CSUEU E-News: April 16, 2009
Biweekly news digest from the California State University Employees Union
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BE SURE TO VOTE ON MAY 19!
NEW WEINGARTEN KYR IS NOW AVAILABLE
CSU CHICO RALLY ABOUT SUMMER WORK SCHEDULES
CSEA BENEFITS FAIR SET FOR MAY 14
WEB UPDATE
UPCOMING EVENTS
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Be Sure to Vote on May 19!
CSUEU is joining forces with SEIU leadership, the California Faculty Association and a variety of other concerned groups to get out the vote for the special election on May 19. It’s important for all CSUEU members to take part in this crucial election and to vote against Proposition 1A.
If passed, Prop. 1A will impose a spending cap on the state’s general fund, which is destined to wreak havoc with the CSU budget for many years to come.
When the state legislature finally adopted a two-year state budget in February, it placed seven propositions on upcoming ballots, including six for the May 19 special election and one for the June, 2010, primary ballot. Only five of the seven measures are budget-related, with the remaining two related to legislative pay and primary elections. Of the five budget-related propositions, CSUEU members should be especially concerned about 1A , which:
- Creates a “rainy day fund,” called the Budget Stabilization Fund (BSF), that will ultimately become a slush fund that would allow unlimited borrowing
- Requires that three percent of annual general fund revenue be diverted from the budget and deposited into the BSF until the BSF balance equals 12.5 percent of General Fund revenues--even in a year like this, when we are in the depths of a recession, with state revenues falling
- Gives the governor extraordinary unilateral power over the budget. The director of finance, a political appointee of the governor, makes all the critical decisions, determining when revenues are “excessive” and can be diverted into the “rainy day” fund, with no checks and balances from the legislature
- Gives the governor more power to make unilateral cuts to the budget after it is signed into law, again with no oversight by the legislature (through a corollary law that kicks in if 1A passes)
During the budget process, CSUEU opposed the budget cap, which the governor and legislature hastily drew up with little review. If approved by voters, 1A’s budget cap provision will divert billions of our tax dollars away from our schools, colleges, home care, and healthcare, even in bad years. As a result, our schools, healthcare, and other vital public services will face even deeper cuts in the future and will never recover from this downturn.
Read Proposition 1A.
Read SEIU’s analysis of the current state budget and of each of the propositions.
Read the California Budget Project’s analysis of this controversial initiative (PDF).
New Weingarten KYR Is Now Available
A new Know Your Rights flyer devoted to Weingarten rights is now available 
for download from the Know Your Rights section of the online Library (go to p. 2 for KYR #16). Titled “Know Your Right to Representation: When Your Supervisor Calls You into a Meeting,” it outlines the rights of represented employees during investigatory interviews with supervisors when they reasonably believe that the interview might result in discipline.
As the flyer text states, “You must request union representation! Management is not required to tell you that you have a right to have a union steward present. You must request their presence.”
“Know Your Rights flyers are great tools for finding out the basics of union representation issues in a compact, easy-to-read format,” explains Lois Kugelmass, the Senior Labor Relations Representative who oversees KYR development. “It’s well worth your time to look over all the Know Your Rights flyers available in the Library as a quick refresher course on representation basics.”
CSU Chico Rally About Summer Work Schedules
CSU Chico Chapter 302 held a noontime rally today calling for a fair transition to a four-day summer work week. The action followed results of a just-completed chapter survey showing that, although a narrow majority favors the schedule change, fully 31 percent of 500 staff respondents disagree that this is a good schedule change for them. Chapter leadership is scheduled for a Meet and Confer with administration tomorrow to pursue the topic further.
CSEA Benefits Fair Set for May 14 at the Capitol
On Thursday, May 14, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., CSEA hosts its 3rd Annual CSEA Member Benefits Fair, taking place on the East Lawn (near the fish pond) of the State Capitol grounds in Sacramento. The event showcases the wide range of benefits that CSEA provides its 140,000 members throughout California, including CSUEU members.
Benefit providers will have the opportunity to interact with more than 1,000 state workers expected to attend the event, providing them not only with valuable information about available products and services, but also lots of giveaways. Attendees will be able to learn about the discounts, insurance and other benefits that only union members may receive.
As an added bonus, a popular SeaWorld animal exhibit will simultaneously take place on the Capitol grounds, giving participants even more fun, interesting things to do.
Hope to see you there!
For photos of last year’s fair and for further benefits information, visit the Member Benefits home page.
Web Update
A box devoted to CSEA Member Benefits is now available on the lower right corner of the CSUEU home page. Links include a newly created statewide map specifying which of four Employee Benefits Representatives is assigned to each CSUEU chapter.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Monday-Wednesday, April 27-29
CSUEU Lobby Day
Capitol Building, Sacramento
Tuesday-Wednesday, May 12-13
CSU Board of Trustees meeting
Chancellor’s Office, Long Beach
Thursday, May 14, 10 a.m.-4p.m.
CSEA Benefits Fair
East Lawn, State Capitol grounds
Tuesday, 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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