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On February 17th, TEA, ATU and King County were contacted by the law clerk for Judge McPhee with a request to reschedule the Furlough Trial. Turns out the Judge was in the middle of a three week trial and needed more time to finish the trial by the end of February.
The purpose for the trial is that King County has appealed PERC’s decision ordering King County to pay TEA (Transit) and ATU members back-pay for the furlough days imposed in 2009. The trial date is April 22nd.
This year, both Wastewater Bargaining Units will have expired contracts. Even though the Supervisor Contract has yet to pass through the Council process, we need to start thinking about the successor contract. A small group of members have been working on salary data for Wastewater Staff. These data will be collected and put into a presentation package.
The time is upon us to start collecting more bargaining issues. The current health care package expires at the end of 2012, so we should expect the successor contracts to expire then too. Currently, there is a Bargaining Committee meeting scheduled for May 19th in conference room 4D another meeting is scheduled for June 21st in conference room 4D. The first bargaining session is on June 22nd.
We are soliciting for volunteers for the Wastewater negotiating team. It would be ideal to have one primary and backup from the Staff Bargaining Unit and one primary and backup from the Supervisor Bargaining Unit. If you are interested in participating, but cannot make it to either of these meetings please contact the Wastewater Negotiating Chair, John Phillips.
Here are the preliminary issues that have come up so far for bargaining (if you would like to know more specifics we will talk about these issues in the Bargaining Committee):
Bargaining continues with several meetings scheduled into June. Several minor issues have been agreed to already.
It has come to our attention that an annual opportunity to change the VEBA vote exists;
a vote is tentatively planned for mid-June.
The three choices are the same:
VEBA contributions are tax-deferred and may be used for qualifying medical expenses. The recent change in health care benefits affects VEBA as well, over the counter prescriptions will no longer qualify as we understand it.
May 18 - Monthly Meeting Meeting 12-1 PM Harrapa and Cloacca (5 B&C)
May 17 - Council of Reps - contact Alton Gaskill for details (8J)
May 24 (apx) - Grievance Committee
Regular TEA Board Meetings are in KSC 4-G, 1st and 2nd Wed of each month.
TEA times are scheduled the week before the Monthly meeting with special editions as the need arises.