CSUEU E-News: April 30, 2009
Biweekly news digest from the California State University Employees Union
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THE LATEST ON PROP. 1A
INFLUENZA UPDATE
CSUEU LOBBY DAY 2009
CSUEU WELCOMES NEW LEADERSHIP FACES
HEALTH AND SAFETY VICTORY AT THE SFSU LIBRARY
CSUEU CO-SPONSORS HEALTH AND SAFETY TRAINING
LIBRARY ASSISTANT SURVEY IN THE WORKS
WEB UPDATE
UPCOMING EVENTS
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The Latest on Prop. 1A
Working with SEIU California State Council, CSUEU has developed a No on 1A flyer available here for download as a PDF. A new Spanish-language version is available here as well.
Each chapter will soon be receiving a supply of “No on 1A” buttons urging staff, faculty and students to vote against this measure on the May 19 ballot.
Staff, faculty members, students and university supporters are needed to help defeat Prop. 1A and protect the CSU. CSUEU has joined with the California Faculty Association for a joint sign-up campaign that will result in a combined database. Please sign up to express your opposition to Prop 1A.
The CSUEU home page now links to a new “Vote No on Prop. 1A” campaign web site, where visitors can get updates on the campaign as well as other helpful resources.
Check out CSUEU’s Prop. 1A Frequently Asked Questions, filled with facts and background about this measure.
Opponents of Prop 1A scored a major victory over the weekend when they convinced delegates to the California Democratic Party convention not to endorse prop 1A. Following a weekend of intense and emotional lobbying by both sides, delegates to the convention voted against endorsing Prop 1A – despite legislative leadership pushing for a yes vote. Read an April 27 San Francisco Chronicle article with further details.
The CSU Emeritus and Retired Faculty Association (ERFA) held its spring State Council meeting last weekend and voted to oppose Prop. 1A. After a spirited debate, council representatives voted two-to-one to oppose the measure. CSU-ERFA represents over 9,000 retired faculty members from throughout the CSU system.
Influenza Update
It appears that one student each at CSU Long Beach and CSU San Diego has come down with swine flu, also known as Influenza A (H1N1). CSUEU is monitoring the situation, with a conference call to the Office of the Chancellor set for late this afternoon. We will keep you posted with news as it develops. Following are various resources:
April 29 Memo from the Chancellor
CSU Systemwide Risk Management – Flu Information
California Department of Public Health – Flu Information
CSUEU Lobby Day 2009
Photo by Eduard Rosales
Over the last three days, CSUEU members representing 23 chapters descended on the Capitol for legislative visits and training. Lobby Day 2009 took place Monday through yesterday, and, by all accounts, was more successful than ever.
Upwards of 60 members visited more than 50 senators and assemblymembers. A reception on Tuesday evening drew 10 legislators, plus another five staffers, a good reflection on members’ relationships with legislators.
“CSUEU’s Lobby Day gets better every year,” says CSEA Governmental Affairs Manager Sherrie Golden. “We had more visits by more participant members than ever. It’s an indication that members are getting more politically involved, supported by a very effective, dedicated Legislative Committee.”
“The energy was high--even some of the new people went in there charged and ready to go,” adds Legislative Committee Chair Natalia Bremer of SFSU Chapter 305. “Among our key messages was that CSUEU will take a stand to support legislators who support higher education despite today’s difficult budget constraints.”
Each visit included at least one member constituent who lives or works in the senator’s or assemblyperson’s district, often building on already-existing relationships. San Francisco-based Assemblywoman Fiona Ma attended the Tuesday reception based on her strong relationships with members of the SFSU chapter.
Unlike more recent years, this year’s agenda broke out training and legislative visits into separate days, with a training day on Monday, legislative visits on Tuesday, and training for follow-up district visits on Wednesday.
The next step is following up Lobby Day with those district office visits. Among the tips shared in Wednesday’s training:
• Schedule district office visits on a Friday, as legislators set aside Fridays to meet constituents in their districts
• Go with a group of three or four other constituents
• Explain what CSUEU does
• Leave behind materials about CSUEU
“It’s critical to visit representatives’ district offices as soon as possible,” advises Legislative Committee Vice Chair Andrew Coile of CSU Monterey Bay Chapter 322. “Visits to district offices can be powerful. They’re an essential way to build on this year’s successful visits in the Capitol.”
CSUEU Welcomes New Leadership Faces
A fresh generation of leadership is moving into place at CSUEU, with fully one-third of the union’s 24 chapters voting in new presidents in recently completed officer elections across the state.
“We’re very proud of the high quality of this new cohort of leaders,” says CSUEU President Pat Gantt. “Their enthusiasm, leadership abilities and commitment to union activism are an inspiration for the entire organization.”
Typical of this new breed is Leeanne Bowes, who has just started a two-year tenure as president of Chapter 304 at Sonoma State University (SSU). An IT expert who has provided workstation support for SSU staff and faculty for the last 28 years, she also supervises a help desk 25 percent of her time. Drawn to union work out of a desire to help fellow employees avoid pitfalls, her key goal as chapter president is raising awareness about the importance of the union. As she puts it, “In troubled times, we need to stick together.”
