VOLUME 34 Issue

2017-4July

2017

Calendarof Events

• SEIU Local 620 Executive Board Meeting Last Thursday of each month, 6:00 p.m. Local 620 Offices• SB County Board of Supervisors Meeting Third Tuesday each month, 9:00 a.m. Santa Barbara Board of Chambers• City of Santa Barbara Chapter Meeting Second Tuesday each month, 4:15 p.m. for Field Employees, 5:15 p.m. for Office Employees Gebhard Room Community Development Bldg., 630 Garden Street, Santa Barbara• County of Santa Barbara Chapter Meeting Second Thursday each month, 6:15 p.m., Local 620 Offices via Video Conference 350 S. Hope Ave., #A-103, Santa Barbara; 114 N. Vine Street, Santa Maria

Around The LocalSanta Barbara County Employees’ Association

NONPROFIT ORGU.S. Postage

PAID

SANTA BARBARA, CAPERMIT NO. 620

From the Executive Director

Bruce corsaw

Local 620 is happy to announce that negotiations for 2017 / 2018 equity adjustments are

complete per our MOU. Effective the first pay period in July, 71 classifica-tions will receive equity adjustments in addition to the 2.50% COLA that all members will receive. The 29 clas-sifications farthest out of market will receive a 3.25% adjustment, which will affect 156 members. Addition-ally, 42 classifications will receive a 2.0% adjustment, which will affect 260 members, for a total of 416 Local 620 members receiving equity adjust-ments. The classifications receiving equity adjustments are the following:

Equity Adjustments for County Employees

Continued on page 4Continued on page 7

As we continue our thrust to improve the lives of our members, we are currently

finishing and beginning to start nego-tiations for some of our union brothers and sisters.

We just completed and ratified a new contract with the Goleta Water District for our members. The new con-tract is for ten years, from July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2027, which is one of the longest agreements that SEIU Local 620 has ever accomplished. The

terms of the agreement continue the annual salary increases based on the CPI, which gives our members a base increase of a minimum of two percent and a maximum increase of four per-cent per year. In addition, we won an extra one percent per year of salary to help cover the rising cost of healthcare for the members of the Goleta Water District. We were able to get a vaca-tion cash out each year of forty hours and an additional cash out of forty hours per year of sick leave hours as long as the member keeps one hun-dred and sixty hours in their sick time accrual bank. This really helps mem-bers who are long-term employees with the district.

At this time, we are preparing to go to the bargaining table with the City of Santa Barbara’s Treatment and Patrol Unit. This unit consists of water treat-ment, wastewater treatment, harbor patrol, airport patrol, airport opera-tions, and water distribution staffs. Our last contract with the city for this unit was successful in getting them an average across-the-board increase of seven percent to twelve percent; part of the increases were to offset retire-ment costs for the members. We were also given, after an extensive salary study done for the unit, a one-half of a percent of salary for inequities, with additional inequity money in the second year of the contract. The

Bargaining News

100 years. But do the ways Unions advocated and organized over a hun-dred years ago, still work in 2017 and beyond?

Think about your life and how it is impacted by technology. Ever tried to talk to a live person from your credit card company? Ever taken an Uber? Many State agencies now require applicable forms to be filled out online. You can fill out Unfair Labor Practice forms, file for unemploy-ment all online. The days of filling out paper forms and faxing are quickly coming to an end.

Many of the agencies SEIU Local 620 represents require the public to apply for jobs online. Many of these agen-cies webcast their meetings online. Many post the agendas, minutes, and disclosures – all online.

So while agencies must adapt and evolve, so must the unions that repre-sent those employees.

Using PDF(a file format that pro-vides an electronic image of text or text and graphics that looks like a printed document and can be viewed, printed, and electronically transmit-ted), Social Media, Text Messaging, Mobile Apps, etc. are just a few of the ways Unions maintain communica-tions with their members and keep them informed and engaged. Did you know SEIU Local 620 has a Facebook page? Check it out sometime and add/like us.

“The only thing that is constant is change.”

- Heraclitus of Ephesus

It’s important to recognize that the only thing that is constant is change. It’s important to recog-

nize this because our work as a Union needs to continually evolve so that we touch and impact our members in ways that matter to them.

