New Contract Ratified
Posted on 27. Feb, 2010 by Steve Ryan in News
With the final ballots counted, recounted and sealed, it is official. The proposed concession package has been ratified by the general membership of the Local 2960.
The final count was 85% in favor of the package and 15% opposed.
Approximately 40% of the 1008 registered union members showed up to cast their vote on Friday. It was easily the biggest turnout for a contract ratification that the Local has ever had.
The changes that were made will begin to take effect on July 1st, 2010, which is the start of the fiscal year for the City of Phoenix.
The concessions as they were listed in the ballot proposal will be incorporated into the new Memorandum of Understanding for 2010-2012. We will have a copy of that MOU for download on the website as soon as it is written and verified by the Executive Board and our Local staff members.
Our task was not easy this year. We were asked to risk people’s jobs, absorb lost benefits and take cuts in our paychecks. And yet, as I personally watched people having to wedge their ballots into the box toward the end of the day, I noticed a funny thing. People were still managing to smile. Handshakes and hugs were passed out freely. Our brothers and sisters within the union stood firm together.
This election has provided many stories of triumph and successes across all of our departments. In the upcoming weeks while we prepare the final version of the new MOU, I hope to share the ones that I overheard with you all within these pages.
I also know that there are still lots of questions out there. Our stewards are equipped with many of the answers, and the time to start getting organized for the upcoming changes is now.
Also, feel free to general questions here, but please make them constructive. (Negative comments will be deleted; the time for negotiation is officially over.) You are most likely not alone with some of your concerns. It is the mission of the Local 2960 to do the best we can in helping you find the answers.
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Denise,
SHOCK!! Your not a union member. So you ARE a person who sits on the sidelines and complains. Please refrain from posting on this union website, paid for by members who want to work together for the betterment of our Unit. Together our union brothers and sisters will overcome the obstacles of this bad economy and together we will fight for our members and their rights.
Actually we have 70%-100% membership in most places like Fire, Public Works, Courts, Development Services, and Human Services. In the years Nancy has been here she has seen the union grow from 200 to 1000 members. As for representative…maybe you need to talk to the cooks 100% of them in 2960 whose program, Meals on Wheels (and the 6,000 citizens they serve) was saved from our concessions. or the Treasury collectors who we saved 85% of their positions slated for elimination. Or the Fire Prevention Specialists who we saved another 80% slated for elimination. 70 jobs were saved in total by the 3.2% concession…ask the other civilian unions how many jobs they saved in their unit…you might be surprised. Maybe you need to talk to the 2960 family members who have been given a $25,000 check when their loved ones in the union have died due to our insurance policy that ONLY 2960 has and is 100% paid for by the union.
I am glad that 85% of our members know what true brothers and sisters do for each other. Maybe a class in what union brothers and sisters do for each other could be offered to you. Maybe some education in the hundreds of people who come in to this office weekly to be represented and whose jobs we save. Maybe looking at the MOU and see what the union has done for you in protection might be in order. Instead of complaining educate yourself, get involved and see what this union does.
Let’s talk about ASPTEA and their 3 furlough days. Since you seem to have done research I am sure you saw that they took a larger hit on the deferred comp program (of which they have ALOT more money to give back). Therefore they have less furlough days because they made up for it in deferred comp. Again, educate yourself and you will see how EVERYONE took 3.2%. The city asked for $6.5 million for us (3.2%) and $12 million from them (3.2%). They choose deferred comp and we choose furlough days since we don’t have enough in deferred comp. This was not some kind of deal we all made that’s different…2384 didn’t get a better deal than us…ASPTEA didn’t get off with less concessions than us. It was a 3.2% wage concession across the board. Look at the numbers and maybe you will understand better. To say that ASPTEA did a better job is PURE ignorance. Their wage package was the EXACT same as our. 3.2%…theirs is 3 furlough days with a larger deferred comp decrease and ours is 3.2 6 furlough days
less deferred comp. Its not magic numbers or funny math…its basic Economics 101.
You are not a captive audience…the drop period for the union is the first week of July.
For someone who seems to know so much I hope you are involved as a steward…attend meetings….come to the hall to voice your views…etc. I hope you do more than sit on the sidelines and complain about people who have worked for decades to get higher wages, better protection in the MOU language, and grow the union to what it is today. Its not patting anyone on the back, its called educating members like you. Come in to the office, discuss your problems and we can show you the representation we serve to our members. Or you can continue to sit online, comnplain and remain uneducated..the choice is yours.
