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T E AT i m e sSeptember 1 2009Topics
1. Candidates for Board Positions Interest high for open Board positions The call for volunteers for the open Board positions was issued in August. The Nominating Committee developed a list of candidates for each of the four open Board positions: Treasurer, WW Bargaining Chair, Transit Bargaining Chair and Chair of the Council of Representatives. The list of candidates are as follows:
Lee Miller has subsequently withdrawn his name from consideration. In accordance with the Bylaws, Board elections are held at the Annual Meeting in September. The Annual Meeting is scheduled for September 16th. The candidates will have an opportunity to present Candidate Statements in the TEA Times on September 8th. TEA members can meet the candidates and ask questions at two candidate forums on Thurs., 9/10 and Tues., 9/15 from 12-1pm. The locations will be announced in the TEA Times on September 8th. The election will be by anonymous ballot (double envelope) distributed by the work group reps starting on September 9th. Ballots will be due at the Annual Meeting on September 16th. If you have any questions regarding the election process, please contact TEA Secretary Ken Madden. 2. WW Contract Update A final mediated contract offer is nearing completion and could be ready for a vote this month. The County and TEA have reached a Tentative Agreement pending the resolution of the written text of concepts discussed during mediation. Both sides have reviewed the preliminary language and are meeting on 9/1 at 1pm to try to resolve some minor differences. The word is that the Tentative Agreement offers COLA (with retro back to the start of the contract term) and a new contract element called Benefit Time. 3. Furlough ULP Update The State (PERC) Hearings Examiner has not yet published his ruling on TEA's ULP Complaint over the County's unilateral implementation of the furloughs. At this point, there is no "fixed date" or timeline for the ruling, but the hearing was held several months ago and a ruling is due. In a related case before PERC, the hearings examiner ruled (7/29/09) against the Griffin School District near Olympia that it failed to bargain appropriately with the union before furloughing union members. The school district has been ordered to "make all affected bargaining unit members "whole" by paying back pay and benefits for all lost time due to the employer's unilateral actions". TEA has entered the Griffin School District ruling into evidence with the PERC hearings examiner in our case against King County. 4. Transit Bargaining Update Bargaining for the next contract for Transit Staff is being held in abeyance until the following two items are resolved — Furlough ULP and Teamster petition. Both need to be resolved in order to restart the bargaining process. 5. September Meeting Schedule September 2 — TEA Board Meeting, 12-1, KSC 4G September 9 — TEA Board Meeting, 12-1, KSC 4G September 10 — Candidate Forum hosted by the Council of Representatives, tba September 15 — Candidate Forum hosted by the Council of Representatives, tba September 16 — TEA Annual Meeting, 12-1, KSC, 603/604 September 22 — TEA Grievance Committee Meeting TEA Board Roger Browne, President Adé Franklin, Vice President Ken Madden, Secretary Terry Browne, Treasurer Eric Davison, Wastewater Bargaining Chair Jerry Williams, Transit Bargaining Chair John Phillips, Council of Reps. Chair |