Labor Unions have been advocating for the rights of workers for more than

Unions Must Adapt and Evolve

From the Field Operations

Supervisor

Mike woods

From the Field

Representative

sam ramirez

Local 620 would like to thank our sub- committee of Matt Smith, Scott Dunlap, and staff person Sam Ramirez for their work researching Local 620’s represented classifications, which required several months of work. In addition, we would like to thank the rest of the Bargaining Team consisting of Billy Mann, Sara Scofield, Bill

Continued on page 4

Page 2 - Around The Local - July 2017

Around The LocalSanta Barbara County Employee’s Association

SEIU Local 620350 S. Hope Avenue #A-103, Santa Barbara, CA 93105

Phone: (805) 963-0601 • Fax: (805) 963-8341 • Website: seiulocal620.org

OFFICERS & STAFFBruce Corsaw. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Executive DirectorBilly Mann. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PresidentThomas Welche . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vice PresidentOlivia McNutt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SecretaryDaniel Vegezzi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TreasurerMike Woods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Field Operations SupervisorCynthia Goena . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Field RepresentativeDarryl Scheck. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Field RepresentativeSam Ramirez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Field RepresentativeSusan Thomas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Steward/Field Support LeadAnnette Nino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Field Support RepresentativeRonna Hooper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Executive AssistantElena Helman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Administrative AssistantThe opinions expressed in Around The Local do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of the Santa Barbara County Employees’ Association unless so specified.

Around The Local is a free publication published bi-monthly. Volume 34, Issue 2017-4. SEIU Local 620, 350 S. Hope Ave. #A-103, Santa Barbara, CA 93105.

For advertising information, please call 235-2208. Joe Heaslet, Publisher

BLOWN HEADGASKET REPAIRby Thermalweld Central Coast

We Come to You!100% Guaranteed

A+ BBB RatingMajor Credit Cards805-904-4567www.thermalweld.com

Continued on page 7

Collective Bargaining

Have you ever wondered how you get a pay increase? Do you wonder how that partic-

ular percentage came about? Do you know how you received an increase in your employer medical contribution? In case you didn’t know, it came about because of the process of collective bargaining. In 1968 MEYERS-MILIAS-BROWN ACT (MMBA) was the first California law to give public sector employees the right to collective bar-gaining. MMBA recognizes the right

of employees to participate in and be represented by employee organiza-tions. Britannica.com defines collective bargaining as, “the ongoing process of negotiation between representatives of workers and employers to estab-lish the conditions of employment. The collectively determined agree-ment may cover not only wages but hiring practices, layoffs, promotions, job functions, working conditions and hours, worker discipline and termina-tion, and benefit programs.” All of that information is securely documented by your Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), and your employer must abide by what is written in your contract. If your employer violates your MOU, you as a represented employee may file a grievance. Your MOU is a legally binding contract; your employer can-not change it without both parties willing to meet and confer to work towards a solution, failure to meet that requirement can result in an unlaw-ful practice in which an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) could be filed with Public Employees Relations Board (PERB) and legal process can ensue. I know that’s a lot of acronyms, but very important acronyms nonetheless. As an employee working in the public sector it is crucial to utilize the power bestowed upon you as a Union repre-sented employee and educate yourself, learn about these acronyms and much more for self-empowerment.

SEIU Local 620 is an employee orga-nization who represents close to 4,000

public sector employees from 27 different public agencies. We have 5 Field Representatives who organize the collective bargaining or negotiation pro-cess. Local 620 staff prepares a five to six page bargaining sur-vey with questions that fit the agency it is being sent to. We mail the surveys to the home mailing address of members who have been in good stand-ing with the Union for at least two pay periods. The survey asks questions about items like wages, health insurance, safety, etc. The survey allows the member to answer in detail their complaints, opinions and

Since the beginning of time, there have been stewards in the work-place… OK, maybe not, but there

should have been! Why? Well, because they are helpful. If you have a steward who is awesome in or near your depart-ment, lucky you! They are your first line of defense. They have been trained on how to conduct themselves in several types of meetings. The most common meeting for a steward to attend is a Weingarten meeting. This type of meet-ing happens when an employer calls a member into a meeting and the member has asked if the meeting could result in discipline. If the employer says yes, then the member must invoke their Weingar-ten rights. Now is when the steward comes into play. The steward can come into the meeting as a witness and is always allowed to ask clarifying ques-tions and add additional information.

Stewards have been trained on how to help members and issues that may arise in the workplace. A steward can work with union staff on all levels of the member’s issues. We’ve had stew-ards stay involved up through the arbitration process. It all depends on their comfort level. Some stewards just want to remain the question and answer person in the field and that is perfectly ok! It’s more important to have some-

one in the field as a point of contact than no one at all. Plus, if a steward is unable to answer a question or is unsure, he or she has been trained to simply contact union staff. We look for opportunities to get stewards into meetings so they can learn how to conduct themselves. Some units in

Stewards in the Workplace

From theSteward/Field Support Lead

Susan Thomas

From the Field Support Representative

Annette nino

Local 620 do not have many meetings, so stewards either seldom or never get into meetings. We do encourage reps to invite them in when possible. It’s a great learning opportunity for them. We want our stewards to feel confident in their role as a steward.

Another type of meeting stewards sometimes find themselves in is griev-ance meetings. These types of meetings can range from write-ups against our member that we believe is unjust, to fil-ing a grievance against the employer for failing to comply with our mutually agreed upon contract. We can only file a grievance if we can prove there has been a violation to our contract, federal, state, or municipal law, past practice, workers’ rights, personnel policy, or previous rulings or awards. As most stewards have heard, we always try to settle issues with meetings first (lowest level possible), but if we are unsuc-cessful sometimes we have to take it to a grievance. Stewards are sometimes needed for this process and it is their choice whether to stay on board until the issue is resolved.

