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T E A

T i m e s

June 24 2005


June - July Meeting Schedule

June 27 King County Council Labor Summit (9-12, Seattle Labor Temple, 2800 1st Ave. at Broad St. and 1st)
June 28  Special Meeting for Wastewater TEA Members to discuss next Contract Issues (12-1pm, 2A/2B King Street Center)
June 30 CANCELLED - Board Business Meeting (12-1)
July  4  HOLIDAY
July  7  CANCELLED - Board Business Meeting (12-1)
July  13 CANCELLED - Regular TEA Meeting (12-1)
July 14  Board Business Meeting (12-1pm, 4G, King Street Center)
July 21 Board Business Meeting (12-1pm, 4G, King Street Center)
July 28 Board Business Meeting (12-1pm, 4G, King Street Center)

King County Council's Annual Labor Summit - Monday, June 27

The County Council holds its annual Labor Summit (a meeting of the Council focusing on labor concerns) on Monday, 6/27 at 9 a.m. Any TEA member is welcome to attend this, but you must do so on your own time. This is an opportunity to meet and hear from County Councilmembers and various union representatives.


Special Meeting Set for Tuesday June 28 for Wastewater TEA Members to Discuss Upcoming Contract Issues (Rooms 2A/B KSC)

Please plan on attending a special meeting the Board has set up (with planning by facilitator Martha Tuttle, Wyatt Wood and Eric Mandel) to review and discuss what issues you want the Negotiating Team to consider during upcoming new contract negotiations with the County, which will commence sometime near the close of the current salary negotiations that will apply to our existing contract.

Please plan to attend and participate - WE NEED YOUR VOICE AND IDEAS - this is your chance to get ideas out on the table and to hear what others are suggesting early on. Members said they wanted more direct input and discussion, so here's a chance!


Bargaining Team members sought

Also, we would like a representative from each of the work groups to serve on two advisory teams (one each for WW and Transit) who will:

  • gather information from the membership on contract issues,
  • provide advise to the formal Negotiating Committee (and potentially be on it),
  • receive information from the Negotiating Committee to relay back to your work group.

Scheduled meetings have not been determined yet, but once contract negotiations begin, you can generally anticipate meeting semi-weekly. Negotiation sessions are under the paid release time protection in our contracts; Team meetings will likely meet at lunchtime. Please contact Eric Mandel, TEA President, ASAP at eric.mandel@metrokc.gov or 684-1206 if you are interested in being a Bargaining Team member.


Transit TEA member discussion of contract negotiation issues held

Approximately sixteen members met at lunch on June 21st to discuss potential issues for current transit negotiations on a new contract. Eric Mandel led the discussion, which focused on understanding and discussing those issues previously identified in the ranking form sent out earlier by Council Chair Nancy Gordon, and brainstorming further ideas. Another half dozen suggestions will be incorporated into a revised ranking form going out to Transit members within the next day or two. The TEA Transit Bargaining Committee members also participated - thanks to all who attended!

P.S.: The next meeting with County negotiators is June 30th.


TEA Monthly Meeting cancelled for July

With various vacations and the focus on separate Wastewater and Transit negotiation preparations and meetings, the Board has cancelled the July meeting. However, please mark your calendars now for the August 17th meeting, which will have a full agenda. We will have progress reports on contract negotiations, get some initial feedback on financial plan and dues updates, solicit new officer nominations, and more! Please check with your Board members, Council Representatives, or Negotiation Team members if you want interim updates or wish to forward concerns or suggestions. And as always you are welcome to the Executive Board meetings (see calendar above)!

Wastewater Productivity Initiative Review

Wastewater staff have been informed of the financial status of the Division in relation to stated productivity targets, and that, despite significant (~$9 million) savings in the budget, that the stricter productivity target wasn't reached for 2004. Don Theiler has asked the various WW union representatives (including TEA President Eric Mandel) to help wrestle with this issue. The union/management group agreed to create a special Productivity Technical Review Committee to achieve several specific goals, including:

  • Revisit the 2004 results to ensure no errors in calculations were made
  • Review the rules for "technical adjustments" and "outside-the-fence" areas if budget that should not be part of the productivity targets
  • Propose changes as necessary and justifiable to the target adjustments
  • Review and suggest adjustments in the Capital Productivity target-setting process and the next five year Productivity-based Business Plan
  • Act as a resource and communicate to members about the details of the program's features and issues

We are fortunate to have two very capable members to represent TEA on this Committee, Paul Galeno and Peggy Leonard. They will be getting into the hard details of this program and helping propose improvements, and we are grateful for their willingness to tackle this on TEA's behalf.