CSUEU E-News: June 25, 2009
Biweekly news digest from the California State University Employees Union
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ARE WE ANY CLOSER TO A STATE BUDGET?
MEETINGS ACROSS THE STATE FOCUS ON FURLOUGHS
NEW SEIU AD ON THE STATE BUDGET CRISIS
OFFICER AND BU ELECTIONS SET FOR THIS WEEKEND
NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR WOMAN OF THE YEAR
CALPERS: LOWEST HEALTHCARE INCREASES IN 14 YEARS
UPCOMING EVENTS
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Are We Any Closer to a State Budget?
The answer is no, if yesterday’s Capitol events are any indication. The Senate and Assembly reached no conclusion on the 2009-10 budget cuts they have been considering since May. They are trying again today.
The Assembly took up SB 62, which is the Senate budget cuts bill, and it failed on a 48-29 vote, needing 54 to pass. For its part, the Senate took up the Assembly budget cuts bill AB 180, identical to SB 62, and it failed on a 22-16 vote, needing 27 to pass.
These bills can be reconsidered once more, under the rules. Democratic leaders have said that, if they can’t obtain the needed votes for these bills to pass, they’ll introduce the same or similar bills and pass them by majority vote instead of a 2/3 majority, which will require the Governor to sign them.
No other bills were taken up yesterday. Meanwhile, State Controller John Chiang announced yesterday that he would begin issuing IOUs on July 2 if there were no budget solution by then.
The state budget crisis has, of course, trickled down to a CSU budget crisis of increasingly severe proportions. CSU has asked that CSUEU consider either large-scale layoffs or furloughs two days per month to help make up for projected $583.8 million in cuts. In a series of advisory votes over the last week, CSUEU members have clearly indicated their support for the concept of furlough days. Read CSUEU’s June 22 announcement about these advisory votes.
Use Capwiz to send an email to your legislators urging them to vote for a common sense budget that supports the CSU.
Meetings Across the State Focus on Furloughs
Chapters across California met in emergency sessions last week to take advisory votes on the two options that the CSU has proposed for negotiations to deal with the CSU budget crisis: large-scale layoffs vs. two furlough days per month. Turnout was unusually large in nearly every case, as were the number of applications for membership.
Following are field reports from a sampling of chapters:
Here at CSU Chico Chapter 302 we held an informational meeting on Wednesday, June 17, that was open to all represented employees. CSUEU President Pat Gantt was in town and led the meeting. He gave a brief overview of the budget situation and the furlough proposal, then answered questions. We had a much larger turnout than most meetings and lots of discussion. On Monday, June 22, we had a members-only advisory vote featuring a great turnout from members; 21 new members signed up. People stayed after voting to talk with each other about the problem at hand or to ask leadership questions. It was impressive to hear our members’ passionate expressions that they would rather share the burden than see a co-worker lose his or her job.
San Francisco State University Chapter 305—After the BOD decided to hold an advisory vote on each campus, chapter activists went into high gear to get a chapter meeting arranged. Thanks to the efforts of Chapter Organizing Chair Billie Feliciano, by June 16 we reserved a room for 130 (the size of a usual chapter meeting). We began advertising, and, by June 17 at noon, close to 400 showed up (our best non-food meeting attendance ever). Activists and executive board members tried their best to handle the madness in the hallway to get the votes recorded. We filled the room twice and answered questions for three hours but, unfortunately, some never did get in. On June 22, another meeting was held at the downtown campus. We estimate gaining nearly 50 new members last week.
CSU Stanislaus Chapter 308 met on June 18 to discuss furloughs/layoffs with the largest crowd of members in our history: 200 members. Our voting totals of 220 are an all-time high for any type of voting done by our membership; we currently have about 265 members, so 220 votes is incredible for our chapter. VP for Organizing Ronnie Grant attended the meeting and answered many questions. We signed up close to 20 new members. Chapter President Frank Borrelli also talked to the members at our Stockton satellite campus and to the night custodians, signing up all the staff as members. We are proud of the fact that many chapter leaders came together in a very short time to help with the important task of saving as many jobs as possible.