A Skelly hearing is another meeting a steward may choose to stay involved in. This kind of meeting or process occurs when the employer is attempting to discipline an employee and take away their property rights. For example, wages, vacation bank, vested interest in retirement, or benefits outlined in the MOU. It’s helpful for stewards to understand the process when they stay involved. They can help explain to their coworkers what they can expect to hap-pen if they are ever involved in a Skelly hearing.

If you, or someone you know, think that they would make a great stew-ard, they should consider it. Having an informed membership is what Local 620 strives for!

Contact Susan Thomas (805) 963-0601 x17 susan@seiulocal620.org or Annette Nino (805) 963-0601 x16 annette@seiulocal620.org if you or someone you know is interested in becoming a steward. Training is about two hours and we will come to you!

July 2017 - Around The Local - Page 3

Local 620 and the City of Santa Barbara have reached an agreement for employees

who are a part of the General Unit. The new terms were over-whelmingly approved by voting members of the General Unit, and was approved by City Council. The contract terms are currently in effect, and the con-tract extends from October 1, 2016 until March 30, 2018.

The General Unit Bargaining Team worked long hours and endured difficult negotiations to get the best possible con-tract. Member representatives at the table included General Unit President Stanley Macias, Vice President Dave Harris, and Aundray Richey, Brad Klein, Brian Gronnebeck, Ken Young, and Sue Sadler. So many other members contributed to the process by attending meetings, submitting surveys, providing comments and support, speak-

New Contract for the General Unit, City of Santa Barbara

ing at and attending City Council meetings, picketing, and voting. Thank you all for these contributions.

Salary and Medical. The new con-tract includes a 3% salary increase, retroactive to October 1, 2016. It also includes a $90 per month increase in the amount the City will contribute toward medical coverage costs for family and employee plus one coverage, beginning July 1, 2016.

Breaks Encouraged. This new con-tract contains a commitment by the City to encourage supervisors to allow, where consistent with City business needs, at least a 15 minute paid break for each 4 hour shift, and at least a 1/2 hour unpaid lunch break during a shift of 6 hours or longer. Although breaks are not guaranteed, the employer will need to have a valid business need to deny them. Prior contracts did not have this commitment.

Reminders to Supervisors of Wein-garten Rights. The City has also agreed to remind supervisors--once each year--of employee’s “Weingarten” right to union representation at employee inter-rogations that may result in discipline.

Your RetirementYour Decision – Choose Wisely

If you work for the County of Santa Barbara, the Santa Barbara County Courts, the Santa Barbara County

A.P.C.D. or the Santa Maria Cemetery District, one of the most important decisions you can make as a Union Member has arrived. As an active Union Member and an active Member of the Santa Barbara County Employ-ees Retirement System (S.B.C.E.R.S.), you have the power to elect peo-ple that can heavily influence how your Retirement and your Agency is funded. You as Union Members make the decision as to who will represent your interests in terms of how much you and your employer will pay for your retirement.

Trustee elections for S.B.C.E.R.S. are soon taking place and nomination materials are available to potential candidates effective July 3rd, 2017. One General Member seat which our Active Members can vote on is up for grabs in addition to two Retiree posi-tions that are voted on by Retirees.

IT IS CRUCIAL that our Members exercise their option to vote and sup-port a Candidate that has your best interests at heart. Individuals have already expressed an interest in run-ning for this very important position.

By having the ability to influence the expected rate of return of the Retire-ment system and approve actuarial assumptions, Trustees have massive power over how much money flows into the Retirement System. It is a bal-ancing act. If too few contributions are made into the system, it is difficult to make up investment shortfalls. If

the Retirement Board decides to force more contributions into the system sometimes employers are forced to cut money into agencies and depart-ments that could potentially result in layoffs of our Union Members.

Historically, the County of Santa Barbara has supported initiatives driving the expected rate of return of the system down and increasing the amount of contributions flowing in. It is very important to note that in the fall of 2016, Tom Alvarez, the Coun-ty’s Budget Director, did not support lowering the discount rate to the cur-rent 7%. This may be an indicator that the County Retirement Board has now become more fiscally conserva-tive than the Board of Supervisors. The effects of such fiscal conservatism may be good for funding the Retire-ment System, but may also be bad for our Active Members. Increased money flowing into Retirement typi-cally means less money available to save positions in departments or pay Cost of Living Adjustments (C.O.L.A.’s). On the other hand, there are those that argue that even a 7% rate of return is too high and that more money needs to be poured into the Retirement System to maintain its long-term stability.

