SEIU gets raises, SEIU on strike?

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Weekend update, fun and the good news, bad news for SEIU State employee Union members. Don't forget the MSEA-SEIU contract votes will be counted on August 17.


Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the holodeck! This story comes from the DailyKos. The tech in this story wouldn't make Mr. Spock or Scotty sit down and cry, but until then this is the best around. Like the Holodeck? follow the link. The tech is great but the real reason to include it here is to blow a hole in the right wing idea that liberals are all about tax and spend. Read the quote after the link and see how real liberals think we should dig our way out of this hole in the ground economy.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/8/6/762702/-Ladies-and-Gentlemen,-I-give-you-the-holodeck.

America should get on that, because that is what America does best. We see the world and all of its ideas and technology and recombine it into fantastical products that we create with our industrial might and sell around the world.

Or we use to, before we became a nation dependent on financial services to generate wealth.

I say we got back to selling the world boxes labeled, "Made in the USA."

Especially if we start slinging holodecks.

California

SEIU 1000 State workers vote "Yes"

Updated August 3
SEIU members approve strike authorization by 74 percent margin; Union members step up pressure on governor to ratify their contract

By an overwhelming majority, SEIU Local 1000 state workers have shown their outrage at the governor and his attacks on state employees and the services they provide. In votes from state offices throughout California, 74 percent authorized their union officers to call job actions up to and including a strike if necessary in order to ensure that the contract signed with the governor's representatives in February is passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

"This is about our contract," SEIU President Yvonne Walker said Saturday. "Whether it is through litigation, negotiations or any other actions that are necessary, we're in this for the long-haul to right this wrong to our members. We negotiated in good faith, we have offered cost-saving solutions, and we need our contract to be ratified."

SEIU 1000 in a cost savings program targeted as saving jobs, and saving tax dollars found $340 million dollars through a combination of cutting wasteful outsourcing of jobs and more efficient work rules. The Union is currently subject to three furlough days a month equaling a 15% pay cut while the governor backpedals and refuses to live up to his word and sign the contract that he agreed to. Like the politicians in so many states hurting State workers as a political move comes before saving the citizens money.

Local 503 Oregon

SEIU 503 signs tentative agreement, gets over 6% in raises over two years.

After eight and a half months of bargaining a new contract, a tentative agreement affecting nearly 18,000 employees was agreed on. The new contract, if approved, will run until June 30, 2011 Service Employees International Union local 503 reached a tentative agreement with the State of Oregon that gives cost of living wage increases. Over the next two years, wages will increase 6.2 percent.

Does this quote sound familiar?

“Our cost of living has been behind the private sector for years now,” says Randy Davis, a mental health therapist at Oregon State Hospital.

The new contract, will go to the bargaining committee on August 15 and if passed will be sent to the membership for a vote.
A rare success story, although not without some losses. 503 protected fully paid family medical coverage. The state will pay for premium cost increases up to 5% in each year. Increases between 5% and 10% will be paid partly by the State and partly from insurance reserve funds. The state subsidy for part-time employees' health insurance will increase so that part timers" premium costs don't go up.

The contract contains a one year step freeze from 9/1/09 to 8/31/10. All bargaining unit members will get at least one step raise during the contract. There will be no cost of living raises during the contract. Ten, twelve, of fourteen furlough days over the next two years.

The State started with a demand for 24 unpaid days off and now the days off will count as time worked for accruals and insurance A number of non-economic changes will benefit members, including a classification study for many positions that must be finished in time to bargain salary rates in 2011 and an extra year of recall rights for laid-off workers.



Congratulations Local 503!

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