tea » tea times: August 25, 1997 email: teaseattle  

TEA Times

Second Anniversary Edition

IT’S TEA’s 2ND ANNIVERSARY!!!!

Let’s PARTY to celebrate.

TEA has invited

King County Executive Ron Sims

It’s your chance to support YOUR TEA

JOIN US FOR A LARGE TURNOUT
and this chance to meet with Mr. Sims.

Please reserve your lunchtime hour on either
Tuesday September 16th or 23rd to attend TEA’s Party.

TEA NEEDS YOUR HELP TO PLAN THE PARTY.
Contact Marc Bardsley (x1296) or Judy Raemer (x1298)!

Date, time and location will be verified within two weeks!


LABOR RELATIONS MEETING WITH TEA
On Friday, June 6, 1997, the four TEA Board members, (Wyatt Wood, Liz Krenzel, Marc Bardsley and Judy Raemer), met with the King County Executive’s Labor Relations Representative, Kathy Oglsby.

In this meeting she stated that she had no knowledge of the history or purpose of TEA. The members spoke in turn of the history, the vertical teamwork structure the association’s membership has worked successfully under before the merge with King County, the participation and support given to TEA by its membership, and a plea for the County to withdraw its opposition before PERC to the efforts of TEA by the deadline of June 20, 1997.

As a result --

  • The representative clearly stated the executive’s stand was that every worker has the right to be represented by anyone they want, and the County, as an employer, must remain neutral.
  • The representative questioned when the County first posed opposition to TEA, and who represented the County during the PERC Hearings last September. We told her.
  • According to her experience, the representative said neither of the union locals should have any claim on any of the TEA membership in an election since they had shown no interest by PERC’s deadlines.
  • The representative inquired further about the vertical teamwork function of the TEA membership before the merge. She stated there are some groups within the County who are looking at structuring their work functions differently. (An interesting statement, though of no significance to TEA right now.)

UPDATE -- June 23, 1997
Apparently, our meeting with Ms. Oglsby did not impact the right people. King County has responded to TEA’s appeal to the PERC’s decision (posted in the Exchange Building on the second and tenth floor break room bulletin boards) by submitting an "Appeal Brief" of its own.

It is long and wordy, but the following are a few key points of contention the TEA Board found in the County’s appeal:

  • Page 1, line 23; KC states PERC’s order was based upon
    "... a lack of community of interest within the petitioned-for bargaining units."
  • Page 11, line 16
    "King County does not concede that TEA has the support of the employees it seeks to represent nor does the record adequately reflect such."
    (Let it be noted that 65-70% of the people in positions under this appeal have submitted signed cards to request an election for representation by association rather than be automatically tossed under an existing union. The TEA Board believes this definitely qualifies as a record demonstrating the support (or at least the promise of support) of the employees TEA seeks to represent.)
  • Page 12, line 10
    "The facts of the present matter actually support a conclusion that the positions at issue now share a community of interest with "... classifications currently represented by other unions in King County."
  • Page 15, line 1
    "Differences in educational or licensing achievements, if any, have no relevance to comparing duties, skills and working conditions.
  • Page 19, line 13
    "It is well established that professionals and clericals do not share a community of interest."
  • Page 20, line 16
    "TEA has not presented persuasive evidence as to the desires of the employees."
    (see ‘Note to Page 11, line 16)

TEA’s NEXT MOVE
We are basically waiting for PERC to respond to our appeal before TEA can take any further legal action. However, those of us representing TEA are NOT sitting idly by doing nothing.

Wyatt Wood and Severne Johnson attended the Brown Bag forum for Pam Bissonnette, Director of DNR, on Tuesday, July 22, and raised some questions for TEA. Don Theiler, Manager of WTD, requested a meeting with Wyatt, and the two of them met Friday, July 25. Don was very interested in our views of the other unions and said he would suggest to Ron Sims that he meet with TEA.

FINANCIAL REVIEW
There has been very little financial activity in the past few months. As of July 31, 1997, the TEA bank account contained $1,115.74. An invoice for $45 was received on September 2, 1997 from TEA’s attorney’s office for signature card review and postage costs related to the filing of the second petition for certification.


This edition of TEA Times respectfully submitted by Judy Raemer, TEA Board member, with input from the rest of the TEA Board.

TEA Board
  • Wyatt Wood 684-1319
  • Judy Raemer 684-1298
  • Liz Krenzel 684-2115
  • Marc Bardsley 684-1296

TEA Contacts
  • Sally Turner 689-4581
  • Bill Serres 684-1310
  • Severne Johnson 684-1320