Regardless of your own individual viewpoints about the funding of your Retirement, you owe it to yourself to get involved and exercise your vote. More than ever, Retirement Board seats matter. Please take the time to evaluate the candidates and help elect the candidate that matches up best with preserving Retirement benefits while also maintaining operations at your agency or department. While a Trustee’s primary responsibility is to the Members of the Retirement Sys-tem, this duty does not mean causing undo harm to the plan sponsors that pay the bills for the system.

THIS IS YOUR DECISION, make it count. Contact your Union to find out which Retirement Board candidate has been endorsed by the Union and the rationale behind that decision. Get involved. This is your money, your retirement and your decision. Choose wisely. This position involves making decisions on a portfolio that Is currently valued around 2.8 bil-lion dollars. Keep your eyes open for the inevitable mailers coming from the Retirement System. Please take the time to read the elections materi-als, make an informed decision and return the ballots timely in the mail for counting.

From the Field

Representative

Cynthia goena

From the Field

Representative

DARRYL SCHECK

Continued on page 7

Local 620 is dedicated to providing

meaningful, quality service to our members.

We value your constructive input, suggestions and we

encourage you to participate in your union.

Local 620Unite

Participate Overcome

Stronger Together

New Santa Maria

OfficeNOW OPEN

930 S. Broadway,

Ste 106

Page 4 - Around The Local - July 2017

Issues atWork?

We Can Help with Questions About:

• Worksite & Representation Issues

• Worker Rights

• Disciplinary Action

• Grievances

• Suspensions

• Civil Service Rules

• Retirement

• Contract Issues

• Local Campaign Updates

• Membership Benefits

• Field Reps, Stewards, Organizers

• General Local 620 Information

(805) 963-0601Or Drop In to Our

Santa Barbara OfficeSEIU Local 620,

350 S. Hope Ave. #A-103

Santa Barbara, CA 93105

Fax: (805) 963-8341 • Website:

seiulocal620.org

Shamrock Automatic Transmissions309 N. Russell Street • Santa Maria

(805) 922-1254

ExcellentProfessional

DependableSatisfactionGuaranteed

Domestic

Foreign

Service & Repair:All Automatic &

Manual Transmissions

Transfer Cases & Differentials

BeAmong. . .

Bring Your Car or Truck to

Shamrock

. . . theLucky Ones

CountyEmployees!

Present Ad & Receive

10% OFF(on parts)

HH

H

H

Haro, Mindi Boulet, Sylvia Lazos, Margo Wagner, and staff Annette Nino and Bruce Corsaw for proposing and receiving a separate pool of funds to provide for equity adjustments and for the final negotiations on distribution of equity adjustments.

For over 30 years, Local 620 has struggled to keep our represented members as close to market value as possible as outlined in our MOU. Over the years, this process has created controversy because of some classifications receiving adjustments and other clas-sifications not receiving adjustments. Local 620 leadership and staff work hard to provide adjust-ments to as many of our members as possible given the resources available and the extent that classifications are out of market, as well as recruitment, retention, and the willingness of the employer to agree on the clas-sifications receiving equity adjustments. All of these factors are reviewed prior to negotiations and are used in determining which classifications we have the ability to provide adjustments to and which ones will need to wait for the next round. In a perfect world,

the county would maintain all of their staff at mar-ket value, but the County of Santa Barbara is either unable or unwilling to make this a priority.

We sincerely hope that members are pleased that their coworkers will receive adjustments and be patient for their turn to move closer to market value as funds and contract provisions become available. It does help the process when every member takes the effort to monitor his/her market value salary as out-lined in their MOU and if they have questions, they should contact their Local 620 field representative.

Local 620 is dedicated to providing meaningful, quality service to our members. Salary markets are constantly changing, which requires members and staff to monitor salary levels of surveying agencies as specified in our MOU or in accordance with past practices. We look forward to interaction with mem-bers both in a group setting and one on one. We value your constructive input and suggestions and we encourage you to participate in your union.

Mike Woods, Field Operations Supervisor continued from page 1city came back in the second year and offered to put all employees who were below market in their jobs to market value. This was presented, as there was a recruitment and retention issue within the unit.

This year could be a different situation as the city budget is tighter than it has been in the past three years. Putting together a plan of action to present to the city will definitely be a challenge this coming negotiation cycle.

Our next agency is the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District, for which we have a reopener starting in July for one issue only as the MOU is good until June 30, 2018. The Air Pollution Control District is somewhat difficult to deal with because they have a board of fifteen that consists of one or more representatives from each of the agen-cies within Santa Barbara County. Each member of their board has unique issues that their agency deals with that are usually somewhat different from other agencies in the county. This gives them a dif-ferent perspective when they go to make decisions

that affect the Air Pollution Control District. Also, the district has had economic issues for the last several years since the economic downturn in 2008.

As everyone who has been a member of SEIU Local 620 for any number of years knows, it is the agency’s position to get out from the table when bargaining with as little cost as possible for them. This is why we as a union need to set our preferences high so that we can come away with as good an outcome for our members as we possibly can. Some negotiations are cordial and others are not so it is the goal of the bar-gaining team to work to make the process work to the betterment of all our members. This year will be no different from those of the past. Just work hard to achieve the best possible contract outcome for the members of the agency we represent, and everyone wins.