CSU Los Angeles Chapter 311 held its chapter meeting on June 18th. It was very well attended, with over 225 in attendance. The overall attitude of our members, and this probably wasn’t unique to our chapter, was of being very stressed and hungry for information. Many voiced the opinion that calling for a vote with such little time and information was unfair. Many questions were asked and were answered by members of the CSUEU bargaining team, including VP for Representation Dennis Dillon and team members Lynn Barba, Annel Martin and Rich McGee. The executive board of 311 vowed to keep members updated on information as it becomes available. We registered 11 new members at this meeting.
CSU Northridge Chapter 312 held two sessions on Wednesday, June 17, with more than 400 people in attendance and casting advisory votes; this compares to a usual attendance at meetings of about 175. We’ve received approximately 68 new membership applications. We held a regularly scheduled chapter meeting yesterday with approximately 270 in attendance, an indication of the high level of engagement on the part of our membership during these difficult times.
The Chancellor’s Office Chapter 313 held its meeting on June 22, with 102 members and 10 fee payers in attendance, surpassing our last chapter meeting attendance by over 30 employees. All of our members and fee payers are concerned with the state budget and have overwhelmingly supported furloughs through their advisory votes. We’ve received nine new member applications, which brings our membership percentage to 73 percent.
CSU Long Beach Chapter 315 held two meetings. The first, on June 19, was an informational overview, with 229 staff in attendance, and with 49 new members joining on site. The second, on June 22, drew 212 participants, some of them having also attended the first meeting, with another 64 new members joining on site. The total of more than 400 attendees over two meetings is our highest-ever turnout, and the number of new members is a record for us as well. Our membership percentage continues to move upward and now stands at 55.3 percent.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Chapter 316—On June 19, we held an emergency general meeting to discuss the current wave of events. We had approximately 200-plus participants; it was standing room only, with more out in the hall and sitting on the stairs. In other words, the place was packed! This was in stark contrast to an April meeting on layoffs, which drew only about 35 participants. In addition to our own members, attendees included administrators and other union leaders. There were two methods for casting advisory votes: an online survey, and paper ballots for members without computers. We gained 60 new members through this process.
CSU San Bernardino Chapter 320’s campus-wide chapter meeting garnered a huge turn-out of 200-plus staff, faculty, students and administrators. The format, a question and answer session followed by the staff advisory vote, gave everyone an opportunity to ask questions. Many participants were frankly upset about the short timeline of the vote and that more options hadn’t been presented. Some of the key ideas expressed, all since having been forwarded to the bargaining team, included: tight restrictions on executive compensation and travel; a commitment that furloughs will be limited to no more than one year; and furloughs equaling less than the 10 percent salary reductions proposed by the Chancellor’s Office. Thirty-nine new members joined at the meeting.
CSU Monterey Bay Chapter 322’s meeting featured 115-plus attendees, more than double the number of members than usual. There were questions about workload issues, especially for exempt employees. Other concerns, all since forwarded to the bargaining team, included the status of Friday classes in the case of Friday furloughs. Many creative ideas were floated for the bargaining team to consider, including multiple-day furloughs during major holidays, such as Thanksgiving, Christmas and spring break.
CSU Channel Islands Chapter 324 held its meeting on June 17. Despite the last-minute notice, the turnout was larger than expected, with about 125 attendees. Several new member applications were submitted, and, as a result, the chapter’s membership rate increased to around 83 percent. In a communication to members after the meeting, Chapter President Joseph Dobzynski, Jr., said, “This high level of participation speaks to the special rapport among Channel Islands employees and to our willingness to work together within our chapter, within our university, and throughout the union to come together during this crisis.”
New SEIU Ad on the State Budget Crisis
A new television ad from the SEIU California Central Council is up and running as of yesterday in English and Spanish. The ad hits the Governor hard for claiming that we all need to sacrifice and then letting big oil and big tobacco off the hook, all part of a campaign titled “Common Sense for California.”
View the ad.
View the Spanish-language version of the ad.
Learn more about the campaign.
Statewide Officer and Bargaining Unit Elections Set for This Weekend
The Board of Directors meeting set for this weekend in Millbrae, near SFO, will be highlighted by elections for statewide offices—statewide executive officers and bargaining unit members—on Sunday, June 28.
