Recap of Yesterday's Successful March:
Yesterday more than 1,500 members, retirees, community and health advocates participated in the largest labor rally in Sonoma County history! There was a parking lot filled with people chanting and cheering for affordable health care.
Most importantly, management FAILED at intimidating members about their right to participate in a concerted job activity! Congratulations to all of you for coming out and telling management that they can't mess with our health care!
After the rally members lined up in a line that went from the Board of Supervisors building all the way to Mendocino blvd - that's over a 1/2 of mile of members lined up back to back! We marched through the Board of Supervisors to let them know that they are hurting working families!
Shamefully, the Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 in cutting retiree health - we will have to fight harder to make sure that we have a progressive majority on the Board of Supervisors in November to turn these harmful policies around.
It was amazing to see a SEA OF PURPLE united against the shameful policies of the Board of Supervisors.
Pictures are here
What's Next?
* COME TO THE EMERGENCY CAT MEETING TONIGHT AT 5:30 AT THE SEIU OFFICE (600 B Street, Santa Rosa)
* If management attempts to intimidate you for leaving work - please contact us as soon as possible!
* We need to engage the community about the Board of Supervisors being under investigation for illegal activities! The Lawbreaker Flyer and your rights to leaflet will be online later today.
* Keep engaging the public - it is the way to win. We did it in Solano and San Joaquin and we won!
* Leave a comment on the Press Democrat article
to state:
* There were over 1,500 people there
* The Press Democrat didn't mention anything about the Board of Supervisors being investigated for illegal activates
* Sonoma County workers have a six point plan for health care affordability that Management won't discuss
* Write to the Op-eds about the Board of Supervisors being investigated for illegal activities and our need to retain affordable health care. Write your letter and email it to the following addresses:
reveille@cloverdalereveille.com,letters@pressdemocrat.com, abbott@sonomawest.com, letters@thecommunityvoice.com, kerrie@sonomawest.com,
matthew@sonomawest.com, info@kenwoodpress.com, letters@bohemian.com, csamson@arguscourier.com, david@sonomanews.com, news@sonomasun.com,
The only way we're going to win this is out in the field by putting pressure on the Board of Supervisors! Let's win this fight!
See you tonight.
Posted By: Nadir Vissanjy on 8/20/2008 11:04:00 AM
8/12 Management Failure at Intimidating Members!
When members heard that management at Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) was trying to reprimand five members for going on a Unity Break, over 30 members gathered outside the supposed meeting.
What the five members did is protected as a concerted job activity. What management tried to do was ILLEGAL! It is against the law to intimidate union members for any concerted job action.
The more than 30 members demonstrated their support by not allowing management to intimidate the workers. They chanted and shouted solidarity chants and proceeded to call the DCSS Supervisor and the newly hired Employee Relations Manager what they were – lawbreakers.
We will be distributing a flyer electronically and on the field that has more information
What happened today was a true demonstration of members supporting each other. This must continue as we notice management act in ways to intimidate us. We are only strong when we work together and today it was revealed that we will prevail if we work together.
Fight for your right for a fair contract that has affordable health care!
Keep checking the blog for updated news on what is happening on the field and at the negotiation table.
FIGHT FOR YOUR HEALTH CARE – AUGUST 19TH (More details to follow)
Posted By: Nadir Vissanjy on 8/13/2008 12:46:00 AM
8.12 Retirees Silent Protest
Entering the Board of Supervisors Chambers, over 60 members silently expressed their discontent for the BOS’ actions towards the retirees. The BOS wants to cut retiree health care after dedicating years of service and forgone wage increases for affordable retiree health care.
We marched quietly at 9:10am only to hear the BOS continue talking, however Supervisor Reilley mentioned that they welcomed by the workers (however, they won’t welcome our plans to save taxpayers dollars and provide affordable health care). Members cheered at the recognition, but felt frustrated when three minutes later the BOS goes into closed session and to reconvene at 2pm.
Pictures can be found here
Not Present: Supervisor Tim Smith (D-3) and Supervisor Mike Kerns (D-2)
Posted By: Nadir Vissanjy on 8/12/2008 1:49:00 PM
8/8 Retiree Health Care Briefing at the Vets Hall in Santa Rosa
The Vets building had several hundred (1000+) retirees, active employees, and family members in attendance, including many of our SEIU members who took time off work to be there to support the retirees fight.
The Press Democrat was there but I don't know about other media. 39 Local SEIU members where there filming and carrying signs supporting SEIU and retirees.
Jim Anderson (Asst. CAO), Marcia Chadbourn (Risk Mgmt), Ann Goodrich (HR Dir.) and the Actuary used to calculate the huge scary numbers for the OPEB liability made up the panel. They did a Power Point presentation that varied little from what we have seen so far. It was a propaganda piece made to imply the County has to take these drastic measures to stay afloat and we should all get down and kiss their feet for the crumbs they're offering.
Ann was roundly boo-ed as she took the podium. And the boo-ing didn't stop there…..
After the presentation, retirees, actives, and others lined up down 2 aisles to ask questions or make comments. And that's when it got really interesting! SCERA, SCLEA, DSA and SEIU members spoke volumes about the distrust, broken promises, and financial hardships that the County is creating unnecessarily.
Ron Piorek, a former County Administrator Analyst, made several points about how the County has over $100million in reserves so it's not going broke any time soon; how the $30million they're offering to active employees in the form of the $600/mo allowance, could be set aside to pay the ongoing OPEB liability without having to impose hardships on retirees or employees. The County is not in danger of financial ruin or crisis.
DSA & SCLEA leaders spoke to make the point that the County has already lost its fight against them to separate retirees and actives.