Mike WoodsField Operations SupervisorSEIU Local 620

Bruce Corsaw, Executive Director continued from page 1

H H H H H H H H H H H H

July 2017 - Around The Local - Page 5

Summertime . . .H

HH

HH

H

Page 6 - Around The Local - July 2017

County of Santa Barbara805-681-5276 MEG BEARD SANTA BARBARA PUBLIC HEALTH805-568-2435 BILL BENTON SANTA BARBARA DISTRICT ATTORNEY805-681-5635 JOHN CHAVES SANTA BARBARA PW FLOOD CONTROL805-568-3493 DEEDREA EDGAR SANTA BARBARA PUBLIC DEFENDER805-346-1461 GUADALUPE ENRIQUEZ SANTA MARIA CHILD SUPPORT SERVICES805-896-7011 MARK GUY SANTA BARBARA PARKS805-934-6282 WILLIAM HARO SANTA MARIA LAGUNA SANITATION805-680-0626 BILLY MANN SANTA MARIA PARKS805-346-7175 LURDES NAVARRO SANTA MARIA SOCIAL SERVICES805-934-6150 ELISE PONCE SANTA MARIA SHERIFF805-346-8425 JOSE RUIZ SANTA MARIA PUBLIC HEALTH805-681-5147 SARA SCOFIELD SANTA BARBARA BEHAVIORAL WELLNESS805-266-8694 ALICE SEALUND SANTA MARIA BEHAVIORAL WELLNESS805-739-8609 LUCIA TORRES-GRIJALVA SANTA MARIA PUBLIC HEALTH805-696-1170 LANCE VASQUEZ SANTA BARBARA SOLID WASTE805-614-1338 KATARINA ZAMORA SANTA MARIA BEHAVIORAL WELLNESS

Air Pollution Control District

City of Santa Barbara TAP805-897-2516 AURELIO ARROYO WATER DISTRIBUTION805-284-6492 EVAN ELLISON AIRPORT PATROL805-564-5530 RICK HUBBARD HARBOR PATROL805-625-0553 RAMON URRUTIA WASTE WATER COLLECTION805-722-2902 THOMAS WELCHE WASTE WATER TREATMENT

Goleta Water District805-448-4068 DANIEL DURBIANO OPERATIONS805-879-4643 MISTY WILLIAMS WATER SUPPLY & CONSERVATION

City of Goleta 805-961-7554 CLAUDIA DATO CITY ADMINISTRATION805-704-7232 DARRYL MIMICK CITY ADMINISTRATION

City of Santa Barbara General805-897-2602 BRIAN GRONNEBECK COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BUILDING805-564-5402 X2537 DAVE HARRIS MOTOR POOL805-564-5610 JACQUELYN HILL LIBRARY CENTRAL805-564-5656 BRAD KLEIN PUBLIC WORKS DOWNTOWN PARKING805-964-0450 STANLEY MACIAS AIRPORT MAINTENANCE805-564-5405 X4366 ALEX MAYORGA MOTOR POOL805-564-5433 JEFF MILLER PARKS OPERATIONS805-564-5686 SUE SADLER FINANCE805-897-2606 ELIZABETH SMITH RECREATION805-963-7605 X2582 RICARDO VENEGAS WESTSIDE COMMUNITY CENTER805-284-2609 PATRICIA VOGEL PUBLIC WORKS ENGINEERING805-296-0750 KENNETH YOUNG PUBLIC WORKS ENGINEERING

Santa Maria Cemetery District805-925-4595 JEFF HARSHBARGER DISTRICT MAINTENANCE

Isla Vista Recreation and Park District805-968-2017 ANGELA KAMM IV RECREATION & PARKS DISTRICT805-696-8864 CARLOS VELASCO IV RECREATION & PARKS DISTRICT

City of Carpinteria805-684-5405 X410 LORENA ESPARZA CITY ADMINISTRATION805-684-5405 MANNY GONZALEZ PUBLIC WORKS

City of Santa Maria805-925-0951 X2448 JENNIFER ALVARADO CITY FINANCE805-925-0994 X1518 CARMEN ALVAREZ CITY LIBRARY805-310-6896 X2229 ERIC FAUSEL CITY PUBLIC WORKS YARD805-878-7271 X7270 TIM MCNULTY CITY PW WATER805-878-6406 X2416 TRINIDAD RAMOS CITY RECREATION & PARKS805-714-0138 JIMMY ROACH CITY PW SOLID WASTE805-260-1951 X2268 DERRIK TREUR CITY RECREATION & PARKS805-925-0951 X2428 JAVIER VALENCIA CITY RECREATION & PARKS805-925-0951 X2321 DARLEEN VALLEJO CITY LIBRARY

