Positive Changes on the Horizon!
This afternoon's third Meet and Confer negotiation session with County management was both positive and forward-moving. Issues affecting Pima County employees were discussed in great detail between our bargaining team and County management. We also want to thank the dozen or so employees and members who took time from their day to listen-in on the negotiations and show their support for the team.
In particular, we made great headway on four specific issues. County management now has a clearer picture and has begun to consider a bilingual pay differential for county employees who must know and use a second language while on the job. A study to determine which employees this change would affect is likely in the near future.
Additionally, we successfully urged County management to investigate a way to reduce the cost or reimburse some employees who pay for parking downtown.
Third, the issue of bereavement pay for employees who take time off when they lose a close loved one has been discussed and will be seriously considered during the next meet and confer meeting scheduled for Thursday, May 1st from 2:00-5:00pm.
Finally, the Union helped County management understand some of the scheduling issues affecting employees at Posada del Sol. Isabel Zamora, an SEIU Vice-President and bargaining team member, explained the situation facing employees at Posada. She states that she "was surprised (County Management) had no idea that CNAs can only work 7 hours and 45 minutes per day and there is only one functioning time clock for all Posada del Sol employees." Tom Burke, the County Finance Director and County management bargaining team chair, expressed his concern that employees spend time waiting to clock in and out. Isabel also mentioned that she "is excited to talk about this issue further at next week's meeting."
Today, we have made some great strides toward improving the working conditions and overall moral of employees in Pima County. Positive changes are on the horizon...
Posted By: Ryan on 4/24/2008 12:30:00 PM
No Increase in Costs, No Change in Benefits
SPREAD THE WORD!
Our health care benefits and costs to remain the same next year.
One of the major points in our Meet & Confer Proposal to County Management was to maintain health care benefits while not increasing employee costs.
IT HAPPENED!
Just announced at the Meet & Confer Bargaining Table: There will be NO increase in County Employee health care premiums or co-pays and no reductions in health care benefits.
That's good news.
Please plan to attend the SEIU General Membership Meeting next Tuesday at 5:30 (Tucson Office) to find out more about everything that is happening as we Meet & Confer.
Membership meeting: 5:30 Tuesday April 22nd at the SEIU Office 201 W Cushing Street
Posted By: Evelina on 4/18/2008 6:56:00 PM
"We've only just begun ..."
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| Our Meet and Confer Team in the first session on April 9, 2008 |
Our first "meet and confer" meeting has happened and we are off to a good start. This historic event took place yesterday afternoon in the County Administration Building's 6th floor conference room. A large conference table divided the bargaining teams with management on one side and our team on the other. We were supported by several observers seated on the "union" side of the room. After introductions and ground rules, members of our bargaining team took turns presenting the union’s proposal. During the 3 hour long meeting the teams were able to discuss 4 topics in great detail.
I was happily surprised to learn from the management team that despite a decline in our economy, Pima County has responsibly budgeted. It will be interesting to see how this will shape next week's meeting when the discussion will focus on employee compensation and benefits.
Posted By: Hannah on 4/10/2008 3:56:00 PM
Pima Meet and Confer
We're at the table!
Well, it's really going to happen starting this week!
SEIU’s Meet and Confer Team will sit down with the management team Wednesday to begin the Meet and Confer sessions which will be the first step this year, and for the future, to improve the working lives of Pima County employee through our collective voice.
We’ve got some great people representing us – Pima Chapter President Dave Mitchell (Public Defender’s Office), Vice Presidents Susan King (Assessor’s Office), Margaret McKenna (Public Fiduciary), Carlos Ochoa (Parks), Carlos Rodriguez (Solid Waste) and Isabel Zamora (Posada del Sol), as well as Resolution Specialist Renee Summers (Pima Health System) and Union Rep Patrick McGinnis (IT, Main Library). SEIU Pima Chapter Coordinator Evelina Marquez chairs the team. We’re all eager to get going especially since the tentative budget should be presented by the end of April. We'll have 3 sessions this month to persuade the mgt team that given the economic forecast Pima County employees are part of the solution. And we'll be making proposals that won't cost but will guarantee fairness.
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| Dave |
Margaret |
Susan |
Carlos R. |
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| Isabel |
Renee |
Carlos O. |
Patrick |
So what can Pima County employees do to help? Well, whatever we achieve will be determined by the increase in our membership. That saying" There's strength in numbers" is true for a good agreement and we know that the county is looking at our membership as a measure of our power. If you're working next to someone who says "I'll wait" tell them the waiting is over, the time to join is now. Signing up as a member now is showing the Board of Supervisors that we ALL stand behind our M and C team.
What else? Come to the meetings if you can. They are scheduled for Wednesday, April 9th; Thursday, April 17th; and Wednesday, April 23rd (all at 2:00 PM) at the County Administration Building, 6th Floor, Finance Department Conference Room. Talk to your co-workers. Talk to us here with your comments, stories or anything you think we should know about as we meet.
Posted By: Evelina on 4/8/2008 4:23:00 PM
Pima Meet and Confer