| Desk Audit Update Ann Samson |
This is a correction to some of the information in the e-mail message distributed on May 17. The District and SEIU have agreed on a neutral person to perform the desk audits. She is Ann Song-Hill, recommended by our Field Agent Steve O’Keefe. Ms Song-Hill is a Human Resources professional with experience in Arlington, Virginia, and in the Bay Area. She has been involved with classification studies and is a mediator and facilitator locally. She will be trained in the Hay Method on June 21 and will be poised to begin her audits shortly thereafter.
The correction is to the job categories with which she will work. Rather than studying the Z-rated positions, she will perform desk audits for those employees who filed assertions with SEIU through Michael Allen that inaccuracies had been made in studying their positions. If you have any question about whether you are on this list, call Michael Allen at 545-7349, x12.
Z-rated employees are those employees whose pay grade exceeds the recommended grade for that job classification. They will continue to get COLAs and step increases, but when those jobs become vacant, they will be filled at the lower rate. A comparative salary study will be performed and salaries negotiated for those classes Z-rated as of 7/1/01.
| Questions & Answers: Fair Share Service Fee Classified Advisory Council |
The question seems to have turned from whether non-members should pay a fair-share fee to how much that fee should be. The Q&As distributed over e-mail, at general membership meetings, and in the newsletter appear to have put to rest many questions about why a non-member fee is fair.
Here are the questions we have heard about the amount of the fee along with the answers:
Q: Why are classified employees paying so much more than the faculty pay?
A: The All Faculty Association (AFA) is a local association, not a labor union. It has neither the obligations nor the assets related to affiliation with an international union. If AFA has legal obligations, it must hire an attorney; it also has no paid professionals on its negotiations team. We pay for the expertise of labor professionals and the resources that are available to us.
Q: Is it true that SEIU has just bought a new building and needs these fees to pay for it?
A: SEIU Local 707 has purchased and is remodeling an office building, but it committed to that purchase significantly before the legislature enacted the Fair Share provision. Ownership of office space will be cheaper for Local 707 than leasing its present space, and the new space will be far more accessible to members.
Q: Why doesn’t SEIU open its books so we can investigate whether the fee cost is really as high as 78% of dues?
A: Each non-member received a copy of the Hudson Report and will receive one every year. This report is an audit by an independent accountancy. The books have been and will continue to be opened.
| Fringe Benefits |
One of our re-openers is Health and Welfare, better known as benefits. The Fringe Benefits Committee, which is made up of faculty, management, confidential, and classified employees, has been investigating the concept of a self-insured health care plan, such as the County of Sonoma and City of Santa Rosa have. Because faculty have left campus, the Committee’s chair, Ron Root, plans to survey employees in the fall regarding their opinions toward and experiences of Kaiser and HPR. If you have opinions or concerns, you don’t need to wait until fall to communicate them to the Committee. Roz Ringle (Payroll) is a classified delegate to this committee; Ron Root can be reached through Business Services. Don’t wait until it’s too late to let your views be known about this important benefit.
| Union Support Doug Kuula |
Power Source Support! Is there anyone interested in writing an article for the Power Source? If you are interested, contact Doug at 527-4654 or dkuula@santarosa.edu
CAC
Bylaws Update! Please remember to check the current and proposed CAC bylaws posted on the SEIU, Local 707 website at http://www.santarosa.edu/seiu/.
Get your comments to any of the CAC members.