City of Arroyo Grande805-473-5470 PETER McCLURE CITY PARKS

City of Atascadero805-674-3579 TIMM CLEAVER CITY PW WASTEWATER805-461-5077 BARRY HARDY CITY PW WASTEWATER805-610-6562 MARK RUSSO CITY MAINTENANCE805-226-0612 SCOTT SIMONS CITY MAINTENANCE

Cambria Community Healthcare District 323-547-9644 DANIEL CARIAGA PARAMEDIC408-590-7571 CHRIS CORONADO PARAMEDIC805-975-5220 JEREMY KANTNER EMT/IT

Cambria Community Service District

City of Morro Bay805-772-6254 BECKA KELLY CITY HARBOR805-772-6254 LORI STILTS CITY HARBOR

Oceano Community Services District 805-406-1707 CELIA RUIZ DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION805-806-5138 CASEY STEWART DISTRICT PUBLIC WORKS

City of Paso Robles805-237-3866 AARON BORDEN CITY PUBLIC WORKS WATER805-391-1213 DAN CARRIGAN CITY HALL805- 237-3996 ALICIA DAMEROW CITY ADMINISTRATION805-423-1406 JARED PICKENS CITY PUBLIC WORKS805-237-4737 SHARON WILLIAMS CITY ADMINISTRATION

City of Pismo Beach805-305-0772 ERIN OLSEN CITY HALL

Port San Luis Harbor805-595-5449 BILL GAALSWYK HARBOR MAINTENANCE

San Luis Coastal Unified School District805-534-2850 LYNNE GACAD DISTRICT FOOD SERVICE805-801-0778 JAMES MOODY DISTRICT TRANSPORTATION805-596-4105 MARILYN SPRATT DISTRICT TRANSPORTATION805-544-5770 X2005 KEVIN SULLIVAN DISTRICT GROUNDS MAINTENANCE805-704-9224 DAVID UZONYI DISTRICT MAINTENANCE805-423-3972 CARMEN WATKINS DISTRICT TRANSPORTATION805-423-6058 LARRY WATKINS DISTRICT TRANSPORTATION805-712-2093 CHARLES WOODS DISTRICT TRANSPORTATION

City of Grover Beach805-473-4585 NORA O’DONNELL CITY RECREATION AND PARKS805-473-4540 MARTY SOLIS CITY MAINTAINENCE

Santa Barbara County Superior Court805-448-0995 DEBBIE GRAYDON SUPERIOR COURT – SANTA BARBARA805-614-6596 OLIVIA MCNUTT SUPERIOR COURT – SANTA MARIA

San Luis Obispo County Superior Court Misc. Unit805-781-5671 ANDREA SOLIS SUPERIOR COURT-SLO805-788-2189 DENISE SUBIA SUPERIOR COURT-SLO

San Luis Obispo County Superior Court Technical Unit805-781-5140 LISA ANDREWS SUPERIOR COURT – SLO805-226-6156 NICHOLAS LANA SUPERIOR COURT – SLO

City of Guadalupe805-356-3889 MICHAEL PENA CITY PW WASTEWATER

City of Santa Barbara Hourly Employees805-564-5530 TRACY IRELAND HARBOR OPERATIONS805-280-6033 JENNIFER SIEGEL RECREATION

S tewards are our first line of contact for our rank and file members. If a Member has a problem they should first contact their worksite Steward and discuss the problem with them. The Steward can accompany the member to discipline meetings with their supervisors, can assist the Member with writing rebuttals to discipline notices and contact their Field Representative.

The Field Representatives are kept informed about any and all on-going Member problems, but the Stewards are the main contact for all Members. If you are interested in becoming a Steward contact one of your worksite Stewards for information. Stewards are requested to sign a “Steward Contract” and to get a petition signed by their co-workers. Stewards are also requested to attend training to – educate themselves and keep up-to-date on various rights and laws regarding our Members.

D Stewards by City d

Contact Your Worksite Steward for Information

We are always updating our data base. Please return the member change form to the Santa Barbara Office.

Name: Home Phone:

Address: Work Phone:

City: Zip Code:

Work Location: Fax Number:

Job Title: Date of Birth:

Beneficiary: Relationship:

Email Address: Signature:

Chapter: (Place an “X” next to your Chapter)

MEMBER CHANGE FORM

Santa Barbara Office: 350 S. Hope Ave. #A-103, Santa Barbara, CA 93105If any information has changed:

New address? New Email Address? Name Change? New Job Location? New Job Classification? New Home Phone?

