T G T B & T U

May 10: Former Negotiation team members will gather to discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly from our last contract(s). and will return to worksites beginning in May willing to share the results

and get input from members in a series of "Listen Up"meetings.

Also expected to be discussed is the looming battle to deal with the impending attempts to not only refuse pay increases but the certain fight we will be facing when the legislature attempts to cut existing pay and benefits.

After these talks I will be holding work site meetings to find out what my co workers are most interested in. I intend to start holding meetings and making myself available from now until this process is done. Hopefully, after these talks thousands of members will be given the opportunity to attend "Listen-Up" type meetings between now and the start of bargaining to share their comments and concerns about the upcoming contract negotiations. "The 'Listen-Up' meetings could change the way members look at the bargaining process", said a former a bargaining representative from Pro-Tech. Listening and talking to state workers about their jobs will give them the input into the contract they say they want.

"We'll be looking for member feedback and we will focus our bargaining strategies to work for what is most important to our members."
So far preserving our health care, retirement benefits and preventing outsourcing of State work are among the priorities identified by members in their bargaining surveys at this site.

Bargaining Survey, What bargaining survey?

Click Here to take survey Click HERE to see how other members are voting..


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Update 08

Update 08

Members all over Maine are wondering how we are going to bargain this time around. Maybe you have heard of the idea of Contract Action Teams?
A C.A.T. is like a bargaining committee on steroids. It is only made up of members that are interested, driven, and ready to work. It is an all volunteer army.
This is what we need to get going to deal with upcoming Contract negotiations by forming Contract Action Teams (C.A.T.s) that will forge member networks to communicate between worksites and the bargaining table.

We must demonstrate to the state and the Legislature that members are will­ing to fight for what they deserve. Contract Action Team members could be called upon to take part in actions that will prove our intent to win - sending delegations to “meet the boss,” wearing stickers, lobbying legislators, sending peti­tions, and participating in other worksite activities that ensure the state knows we are serious. Members that are interested can step up to help organize co-workers on issues that matter to us all. Participation a C.A.T. will need members to get involved to make a difference at their worksites during the contract campaign.

The first step must be bargaining surveys on the web and mailed to members, and then we can turn to analysis of member priorities.

We will need to elect Bargaining Unit Negotiating Teams (BUNTs) and we need re­search analysts to carefully review survey and meeting results to begin setting Local 1984’s bargaining priorities. We need this now and not after the summer complaints go home.

I know that all of the Pro-Tech team and many of the members of the last negotiations teams have been listening closely to what members want to see in their con­tract. We have never stopped listening. We need our Union to base our bargaining priorities on member input and we need to start getting that input now.
On Saturday May 10, former team members are meeting to discuss what went right and what went wrong during our last contract. I am certain that one thing to come out of the coming meeting will be the decision to hold a round of worksite meetings to gather member input.
We will need to have many of these meetings with members to share what we’ve learned, and gain additional feedback to make certain we are prepared at the bargaining table.

A lot of ideas are starting to surface already and we need your input to shape the future.

Ideas like these:

FEDERAL MILEAGE RATE for State Employees no more theft from our paychecks!


Combined Leave

Employees may opt for annual leave, in lieu of separate vacation and sick leave, and can opt to enroll in or leave the program each June.
Employees enrolled in annual leave receive combined vacation/sick leave of:
- 14 hours per month for up to 5 years of service;
- 16 hours per month at 10 years;
- 20 hours per month at 15 years;
- 26ours per month at 20 years;
- 28 hours per month at 25+ years.

One thousand twenty four (1024) hours of combined leave may be accumulated before the State is required to pay. NO USE IT OR LOSE IT.
Employees must be paid for unused vacation or annual leave upon leaving state service. All time paid is to count towards length of service and highest paid years.

Become involved, get involved and stay involved. Take the bargaining survey and make your opinion heard. So far our health care is at the top of the list of concerns.
What else is bothering you? Do you like getting less than the Federal rate for mileage costs when gas is nearly four dollars a gallon?

Bargaining Survey, What bargaining survey?

Click Here to take survey Click HERE to see how other members are voting..

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Back from the Computer Crash

I have been living through a PC crash. I alway preach backup, backup, backup. Always seemed like a good idea for someone else.......Ouch!

On May 10 all the members of the last contract teams for all branches have been invited to get together on their own time to discuss what went right and wrong during the last contract talks.

If one of your members is going maybe you could give them some encouragement and maybe some thanks for what they are doing.

Many things worked and the best thing that happened to the Executive branch was having our current president, Bruce Hodsdon at the table. He made sure everyone was heard and that if you had something to say you had your chances.

The worst thing to happen was that we started at the end of December, at least six months too late and we are set on a collision course with too late with too little again. In SEIU unions throughout the country the following ideas have been passed. Do any of them seem familiar?
Have you heard that our Union is proposing a call center? Are we spending more on training and other ideas? Many of these Ideas are good ones, but since it has been nearly two years since the first discussions about early bargaining took place, I wonder if the Union is listening to the members or if some members of our Union just think they know the best way and don’t want to discuss the ideas with the members.

All over the US the SEIU has been working hard and contrary to the talk show idjits Unions have been making progress in many areas due to new ideas.

Programs passed by SEIU Locals include:
· Enhanced member representation programs: Additional staff and resources in Union Resource and Member Service Centers to provide rapid and professional assistance to members and to enforce our contract.
· Expanded leadership training:
Increased budget for job steward training, ensuring appropriate member representation in the workplace.
· Increased contract funds:
More than money set aside in 2007 and 2008 to organize workers in all Bargaining Units.
Has this happened in Maine? If so, why isn’t it on our web pages?
· Increased defense funds:
How much money has been dedicated to a fund campaign to protect members’ benefits?
· Added research capacity:
Have we added more resources to add negotiating strength and continue the essential fight against outsourcing and downsizing? Our dues must go to protecting our jobs and our benefits.
In order to do research, we need to start now.
· Needed: Strategic campaigns:
Added investment in building organizing strength in departments all across the state to tackle specific departmental and classification issues impacting our members.

MSEASEIU must set timeline
for negotiation team elections
Nominations for Local 1984 Negotiations team members should be opened by June 15, starting a process that will culminate in a ballot count on July 30 at the latest. So far the Board of Directors has failed to make any concrete movement towards change the old method of starting late and trying to work with no research. Is the concern that early bargaining would cost money? Is our Union afraid to pay the mileage and the costs of getting a team together early so they can have a better chance to be ready when they sit down to face what is shaping up to be the toughest contract talks in years?

Call the Union: The Board will meet on May 16. Tell your Union you want our board to do something now, make a move before it is too late again.

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