Tuesday, February 17, 2009. Mike Lyon will go to Health and Human Services, WIC, Behavioral Health, Courthouse, Sheriff’s Department, Building and Planning. If you have any question’s you can contact Mike at (800) 241 1890 ext. 107.