____Air Pollution Control District

____Arroyo Grande, City of

____Atascadero, City of

____Cambria Community Svc District

____Carpinteria, City of

____Goleta Water District

____Grover Beach, City of

____Isla Vista Recreation & Parks Dist.

____Morro Bay, City of

____Paso Robles, City of

____Pismo Beach, City of

____Port San Luis Harbor District

____San Luis Coastal Unified School Dist

____San Luis Obispo Court Tech. Unit

____San Luis Obispo Courts “General”

____Santa Barbara “General,” City of

____Santa Barbara “TAP,” City of

____Santa Barbara, County of

____Santa Barbara Court Employees

____Santa Maria Cemetery District

____Santa Maria, City of

____Retired Chapter

____Guadalupe, City of

____Santa Barbara Hourly, City of

July 2017 - Around The Local - Page 7

Annette Nino, Field Support Representative cont. from page 2suggestions. The survey ends with a nomination form for the member to nominate a fellow member or them-selves to be a representative of the entire unit at the bargaining table. The survey is sent with a self addressed stamped envelope so it is super convenient to pop in the mail after it is filled out.

One of the most important aspects of being represented by a Union is the collective bargaining process and one of the most important parts of being a Union Member is the ability to fill out a bargaining survey. The information gathered from every bargaining sur-vey that Local 620 receives, will form the proposals that are taken to the negotiating table. The bargaining team nominations are tallied and used to help determine who will be a representa-tive of the entire bargaining unit; this is your opportunity to choose who will sit across the table from management and negotiate terms of employment on your behalf.

Nominated bargaining team mem-bers are contacted and asked if they in fact want to take on the role of a bargaining team member. Some folks may not want that role and that’s ok, but if you have ever received that call, rise up and accept this important nomination because we need mem-ber representation from all different departments and we need your par-ticular style and work experience at the table. Everyone brings something different and beneficial, the veteran team member brings a great deal of experience and knowledge and a first-time team member brings a set of fresh eyes to look at things with new innovation and together magic can be made.

We need a certain strength and con-fidence in the individual who takes a seat at the negotiating table. You may think that the strength is to shield one-self from management and that’s not it. Employers know that those who sit at the bargaining table are at the same level as management when acting in his/her official capacity as a bargaining team member. I have heard of “rocks” being thrown at team members from, a relatively small amount of, other mem-bers. Unfortunately being on the team can be a thankless job at times because some of the other members don’t real-ize the level of selfless devotion that the bargaining team contributes to this process. Depending on the length of time that goes into negotiating your MOU, a bargaining team can work a few months or even an entire year. Team members are compensated while engaged in negotiations, as long as those hours are the same as the indi-vidual’s working hours. So in other words, if you normally get off of work at 3:00pm and negotiations are going until 5pm you will not be compensated for the last two hours. The bargaining team meets prior to negotiations with the employer to develop their game plan; meetings can sometimes be dur-ing the workday or sometimes in the evening after work. If team meetings are not within the member’s work schedule then the dedicated team member is unwaveringly working to come to a solution of the issues raised

by membership on their own time and away from their families. The personal time these folks contribute to achieve the best contract they can get for their fellow members is a remarkable and admirable act of kindness and bravery. They are brave because they continue to work towards fairness, safety and a better wage for you and they know not every single individual will be happy, but they do know that they can and will impact change as long as they con-tinue to fight. Sometimes there are big victories and sometimes they achieve a foot in the door. Your MOU can always be built upon so even if it is just a foot in the door, the team has laid a foun-dation for future negotiations. The team’s theme throughout negotiations is whatever is best for the membership. So put down those stones and instead be constructive in making change happen in your united role with your team. Step up to the plate and join your brave brothers and sisters at the table, in the field, or at your worksite to help achieve a fair contract.

The main goal of collective bargain-ing is to get a tentative agreement (TA) between the parties. In order to reach a TA, both parties must come to a mutual agreement. Bargaining team members make every effort to accommodate members’ wishes by developing a strategy; they identify items that must be achieved, what they would like to achieve and what is the least that they will agree to. In proposal based negotia-tions a first proposal would be handed to the other party, then a counter pro-posal would be returned, a back and forth exchange will go on, some issues will be withdrawn and the language of the remaining issues will be shaped until both parties are content. If nego-tiations results in a stalemate, impasse may be declared and then impasse resolution would commence as well as job actions by membership to encour-age the agency to resolve outstanding issues.

Every member has the opportunity to take part in each step of collec-tive bargaining; every member can be there through the process all the way to implementation. Choose a level of involvement, but by all means be involved. Fill out your bargain-ing surveys. Attend Union meetings. Nominate someone or yourself to be on the bargaining team, they will be a representative for you. Talk to your Union Steward, Bargaining Team member, CAT member or Union staff; take initiative to keep yourself informed and if you see that your work location needs some guidance, call the office and ask for an onsite depart-ment meeting. When your contract reaches a tentative agreement, follow directions and submit your vote. The only way that you make change hap-pen, is for you to step up and make change happen. Local 620 staff and team members are here for you, we will support you and will do our best to lead you to victory, but you must show up in order to be led.

In solidarity,Annette Ninoannette@seiulocal620.org

Cynthia Goena, Field Representative continued from page 3

Although most supervisors are well aware of union employee’s rights to union representation for such interro-gations, these annual reminders should make it easier for employees to assert their legal rights.

