Subject line- CONTRACT VICTORY! Agreement reached - no furlough this Friday - URGENT: Please read and forward!
Dear Local 1000 members:
Your bargaining team has delivered a major victory, and winning a much better deal than expected. After nine months of hard work a marathon two-day bargaining session, agreement was reached on a new contract which reduces the furlough by half and defeating most of the governors other takeaways.
For the latest update, go to channel 1000 news at:
http://www.channel1000.org/.
More details will be posted soon on the SEIU local 1000
website.
It goes on to explain the various "benefits" from the labor agreement reached between the Governor and the state employee union (SEIU). The Governor had sent out layoff notices and required mandatory furloughing of state government employees. However, where I work is exempted from the Governor's various orders because we are created in the state Constitution. In other words, because we are a creation of the Constitution and not the legislature, and are not funded by the state general fund, we employees are not subject to the Governor's furlough and layoff notices. Indeed, if you read the Governor's executive orders he notes "IT IS FURTHER REQUESTED that other entities of State government not under my direct executive authority ... assist in the implementation of this Order and implement similar mitigation measures that will help to preserve the State's cash supply during this budget impasse." Where I work is one of those "other entities."
So, where I work is specifically exempted from the Governor's order, HOWEVER, since we are represented by the union, we are now subject to the agreement reached by the union. So, even though I am not subject to the Governor's orders on furloughs, the union has, on my behalf, made me subject to those orders.
Which means that, if ratified, I will now be furloughed one day a month, have my pay be reduced by that amount (~4.6% a month), but will be able to use them at a later date as sick leave, whereas before I wasn't being furloughed and I wasn't having my pay cut (I could do it voluntarily, however, as part of a program instituted in response to the Governor's executive order). Great, the union has negotiated away a benefit that people who work at my agency enjoyed.
I accept that for probably over 90% of the people represented by the union, this is better than what the Governor was going to do, no matter that I personally agree with him that the size of government has gotten too big and could use some trimming. But it appears that the union is saying for the other 10%, "Eh, tough luck; Solidarity!" That doesn't help me at all knowing that you've negotiated away a protection that we enjoyed through the state Constitution.
And if you want to know why I think whatever tax increases this state agrees to should be in the form of sales tax and not income tax, well, the union has now negotiated a pay cut that, if the budget is passed as written, will be met with an increase in my income tax. So, my paycheck won't just reflect that 4.6% pay cut, it will also reflect that income tax increase as well. At least I have an extra
$13 to look forward to from the just signed pork/stimulus bill.
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