|
July 1, 2008 Update to Our Union Brothers and Sisters:
This is a response (with minor editorial changes) from one of the members of Unit 9200 about our current contract situation that aptly explains it:
The question most heard is: Why is it taking so long for the County to negotiate fairly for a new salary and benefit contract for the CSEA Union members who are hurting financially for the past 30 months? Our salaries are stalled at the 2005 level and inflation and rising prices are hurting us.What must be kept in mind is that the County has been using the same game plan for many years. Since the Union membership has no heavy artillery, (i.e.: no ability to strike under the NYS Taylor Law without incurring crushing financial penalties and the imprisonment of union officers) at its disposal, the County just submits a low-ball offer and stalls waiting for more and more members to get desperate and willing to accept a poor offer. Divide and conquer.
At some point, if the Union Negotiation Team caved and brought a mediocre offer to the membership, it would pass.
Do we really want that? Do we wish to hurt ourselves further by caving to negative offers?Many members are in a bind financially, and this results in a willingness to forsake the long term for the short. The Union leadership/Negotiation team has the experience to take the long view and think of the big picture and the future implications and not fall for this tactic.
We answered some of that at the June 3, 2008 monthly Meeting. It was that it would serve the County’s intent of trying to split the membership, in other words it would cause discord in the ranks pitting members who are in serious need of some $$$ now against those taking a longer view.Some members are asking what were the details of the June 4, 2008 Mediator’s Recommendation that the Negotiation Team rejected. Why keep it a secret? Rumors are varied depending who we speak to in other departments. Some feel that to release the details would cause an uproar from some who will settle for anything as opposed to those who want to stand firm for a decent contract. Again, the divide and conquer tactic at work.
For those of you Union members who are relatively new, the membership does have the ability to provide input as to what the priorities are for each round of contract negotiations. The Union published (on the Union web) and provided a detailed questionnaire prior to negotiations for the purpose of determining the priorities of the whole membership. This was done in early 2005. The Union leadership takes the results of this survey seriously and bases their contract proposal on those results. One of the wishes was that we not pay for Health Insurance from paycheck deductions.
In addition, the need is constant for more Shop Stewards in each department to act as communicators and advocates, to introduce themselves to newly hired members, to urge them to get involved, to ask them to sign a membership card to be eligible to vote yes or no to contract offers, and generally to become aware of more than just the informational rules that the County puts out.
And as a reminder, any Union member can attend the monthly meetings (first Tuesdays each month) and ask questions directly to the Unit 9200 Union leadership. We will take your question and will give you an answer, follow-up questions are allowed as well.
Karen
Pecora, 1st Vice President
Noel
De La Cruz,
2nd Vice President
Ed Magilton, 3rd Vice President,
Jim Kelly, 4th Vice President
Joanne
Castaldo, Secretary Elio Giuliani, Treasurer
Mike
Wolf,
Sgt. at Arms
112 East Post Road, Room 428,
White Plains, New York, 10601- 3311
Phone
(914) 995-2151
Fax (914)
995-5629
Join our mailing list
to stay informed. Click the moving headline on the csea9200.com
Home page
7 1 08
www.csea9200.com