Streets Safety Audit. The City has agreed to conduct a safety audit for the Streets crews in Public Works in 2017. Union representatives fought for this because the workloads of Streets crews has increased, new equipment was placed into operation, full time staffing is reduced, and a management audit identified areas warranting improve-ment. Accidents and injuries, long hours, limited breaks, thinly staffed crews, limited supervision and train-ing in that hard working department reached unacceptable levels. The find-ings of the audit will be reviewed by subcommittees of the Union and the City. The findings of the audit will be considered for adoption as standard practice.

Performance Improvement Plan Disputes. Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs) are now included in Arti-cle 17 of the MOU. This new process allows the employee to bring their complaint to the attention of a higher authority. Disputes or complaints regarding Performance Improve-ment Plans will be treated as they are for performance appraisals. Disputes will first be discussed with the indi-vidual who imposed the PIP, and if the employee is dissatisfied with that individual’s response, they may dis-cuss the complaint about the PIP with the individual at the next higher level of supervision. The employee has the right to be represented by counsel or another individual, including a union representative, during the discus-sions. The decision of the person at the next higher level of supervision is the final decision. Before this contract, there was no mention of Performance Improvement Plans in the MOU, and some members had asserted that this process has been misused by some supervisors

Changes to Job Postings. Impor-tant changes have been made to the Job Posting procedures. As a result, it is important to check your City email if you wish to be informed of open-ings. The old practice of posting paper job flyers on employee bul-letin boards in all departments is ended. City management will instead post information of how to access job recruitment informa-tion on those employee bulletin boards. Job flyers will continue to be posted on the bulletin board outside the Human Resources Office in City Hall, with paper copies available on request. All available positions will be posted on the website, and the City will send a weekly email to all employ-ees of current recruitments and their closing dates.

Benefits Committee Participa-tion. For the first time the General Unit contract includes an assur-ance that representatives of the General Unit will meet with City representatives in March, June and August to discuss health, life, and disability plan renewals (provid-ers and coverage terms). The City has met with representatives of the General Unit in the “Benefits Committee” in the past, but plac-ing it in the contract assures that these meetings will continue. This new term also requires the City to provide relevant data a reasonable time in advance, where practica-ble and clarifies that a union staff member may attend. These meet-ings are advisory only, but past history evidences that the opinions of bargaining unit representatives are heard. The new term requires that the City give due consider-

ation to the General Unit’s greater number of represented employees when making decisions on these plans.

Catastrophic Leave Policy; Sur-vey. The Catastrophic Leave Policy is now incorporated by reference and is no longer attached as an Appendix to the MOU. The Policy continues in place, allowing employee donation of eligible accrued time off to a coworker dealing with a catastrophic illness of injury to the coworker and or his spouse, registered domestic partner, or child. The policy does not currently allow donations for catastrophic ill-nesses of parents, but the City will soon conduct a Citywide survey to determine whether there is support to consider adding parents to the policy.

Discipline. The MOU now identi-fies types of discipline: oral reprimand, written reprimand, suspension with-out pay and dismissal. It contains a reference to pre- or post-disciplinary procedures under Chapter 3.16 of the Municipal Code that may apply to classified employees.

Family Friendly Policies. What had previously been called “Childcare Personnel Policies” will now be called “Family Friendly Policies”, found in Appendix B to the MOU. A new term allows part time General Unit employ-ees who work fewer than 30 hours per week and would not qualify to take FMLA leave because he or she had not worked the required 1250 hours in 12 months to take unpaid leave to care for an FMLA qualifying family member with a serious health condition. The City will pay contributions to insur-ance for the first 90 days of leave. The Family Medical Leave Act does not give these employees the rights to take such FMLA leave, so this is an addi-tional right for part time employees to keep their job and medical benefits while caring for certain ill relatives.

ACA Impacts. The parties will nego-tiate on cost-neutral changes to medical contributions to avoid impacts of the Affordable Care Act.

Negotiations will begin in December for the next contract. Thank you again, one and all.

Cynthia Goena

Sam Ramirez, Field Representative continued from page 1While technology has made our

life a little easier and connected us in amazing ways, it also threatens some of the work public sector employees do. We will need to adapt to these changes by bargaining better, organiz-ing better. We see it in the City of Santa Barbara where reading a parking or water meter uses more technology and less workers. This trend will con-tinue so we must anticipate it and be prepared for it.

The most important step in engag-ing our members is to understand

why we are engaging them. SEIU Local 620’s mission is pretty simple, to improve the working and living con-ditions of our members.

While there is no replacement for human contact like a phone call with Union Staff or an in person conversa-tion, we recognize that technology is here to stay and it’s important for us as a labor union to embrace it and use it, because as Heraclitus noted more than a 1000 years ago, the only thing that is constant is – change.

Page 8 - Around The Local - July 2017