CSUEU E-News: May 14, 2009
Biweekly news digest from the California State University Employees Union
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CSUEU/CSU CONTRACT EXTENDED FOR TWO YEARS
CSUEU PRESS RELEASE AGAINST PROP. 1A
CAL STATE L.A. HOSTS SUCCESSFUL “NO ON 1A” RALLY
FRANK BORRELLI RECEIVES LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
STEWARDS AND STAFF PURSUE LABOR RELATIONS PROGRAMS
WEB UPDATES
UPCOMING EVENTS
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CSUEU/CSU Contract Extended for Two Years
This May 12 Contract Negotiations News provides details on a two-year extension of the CSUEU/CSU contract.
“This agreement locks in benefits for the next two years, including parking fees, ensuring our members against erosion of benefits during these difficult economic times,” explains VP for Representation Dennis Dillon. “It further allows us to return to the bargaining table for any economic reason, especially if the CSU budget picture improves during this two-year period or if any other CSU union negotiates a salary increase, neither of which seems likely at this time.”
Prior issues of Contract Negotiations News can be downloaded as PDFs from the bottom right corner of the Bargaining page. Questions can be sent to the bargaining team, using the contact information listed at the end of the Contract Negotiation News.
CSUEU Distributes Press Release Against Prop. 1A Today
CSUEU is widely distributing a press release today announcing its opposition to Prop. 1A. It quotes CSUEU President Pat Gantt saying, “This bill will result in massive cuts to vital public services, permanently locking in all of the deep budget cuts made in recent years to the CSU system. Because it uses recent CSU fiscal years as its baseline, Prop. 1A would institutionalize and make permanent more than 10 years of cuts to the CSU, with no prospect of ever substantially increasing state funding to the university.”
On Tuesday, a special edition of E-News was published devoted to the No on 1A campaign. 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 also available for download.
Cal State L.A. Hosts Successful “No on 1A Rally”
Last Tuesday, the CSULA chapters of CSUEU, CFA, APC and SETC-United co-sponsored a Rock the Vote rally against Prop. 1A that drew upwards of 400 participants.
As CSULA Chapter 311’s Linda Nunez puts it, “The event was awesome. Folks were chanting and dancing--basically having a great time. We handed out almost 1,000 book markers and had about 250 No on Prop. 1A balloons placed across campus and at the rally.”
She adds, “Most who attended the rally had already completed one of our pledges, and some folks told us they had already voted no on Prop. 1A via absentee ballots. We collected many pledges, including 96 student, 15 community, 11 staff and 12 faculty.”
Among the many media outlets covering the event were KABC-TV, KTTV, and the influential Spanish-language newspaper, La Opinion.
Speakers included new CSUEU Chapter President Gilbert Garcia, CFA Chapter President Rita Ledesma, CSULA School of Social Work Director Karen Elliott Brown, and representatives of student and union groups from across the campus.
“Special thanks to all the wonderful volunteers who made this great event possible,” says Linda. “Once again, we demonstrated that, working together, we can do it!”
Frank Borrelli Receives Lifetime Achievement Award
In a special ceremony on May 5, Chapter 308 President Frank Borrelli received the CSU Stanislaus Staff Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his 22 years of service to the campus community.
“As he tells it, Frank started out in Facilities Services with a box for a desk, a clipboard, and a broken pen,” quipped Staff Award Council Committee Member and CSUEU Chapter Secretary April Dunham-Filson in presenting the prestigious award. “Over the years, he has moved his way up: he now has a real desk and an office with an actual door.
“In addition to his duties in Property Control, Mailroom and numerous other departments he manages, Frank is an active member of the University Budget Advisory Committee and has served on many other committees, including the Business and Finance Recruitment Committee,” she added. “He’s given so much of himself and his personal time to this University that it would be hard to imagine this place without him.”
Criteria for winning the award include:
• contributes to improving or developing processes that result in significant improvement to productivity, service, or cost savings to the University
• exemplifies citizenship of the University and local community through service to others and successful involvement in programs or initiatives aligned with the University mission
• has provided dedicated, outstanding, and continuous service to the University for 10+ years
• inspires other employees to come to him/her for guidance and direction
• goes out of the way to assist other employees beyond the scope of his/her own area of responsibility
In his note of congratulations, CSUEU President Pat Gantt said, “You are the model chapter president and have built a chapter that exceeds the standards for organizing, representation and political activity.”