Dave Gonzales, a former HR Analyst made a point about health care never being tied to a contract, and how negations in the past were always in a cooperative manner. He (and others) made the point that in order to push thru the 3% @ 60 in the last contract, the County KNEW but took no action, to address the expected rising costs of health care for retirees and actives in 2002.
There were many, many wonderful comments and questions that the panel either ignored or answered with gibberish.
The crowd went wild. There was cheering, clapping, booing, stomping.
HOWEVER - most of the crowd understood that the panel was not listening with the intent to change their minds. One commenter even asked why Bob Deis wasn't there since he represents the County. The crowd was told that his schedule was a very busy one and he sent the panel to represent the County.
It was NOT IMPORTANT ENOUGH to our County Administrator to be there!
One attendee likened the experience to shining a flashlight on the rats… they all scatter into hiding.
Since this event will probably have little to no effect on the County's position, it's VERY IMPORTANT that you encourage your co-workers to be prepared for events on the 12th, but ESPECIALLY ON THE 19TH. More info later.
Another Impression by Nancy
The retirees' meeting was great to attend. A real eye & ear full, of basically more of the same. MANY retirees attended, including many with impresssive credentials from their past County positions, i. e. DA, Probation, Auditor/Controller's office, etc. and all talked about promises the County made and is proposing to take away. We picketed before the meeting, then attended HR's "presentation" (it appears there's nothing new in it). They turned the mike over to lines and lines of people who wanted to ask questions, or make comments. My opinion is that HR/CAO's attitudes are very unresponsive, sticking to the standard line, and that was from Jim Anderson, Anne Goodrich and Marcia Chadbourne.
Pictures from the Event
Posted By: Brigitte Doess on 8/9/2008 6:11:00 PM
8/3 Lynn Woolsey & Sonoma County Employees!
About ten SEIU members were on hand to meet with Congresswoman, Lynn Woolsey (Democrat for Southern Sonoma and Northern Marin) at the Sonoma County Fair on Sunday. She was very sympathetic with our predicament of having our health care benefits under attack. She believes that the national solution is Universal Health Care and will be working for a Congressional health care proposal in the next Congress. Until there is a national solution, she supports workers preserving the health care they have. She agreed to come to be our ally as we continue to fight for our rights for affordable health care!
Chip Atkin, Human Services Department
Pictures
Posted By: Nadir Vissanjy on 8/6/2008 10:37:00 PM
7/29 Memo from HR
The memo distributed to all county employees via payroll clerks and/or other Administrative staff in email today is a pretty hot topic. It's a political move I'm sure (those are MY words). I can say it's already under review by our Bargaining Team and SEIU staff and really there wasn’t anything new in it for us that have been following the negotiations from the beginning. As soon as I receive an official you will find it here.
If you missed the memo and other PDF they finally are sharing then check out the County Website
7/28 Strike Meeting
It was a success, I did a quick headcount and there were over 200 people sitting or standing at St.Rose Church. Gilda Valdez and Jano Oscherwitz from SEIU, who together have over 60 years experience in organizing actions and strikes, did give us a lot of information on our rights and options. We will step up our actions quite a bit now and you will see email and info here Purple Power.
Meeting Recap
Posted By: Brigitte Doess on 7/30/2008 12:56:00 AM
At the Fair
Tuesday 7/22/08 SEIU Members gathered to give free balloons & stickers to the kids at the Sonoma County Fair. But Fair Manager Tawni Tesconi advised our team that they cannot allow the balloons into the fair because there are vendors selling balloons and that would mean loss of business. So the ticket takers took the balloons from the kids and sometimes popped them right in front of them. Way to make a little kid cry.
However we did not see ticket takers take away water bottles, foods or toys – isn’t that sold at the fair?
See some picture
Here is a flyer to share
Posted By: Brigitte D on 7/25/2008 1:55:00 AM
7.22 Day of Actions
Today was another successful field day for us. We had three successful events:
Over 100 of us quietly stormed the Board of Supervisors Meeting earlier today at 10am sharp
Outside of our offices we stood outside to engage the public about the inequity of management's proposal
Sonoma County Unfair! Members passed out balloons and communicated with the public at the opening day of the fair.
Pictures?
Click me! This is exactly the momentum that we need for a successful contract. We must keep informing our fellow members of the issues currently being negotiated. This is our contract, our lives and our family's lives!
Tomorrow the hard working negotiation team will be meeting with management at 9am (will Ann Goodrich show up again?!?)
Keep up the great work team, let's win this thing! I will update the website as soon as we hear more about what's happening at the table.
Posted By: Nadir Vissanjy on 7/22/2008 11:19:00 PM
Negotiations Update
Last Wednesday, management attempted to “declare impasse.” Impasse is when the parties are at a complete deadlock, and when there is nothing left to say. We are not at impasse. Management is using impasse to avoid bargaining in good faith. There are areas where we can make movement if management provides us with some of the information that we have requested.
On Thursday, management stated that they were declaring impasse and Friday's bargaining session was going to be an “impasse meeting” facilitated by the Director of Human Resources Ann Goodrich.
On Friday morning, more than 150 members came out for a press conference in front of Human Resources where Negotiator Andre Bercut spoke about management's tactics. At the meeting, management kept their position of being at impasse. We insisted that we can continue to bargain.
We are set to bargain this Wednesday, July 23. Management continues to maintain that we are at impasse; we continue to maintain that we are not. We want management to fulfill its obligation to bargain in good faith.
Posted By: Nadir Vissanjy on 7/21/2008 12:54:00 PM
Impasse Press Democrat Article
This article was published on July 19th in the Press Democrat - Bleys Rose does an adequate job at addressing the issues between the Sonoma County Employees and Management.
Posted By: Nadir Vissanjy on 7/19/2008 2:40:00 PM