Here’s how it all works:
Eligible to vote are members of the Board of Directors and certain chapter officers, including presidents, vice presidents, secretaries, treasurers, and bargaining unit representatives.
Statewide executive officers are typically elected by secret ballot, one position at a time, beginning with the President, then the Vice President for Organizing, and so on. In each of these elections, if no one wins a majority in the first round, the candidate with the fewest votes is dropped from the list and the electorate votes again; the process is repeated until someone wins a majority. The newly elected statewide officers take office at the close of the meeting and their term of office is two years.
After all four statewide executive officers have been elected, the Bargaining Unit Representatives split off for separate BUC elections, with each unit gathering in a smaller side conference room. The Chair is elected first, then the Vice Chair, then the six at-large members of the BUC.
The list of new statewide officers and BUC leaders will be published in the next edition of E-News.
Nominations Open for CSUEU’s 2009 Woman of the Year
In 1980, the CSEA Women’s Committee established an annual award to recognize women who have made outstanding contributions for the advancement of women in state service, state government and the community.
For the 2009 version, one award per CSEA affiliate will be granted, with announcement of the selection and presentation of the awards to be made at the 2009 General Council in Los Angeles this September.
One committee per affiliate, comprised of two women who are members of both that affiliate and of the Women’s Committee, will make its selection from recommendations by its members. CSU Fresno Chapter 309 President Nancy Kobata and Legislative Committee Chair Natalia Bremer make up this year’s CSUEU committee.
To qualify, the CSUEU Woman of the Year nominee must have been an active CSUEU member for at least one full year. Selection criteria are based primarily on activities related to women’s issues, but career-related and community activities will also be considered.
To make a nomination, fill out the official nomination form and return it to Nancy or Natalia at either of the addresses below. Following are examples of the types of activities that will be given primary consideration:
The candidate…
- Promotes women’s issues with the affiliate and at the workplace (give example);
- Has supported the Women’s Committee through attendance at committee meetings; or promoted committee goals, objectives, resolutions; or motions at district labor council, chapter, region, Board of Directors’ meetings, and/or at General Council (give examples);
- Is a political activist, helping to elect feminist candidates to public office (give examples);
- Is an activist on behalf of such women’s issues as gender-based wage discrimination, reproduction rights, violence against women, and women’s health (give examples); or
- Is a member of organizations which support women’s issues, such as NOW, Women in Politics, Women’s Equity Action League, Coalition of Labor Union Women, or California Women in Higher Education
CSEA Women’s Committee members are ineligible for nomination.
Thank you for your prompt participation! Please complete the nomination form and return by email or mail a copy to either of your affiliate representatives, postmarked no later than July 31, 2009. Your CSUEU Women’s Committee representatives are:
Nancy Kobata, 805 El Elizabeth Street, Fresno, CA 93728-3126
Natalia Bremer, 675 28th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94121
CalPERS Announces Lowest Healthcare Premium Increases in 14 Years
On June 19, the CalPERS Board of Administration approved an overall 2.9 percent increase in healthcare premiums for its members, the lowest increase achieved in its healthcare program in 14 years. Rates for individuals and families can be found on the CalPERS web site.
“These rates are the result of better health care practices by our members and hard work by our Board and staff,” said Rob Feckner, President of the CalPERS Board. “This is good news for our members, who are facing furloughs, pay cuts and difficult economic times.”
CalPERS basic HMO plans will increase by 3.4 percent, basic PPO plans by 3.3 percent and a 1 percent increase for the pension fund’s association plans serving highway patrol, correctional and peace officers. Members in Medicare plans will see an average increase of 1.1 percent.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Friday-Sun, June 26-28
CSUEU Board of Directors Meeting
Millbrae (near SFO)
Tuesday July 7
Special Meeting of the CSU Board of Trustees to consider the budget crisis
Long Beach
Tuesday, July 21
CSU Board of Trustees Meeting
Long Beach
Friday-Monday, September 4-7
CSEA 65th General Council
Los Angeles
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See back issues of CSUEU E-News, distributed every other Thursday.
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