“This is a perfect example of how looking for areas of common interests and goals works well even for union officers,” added Chief of Staff Phillip Coonley. “Once you’ve established yourself as someone who is out for the greater good, your credibility works for you when it is time to go toe-to-toe.”
“The union can be looked at as a positive force for solving problems,” says Borrelli, who has served as chapter president for 12 years. “Our chapter’s success in representing our members didn’t happen overnight. It took many years of planning, communicating, lobbying and negotiating to make the campus community see the good in what we do.”
His words of wisdom regarding the award: “If you stay vigilant, live and fight for what you believe in, anything is possible. Everything starts and ends with people.”
Stewards and Staff Pursue Labor Relations Programs
Several stewards and CSUEU staff members have recently taken advantage of labor relations programs at local colleges and universities, becoming advocates for continuing education along the way.
Joseph Small, a steward at CSU Sacramento Chapter 303, is just one class away from completing UC Davis Extension’s certificate program in labor-management relations. Over the last two years, he’s taken such courses as “Introduction to Labor-Management Relations,” “The American Labor Movement,” “Preparing for Negotiations,” “Employment Law,” and “Labor Contract Negotiation.”
“Two years ago,” he explains, “LRR Roni Jennings recognized my passion for employee rights and suggested that I look into the UC Davis Extension program. Following that advice has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”
The courses, he says, have helped him understand the labor process from different perspectives, including labor vs. human resources and the private vs. the public sectors, all based on a foundation of knowledge about the statutes that protect union, employee, and the employer rights.
“During my labor law class, I worked closely with Roni on a discrimination case and was able to get the employee a settlement,” he says. “The class taught me how to identify discrimination and unfair labor practices, administer and enforce labor contracts, and write case briefs and unfair labor practices.”
Earlier this year, he further used his classroom experience by assisting SLRR Lois Kugelmass in successfully negotiating a contract for CSUS food service workers. “I was able to use skills that I learned in my classes on preparing for and negotiating a contract, including conducting market salary and consumer price index research,” he explains. “Book learning is one thing, but when you’re doing it in the field at the same time, it’s great.”
He adds, “Labor law classes are good for anyone interested in becoming a chief steward or VP for representation.”
Jennings completed the UC Davis Extension program in mid-April (congratulations, Roni!), SLRR Teven Laxer completed the same program several years ago, LRR Jerrie McIntyre took "Preparing for Negotiations" early this year, and LRR Michael Hejazi recently immersed himself in the program’s intensive three-day class, “Negotiating a Labor Agreement.”
“I encourage members to pursue labor courses,” says Hejazi, “because it helps both them and the union, plus it’s usually affordable, especially at the community colleges. I think everyone who wants to be an activist should check out their local community college’s and university extension programs.”
The UC Davis program encompasses six three-unit, 10-week classes, all meeting for three hours per week. Click here to learn more about the program or call (800) 752-0881.
Also check out your local community college’s offerings, since many junior colleges offer comparable labor-management programs. For instance, Los Angeles Trade Tech, among many others, has an outstanding, widely recognized program that’s been in place for many years; LRR Hubert Lloyd completed this certificate program in 2003. LA Trade Tech can be reached at (213) 763-7129.
Web Updates
Nine Know Your Rights flyers (#s 3-9 and 12-13) have just been updated with the KYR masthead, most of them having been converted from Word documents into PDFs. Check out their spiffy new look in the Library’s Know Your Rights folder.
In the same Library folder is a newly developed FAQ about influenza, available for download if there are concerns at your chapter about the H1N1 or other flu issues.
Check out the newly redesigned Chapter 314 Dominguez Hills web site. If your chapter would like assistance with chapter web site development, contact CSEA webmaster Steve Aunan, (916) 326-4342.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Tuesday, May 19
Special Election
Monday, May 25
Holiday
Headquarters Closed
Friday-Saturday, June 5-6
CSEA Board of Directors Meeting
San Jose
Friday-Sun, June 26-28
CSUEU Board of Directors Meeting
Millbrae (near SFO)
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See back issues of CSUEU E-News, distributed every other Thursday.
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