Have a great day
I love how non paying members know so much about the what is going on. I guess it is true ignorance is bliss, until you are a dues paying member and active as to what is going on you have no room to comment. In fact you have no idea what goes on at our union because you are not involved, amazing you don’t pay dues, you don’t participate, you can’t vote seems all you have time for is to complain. I am a dues paying member and I don’t like the fact we have to represent you, I think non paying dues member should have to take whatever the City wants to take away from you. But darn it we have to let you ride on our coat tails, to those of us who pay dues it seems a tat bit unfair.
You have a great day and enjoy what my union did for you free!
Unit 3 3 March 2010 at 10:24 am #
Most of the other unions can cash out 80 hours of vacation time this May. Is there any way that we can get a one time exemption on the 40 hour limit that we have?
Unit 3-
ALL union can cash out 80 hours of vacation time this May including us because the new contract doesnt take place until July.
We were not allowed to cash out more than 40 in May (and 40 in November). Has that changed?
It strikes me that this union was told what concessions and items the city wanted. You proposed this to your voting members because this was the only suggestion. You put a spin on how this would help everyone and it will benefit us. Nancy, after 25 years of being the President and truly not benefitting all members of this union, you have gotten a free ride to make it appear how great this union is. Personally, I can see why the Lab techs want a different union in place. Change and competition is good and maybe it’s time for a different union and/or Union President for all city employees who want it.
This union and ALL unions (key word….pay attention..ALL UNIONS) were told what concessions needed to be made..IE…3.2%. we negotiatied how to take that cut…as ALL unions were (key word…ALL UNIONS). The “spin” was and has always been (read the newsletter, web site etc) that we would save 170 jobs. Where you got any more information is BEYOND me. Where Nancy got a free ride after growing this union from 200 members to 1000 members if also baffling. I would love to know where you see that ANY UNION got any better benefit than 2960. And by the way…the lab techs want to go to ASPTEA…NOT a union..so they have little rights or protection. You need to look into things before you spout out your resentment. I guess you would have no problem telling this 170 people to hit the streets because you dont want to give up anything.
Denise, we are not the only ones who had to make concessions quite frankly I would rather have a say to what the City takes then have the City take my longevity, reduce my salary to what they want plus up our health insurance. As far as your remarks about Nancy it is clear you don’t take any active participation in the Union, if you did then you’d know that there are 26 departments we represent not one like Police and Fire. Each elected officers works more hours without pay then you and I would ever think to, they work at home, late nights and take it to heart each member they represent dues paying or not. Nancy retired and didn’t have to continue her term but has done it because she takes each matter to heart and didn’t want to leave us at such a vulnerable time. If, and that is a big IF you are a dues paying member get involved and then write with intelligence and true knowledge of what our officers do for us, if you are not paying dues you have no room to comment. But one of the wonderful things about this country is we have free speak and my union even allows such negative whiny comments on this blog which says more for our union than it does of your comments about Nancy. Personally let the whiny Crime Scene people go to ASPTEA, they will have to give up more because ASPTEA has no contract and FYI just cause they go to ASPTEA will not give them a pay raise or a reclass. Do you know how many supervisors are having their positions eliminated? I’d rather have a contract then none.
Please make sure we can take hourly increments off for the furlough days, because there is no way I can effort losing a whole days pay in one paycheck. I can deal with 4hrs once a month loss.
We don’t get overtime to make back the loss.
ronnie,
As stated above…if your supervisor okays it and it can be done in your area…yes hourly furloughs can be taken.
Today the message from the Chief says that 47 civilian positions will be cut? Huh? I thought there were no civilian positions being cut? Would you please clarify why no sworn are being cut but civilians are? What positions in the PD are they talking about? Why did we take the financial hit/concessions, and furlough days with the statements that no positions were lost. He says differently?
Denise,
I was never aware nor did i hear a promise that there were no civilian cuts. No sworn are being cut because of Proposition 1. We took the cut but we NEVER EVER were promised no positions would be cut and we never stated that…TRUST me I wish i could have said it. We were always told that our unit would have 300 cuts and 170 could be saved with concessions and food tax.
Most of the other unions can cash out 80 hours of vacation time this May. Is there any way that we can get a one time exemption on the 40 hour limit that we have?
see explanation below. Contract does not begin until July
Frank-
Your right they are enterprise funds…their concessions will stay in their departments and not go into the general funds. Thats the law because of the federal money they get through grants. However there is no way to bargain for one or two sections of the unit. I.E. we cant ask for a raise for Fire Dispatchers of 3% but only 2% for aviation. Therefore its the same with concessions. ALL have to sacrifice. ALL the units had to deal with that.
Actually, what I REALLY want to know is this. Aviation and Water are not in the general fund. Since our concessions won’t be saving anybody’s job, where oh where is that money going, and what will it be used for? I doubt anybody really knows.
