CSUEU E-News: March 19, 2009
Biweekly news digest from the California State University Employees Union
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RALLY PRECEDES MEETING ON “TRIGGER” FUNDING
CSU CONTRACT PROPOSALS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING, MARCH 13-15
MEMBER BENEFITS NEWSLETTER
UPCOMING EVENTS
Rally Precedes Meeting On “Trigger” Funding
With the CSU on the verge of being slashed a third time this school year, faculty members and others opposing state budget cuts gathered on the steps of the state Capitol early Tuesday morning.
They rallied to urge an accurate accounting of federal stimulus dollars so that the state’s public universities and essential social programs will retain the 2009/10 funding promised in the state budget adopted by the legislature last month.
Federal funds shortfall will trigger cuts
Buried in the complexities of that budget deal is a “trigger” to release funding that will otherwise be cut if the federal money coming to California via the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) falls below a pre-determined level. Those cuts include $50 million from the CSU budget, plus more than $900 million in other cuts to essential social services. There is more than one way to count that money, so the CSU is at the mercy of arcane accounting issues that are now hotly debated.
The state legislature has ordered State Treasurer Bill Lockyer and Dept. of Finance Director Mike Genest to decide by April 1 whether California will receive enough funds from the federal government to stop the new cuts. Within a few days, CSUEU President Pat Gantt will be sending a letter to both Lockyer and Genest urging them to keep CSU’s best interests in mind as they deliberate this question. Specifically, he’ll ask whether certain federal stimulus funds could be used to offset state general funds coming to the CSU.
Use Capwiz to email Lockyer!
Last week, the Alliance for the CSU asked university supporters to send messages to Lockyer urging him to count the federal stimulus money in a way that will prevent further cuts to the CSU. More than 1,500 staff, faculty and students have sent a message to him so far. You can send him a message from the CSUEU Capwiz site, always accessible via the “Contact Your Legislators” button on the CSUEU home page.
Alliance for the CSU members at Long Beach have posted a video to YouTube asking the campus community to send messages to Lockyer. Watch the video.
View the many comments already sent to Treasurer Lockyer about the trigger cuts, as posted on his office’s web site.
CSU Contract Proposals
Our current contract expires on June 30. We have made proposals to CSU for changes to the contract, and we have made those proposals public, a process known as sunshining.
Through this process, CSU has just presented its proposals for changes, and those proposals have been posted to the “Contracts and Proposals” section of the Bargaining page. We will be posting a comparison of our proposal to CSU’s as soon as the bargaining team is able to meet to review CSU’s proposals in detail.
With the sunshining process now concluded, the parties are able to begin negotiations on the successor agreement. No bargaining dates have been set yet.
Board of Directors Meeting, March 12-16
The Executive Officers and Board of Directors met in Redondo Beach over four days last weekend to discuss current union issues on behalf of represented employees, with a special talk about conflict resolution on Saturday morning.
This was the first of three Board of Directors meetings this year, with the next meeting set for June 26-28, 2009. The Executive Officers conducted a one-day meeting on Thursday, March 12, committees met all day on Friday, and the Board of Directors met in all-day sessions on the weekend.
Meeting at the Crowne Plaza Redondo Beach, the Board of Directors had plenty on their agenda, beginning with meetings on Friday of the Representation, Finance, Policy File, Classification, Legislative, Organizing, and Communications committees.
Saturday began with Bargaining Unit 2 and 5 meetings over breakfast, followed by the first of two meetings of the full Board of Directors at 10 a.m.
Jean De Costa, PhD, dean of students at Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo, started the Saturday meeting with a lively, two-hour discussion of interpersonal conflicts that can come up in the workplace, along with approaches to resolving them. A former psychotherapist, she provided hypothetical difficult cases--including a person who must stand by as a co-worker unfairly takes credit for a completed project--and asked the group to brainstorm on solutions. Topics included past events and negative experiences that color our reactions to workplace events, learning to recognize those reactions, and finding ways to move beyond them to constructive action. Discussion also involved tips for union leaders in representing members who are experiencing conflicts in their workplaces.
Photo: Jean De Costa, PhD, dean of students at Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo.
Several participants had read The Four Agreements - A Practical Guide To Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz and spoke highly of it. Read about this book's key tenets (PDF).
The day ended with Bargaining Unit 7 and 9 meetings in the late afternoon, and the weekend meeting ended with an all-day session on Sunday. The event provided participants with many opportunities for networking, catching up on the latest developments, and breaking bread together.
Member Benefits Newsletter
Check out the latest CSUEU member benefits newsletter, filled with special deals reserved for CSEA affiliates. Included are reduced rates on theme parks, shows, long-term care insurance, and legal assistance, among many other benefits.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Tuesday-Wednesday, March 24-25
CSU Board of Trustees Meeting
401 Golden Shore, Long Beach
Friday-Sunday, March 27-29
CSEA Women’s Conference
Holiday Inn, Capitol Plaza, Sacramento
Information: (916) 326-4217
Tuesday, March 31
César Chávez Day
CSUEU Headquarters closed
Monday-Wednesday, April 27-29
CSUEU Lobby Day
Capitol Building, Sacramento
May 19
Special Election
Register to vote now
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See back issues of CSUEU E-News, distributed every other Thursday.
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