T E A

December 1, 2003

December Meeting Schedule

December  1		WTD Contract Negotiating Team, 12-1pm Wastewater Productivity Mediation, 3-5pm
December  2		TEA Business Meeting (King St. Center, 5F), 12-1pm
December  8		WTD Contract Negotiating Team, 12-1pm
December  9		WTD Holiday Party
December 10		TEA Business Meeting (King St. Center, 5F), 12-1pm
December 15		WTD Contract Negotiations, 9-12pm WTD Contract Negotiating Team, 12-1pm
December 16		Transit D&C Holiday Party
December 17		TEA Regular Meeting (Elliott Bay Café), 12-1pm
December 18		WTD Contract Negotiations, 9-12pm TEA Business Meeting (King St. Center, 5F), 12-1pm
December 22		WTD Contract Negotiating Team, 12-1pm
December 23		TEA Business Meeting (King St. Center, 5F), 12-1pm
December 25		HOLIDAY

WTD Special Leave

Reminder: TEA members in WTD who were awarded five (5) days of Special Leave in exchange for accepting revised medical benefits in 2003 - that leave expires at the end of this year. This Special Leave requires TRC Code 225. If you were eligible for this leave, be sure that you have used 40-hrs of Code 225 vacation leave prior to 12/31/03. Any unused Special Leave will be forfeited on January 1st.

WTD Contract Mediation Update

TEA responded to the County offer of keeping our own classifications in the Engineering, Construction, Designer and Project Control series. Using wage data from a survey jointly performed by TEA/Transit Management/HRD, we made a case for some adjustment above class/comp wages. With the uncoupling of Engineer III & IV and Construction Manager III & IV series, there are slight differences. As of now, both wage systems are on the table and Pay remains the largest of the unsettled items. We agreed to Holiday language, which reflects and clarifies existing policy. We established additional negotiation dates for the 15th and 18th of December in which we hope to iron out everything that's still unresolved, create a contract proposal, and bring it back to a vote of the membership in the first quarter of next year.
- R. Browne

Council of Reps. - Nominations for Chair Sought

In accordance with TEA Bylaws, Article VI, Section B, Item 4, the Council of Representative Chairperson serves a one-year term. The Council is now soliciting nominations for the position of Chair. Nominations should be sent to either Patty Overby or Victoria Beach by Friday, December 12. There will be a Special Meeting of the Council in early January to elect the new Chair.

The duties/responsibilities of the Chair are as follows:

• Chair the Council;
• Identify and maintain a list of all work group representatives;
• Communicate TEA and the Council information and issues to the Board and Council;
• Represent the Council at Board meetings (attending weekly Board Business meetings each Tuesday from 12-1).

Donation of Sick/Vacation Leave Requested

The following TEA members are in need of donated sick leave or vacation leave. Your help would be greatly appreciated. If you are interested in helping these individuals, please obtain a donation form from the Administrative Assistant for your work group.

For further information on King County leave donation policy, refer to the King County Personnel Guidelines on donating sick or vacation time - go to Microsoft Outlook, click on "Public Folders/All Public Folders"; Human Resources; Policies & Guidelines; Personnel Guidelines.

• Joe Barnett (WTD) is out on extended medical leave.
• Victoria Beach (TR) is having major surgery the first of December and will exhaust her leave time.
• Jim Benedict (WTD) has had back surgery and it is unclear when he can return.
• Alejandra Calderon (WTD) is on medical leave.

TEA Board

Ken Madden, President
Elizabeth Morgan, 1st Vice President
Dave Crippen, 2nd Vice President
Eric Mandel, Treasurer
Patty Overby, Secretary