Joseph Dobzynski, president of Chapter 324 at CSU Channel Islands, leads a team of programmers and analysts to administer the PeopleSoft Campus Solutions system. This native of Genoa, Illinois, holds a degree in mathematics from the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater, with a minor in philosophy. “My college studies introduced me to many philosophical systems, but political systems encouraged me most,” he recalls. “What keeps me involved in union work is the opportunity to grow our union and to shape campus policies, contracts and processes in a way that emphasizes the individuals doing the job.”
Steven Mottaz, the new president of Chapter 301 at Humboldt State University, is a Long Beach native now living in Eureka who works as a systems specialist handling such tasks as statistical reporting, database management and web development. What draws him to union work? “I like being a part of something bigger than myself,” he explains. His goals for his chapter include increased membership, more workshop-style membership meetings on specific topics, a full slate of events throughout the year, more member participation, and a redesigned chapter web site.
Jacqueline Otis, president of Chapter 317 at CSU Fullerton, is a Dallas native now living in Aliso Viejo. An administrative analyst and webmaster for Student Academic Services, she holds a BS in business administration/marketing from North Texas State University. “What keeps me involved in CSUEU,” she says, “is knowing that the union negotiates the contract that I work under, as well as knowing that the only real support for employees in Bargaining Units 2, 5, 7 and 9 comes from the union.” Her chapter goals are providing excellent support for members and increasing both membership and member participation.
Chico native Jessica Post, president of Chapter 302 at CSU Chico, holds an MBA as well as a BA in recreation administration from CSU Chico, where she serves as a payroll/benefits representative. What first got her involved in union work? “I wanted to better understand our contract and how it’s formed,” she says. “I was seeking different viewpoints on how to interpret the contract. And what keeps me involved today? The great group of people here at CSU Chico!”
Rounding out the freshman roster are Gilbert Garcia of Chapter 311 at CSU Los Angeles, Kim Harrington of Chapter 303 in Sacramento, and Cynthia Jones-Hunter of Chapter 314 Dominguez Hills.
Congratulations to all!
Health and Safety Victory at the SFSU Library
Led by S.F. State University BU7 Rep Joseph Jelincic, CSUEU successfully filed a complaint with Cal/OSHA on April 9 over conditions in the J. Paul Leonard library after learning that employees were still working in the building, which is closed for major renovations. The then-decrepit site, set to reopen in two years, has already been made habitable by the university. Until these recent fixes, it had just one working exit, fire sprinklers with no water, and only limited lighting, among many other problems.
Though S.F. State’s Office of Safety and Risk Management immediately dismissed these problems as minor, Cal/OSHA made it clear that it considered them very serious. As a result of the complaint, management soon took significant steps to improve employee safety in the library construction zone.
The union action caught the attention of the student newspaper, Golden Gate [X]press, which made the situation the subject of a major feature story on April 23 whose headline read, “Danger in the Library? Union Official Calls Library ‘Death Trap’.”
Jelincic additionally informed all library staff about the complaint as a way of educating them about health and safety issues on campus.
“These combined efforts really paid off,” says Jelincic, who holds a BA in labor studies from SFSU and whose current CSU job involves interfacing between campus facilities and some 5000 students living on campus. “The combination of the school paper article, staff education and the Cal/OSHA filing led to an amazingly quick resolution of our complaints.”
Employees are reminded to report unsafe work conditions or workplace injuries to their administrator immediately. Contact a CSUEU steward if you need assistance.
CSUEU Co-Sponsors Occupational Health and Safety Training in Sonoma
CSUEU and several Sonoma County unions and building trades are partnering to offer a free occupational health and safety course over three Saturdays at Sonoma State University. Taking place August 8, 15 and 22, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., this 24-hour workshop will train participants to take leadership roles in the workplace.
Sonoma State University’s School of Extended Education hosts the course, which covers key occupational safety and health concepts. The curriculum includes core modules addressing topics relevant to workers in a variety of California workplaces, with a series of supplemental modules covering specific topics and hazards.
Open to workers and managers from all industries, the workshop is part of the Worker Occupational Safety and Health Training and Education Program (WOSHTEP), a statewide initiative aimed at reducing occupational injuries and illnesses and workers’ compensation costs in California workplaces.
Other unions and community groups sponsoring the Sonoma workshop include: North-Bay Labor Council, AFL-CIO; Sonoma-Lake-Mendocino Building Trades Council, AFL-CIO; and UC Berkeley’s Labor Occupational Health Program. It takes place in Room 2016, Second Floor, Salazar Hall, Sonoma State University. For more information, contact UC Berkeley’s Valeria Velazquez, (510) 643-2090.
Library Assistant Survey in the Works
The bargaining team is preparing a survey designed to allow Library Assistants to express their opinions on various negotiations options. All LAs should be on the lookout for the survey early next week and be prepared to respond quickly in order to provide guidance to the team as it moves into the next negotiations phase.
Web Update
Check out the newly written short history of the CSUEU, linked from the “About CSUEU” box on the home page. You’re certain to learn new facts about CSUEU, whose roots go back some 30 years before the formation of the CSU system in 1960.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
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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