Where we’re at: GENERAL GOVERNMENT

Bargaining Update
Your General
Government
Bargaining Team
is making prog-
ress on your next
July 16, 2010 www.wfse.org
contract. But tough
issues loom.
• The team Special bargaining team digs in on furloughs
reached reached At press time, complaint and
tentative agree- negotiations to grievance filed by
ment on several mitigate the impacts WFSE/AFSCME.
articles. of the state’s 10 A judge blocked
• During two days furlough days were the union’s motion
of bargaining July set to go into a to immediately
8 and 9 the team fourth session. freeze the furloughs.
made headway This came after Furloughs have
on several other the July 15 session started, but the
key articles. They when management judge said the state
return to the table requested time may end up paying
July 21 and 22. to review the furloughed workers
• Meanwhile, the union’s third back if the union
team got a good counterproposal. prevails. No date
read of member- The bargaining has been set for trial.
ship bargaining is at a delicate The next
priorities as they point. But it’s
pored over the re- safe to say the
sults of the survey union team
sent out to Gen- is fighting for
eral Government an agreement
members last that, among
month. Details, other things,
next side. addresses the
inequities faced The special furlough bargaining
Schedule of by those with team brings together representa-
General Govern- WFSE/AFSCME President Carol Dotlich (right back-
alternate work tives from agencies impacted by
ment negotia- schedules who furloughs.
ground) reads the names of each of the 1,891 members
stand to lose
tions: who signed “FurloUGHs HURT” petitions as the union’s
more than eight
July 21 & 22 special furlough bargaining team deposits them on the
hours of pay on furlough day is Aug.
Aug. 18 & 19 newly refinished conference table in the governor’s
furlough days. 6.
office July 7.
Sept. 1 & 2 The special Your special
bargaining team is furlough bargaining
The governor’s chief of staff, Jay Manning (left), looks
also adamant about team’s fight for a
Contact the team: on and responds to the team’s on-point questions about
protecting members’ fair settlement on
info@wfse.org the furloughs that will cost $94 million in lost federal
rights to seek the the effects of the
funds, incur huge overtime costs and harm public ac-
Please put “Mes- best avenues furloughs will impact
sage for the General cess to state services.
for retroactive that scheduled
Government Bar- justice—the lawsuit, furlough.
gaining Team” in the The special furlough team delivered the petitions, joined
unfair labor practice
subject line. by members of the Community College Coalition Bar-
gaining Team, during a lunch break on the second day
Online at: of negotiations over the furloughs that started July 12.
“This isn’t about us--it’s about the people we serve,” said
www.wfse.org > furlough bargaining team member Julianne Moore, Lo-
Bargaining Center cal 1326, Yakima Valley School (foreground).
> General Govern-
ment Bargaining
Team Info & News
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PERMIT NO. 238

And the survey says... Top priorities

Average of all surveys, with 5 being most im-
More than 10 percent of General Government portant and 1 being least important:
members (2,847) took part in the bargaining priorities
survey. Most direct mail surveys get only a 2 percent
response. More than 90 percent of the responses came in
by mail. Just under 6 percent also took the survey online
and just under 4 percent came in from job actions, lunch
‘n’ learns, desk drops and local meetings.

Here are the top priorities (in rank order) that you
identified for the General Government team:

1. Affordable health care

2. Addressing pay inequities
3. Strong seniority rights
4. Workload and work schedules
*
5. Compensatory time/call-back/overtime/shift
differential
6. Contracting out restrictions
7. Agency-specific (supplemental) issues *The rest of the priorities were basically tied: stronger job
classification language; improved probationary/trial ser-
In addition, the team reviewed 39 pages of comments vice rights; workplace health, safety, anti-bullying protec-
written by survey respondents. tion; hiring/transfer procedures; leave and leave schedul-
The major comment theme: Members hate furloughs. ing; and strong grievance/arbitration procedure.
Your input through the survey will guide the team as it
continues negotiations on your next, 2011-2013 contract.

AGENCY-SPECIFIC (SUPPLEMENTAL) BARGAINING. HEALTH CARE. The General Government Bargaining

A July 19 teleconference convened by the Public
Employment Relations Commission would likely yield
a hearing date for the union’s unfair labor practice
complaint over agency-specific (supplemental)
issues. The state earlier did agree to agency-specific
bargaining for Institutions. The Federation’s Institutions
Supplemental Bargaining Team met July 14 to prepare for
negotiations.
Team elected its representatives on the Health Care
Coalition, the WFSE/AFSCME-led group of all state
employee unions. The coalition bargains the article on
health benefits funding that goes in all contracts. The
three General Government reps are: Craig Gibelyou,
Local 793, Western State Hospital; Gabe Hall, Local
862, Green Hill School; and Don Hall, Local 1466,
State Parks. The health care bargaining is set to start
sometime in August.