So people will be allowed to carry over more than the maximum vacation time for the next two years? What will happen in 2012 when you have all of these people with 500 hours of vacation time? Also, is there any chance that the vacation buyout for people retiring in the next two years will also be allowed to exceed the 450 hour maximum (please, oh please!)
in 2012 we will be allowed to cash it out but probably not all at once…we are working out a procedure. People retiring will still be aloweed to cash out their retirement when they retire…there is an exemption for them
Jim,
If it was a reclassification attempt we would not have fought it….the city has a hold on reclass studies. This group is wanting to switch unions without a study being done and we, as well as the other unions, dont want that as a set practice.
Denise,
It has to be starting July..when the new contract starts
3.2% is based is the overll wage package concession. Not ALL people get lingustic pay…some are in enterprise funds, some people use vacation buyback while other do not. So there are slight variations on peoples rate…but its all around 3.2% (in most cases on the button). Just like in ANY other year, when some people get uniform allowances in departments that require them and other do not, the is a slight…slight adjustment.
Frank I agree with you! So, did it pass?? If it did, there are certainly things we can do to make up for the lost money. If you take furlough days in the same pay period as longevity, it won’t hurt as much. Also, you can work with your co-workers and plan it out so that you work overtime when they’re on a furlough day, and vice versa. Since we’ll be taking more vacation time, that’s another opportunity. Granted, that’s a lot easier with a 4-10 schedule, but if you get creative, there are ways to get at least some of that ‘alleged’ 3.2% back (do the math, the 1% and 6 days alone equals 3.28%)
I am already scheduled for vacation at the end of May. Can I take my furlough days then or does it have to be used after July 1st?
Why is AFSCME 2960 fighting the reclassification attempts of the Crime Scene Specialists? If they want to be reclassified why shouldn’t they be allowed to do that?
They are not asking for a reclassification study
Jim did you know that your administrator could have done the reclassification at any time, did you know that Steve was was even offered help to complete the PDQ required for the reclassification? The union does not have to ask for the reclassification your bureau could have done it three years ago. Why should those of us who pay dues and are active in the Union want out officers to spend their time with a reclass that only 5 now 4 employees are dues paying members.The one now out of the Crime Lab you all hail as wonderful and want to get rid of the other 4 because they are dues paying members. How do I know about the reclass? Simple I offered to help Steve, he didn’t want to spend the time filling out the forms. Moreover all the reclassifications done in the Records & Identification Bureau was started and done by administration the Union simply was informed of them. So why don’t you go to your admin and ask them to spend the time answering the questions, filling out the forms, going to the meetings instead of asking a union that you don’t pay dues to and are not active to do their work. We have 26 departments people are loosing jobs and you have the audacity to complain and blame the union, put it were it belongs your administration. By the way there have been no reclassification for at least 2 years because the City has no money in case you didn’t know because it is perfectly clear how selfish and self center those of you in the Crime Lab are.
Thank you to all the hard working members of our union.
So, did it pass?? If it did, there are certainly things we can do to make up for the lost money. If you take furlough days in the same pay period as longevity, it won’t hurt as much. Also, you can work with your co-workers and plan it out so that you work overtime when they’re on a furlough day, and vice versa. Since we’ll be taking more vacation time, that’s another opportunity. Granted, that’s a lot easier with a 4-10 schedule, but if you get creative, there are ways to get at least some of that ‘alleged’ 3.2% back (do the math, the 1% and 6 days alone equals 3.28%)
Frank »
My apologies for the delay in posting the election results.
One of the reasons I volunteered to serve on the election committee was to ensure that the results were available as soon as possible after to polls closed. But, after everything was counted up and sealed, there were some technical problems in getting the page to post correctly in the “slider” section. I didn’t want to confuse anyone with misleading or badly formatted results, so I delayed the posting until I could correct the problem.
The delay was about 18 hours from the close of voting to the posting of the results, and I agree, that’s much too slow. Hopefully, with the changes I’ve made since then to correct the problem, we can continue to deliver news to our members in the most timely fashion possible.
Frank
Your right..its not 3.2% and thats because its a wage package NOT an individual package..the 3.2% is given to the unit and divided up. Lingustic pay people have more…some funds dont go to general fund (enterprise funds) etc. Just like with raises..some get salary of 3% but others get more through increases in uniform allowance…lingustic pay..etc, Its not 3.2% of YOUR salary but 3.2% of the UNITS package
Shouldn’t this take affect on July 12th? It’s usually the first full pay period in July.
First of all, I would like to thank you for always be there hen I needed the union. Linguistic Pay is reduced by 50%, I do not agree with this. I believe Police gets higher pay for speaking spanish, and I don’t think they got this much taken away if any. We have serval spanish speaking clients that call in for services.