“I’m special funded and my furloughs do nothing to help solve the budget problem. Who’s going to explain to all of these people that their concerns aren’t going to be addressed because the city is furloughing people they don’t need to?” –Transportation Engineer Michael Hunt’s testimony to City Council on February 24(Read Hunt’s account of his meeting with Councilmember Bill Rosendahl and his follow-up letter to the Councilmember here).
Grievance Update: The Fight Against Furloughs
SEIU 721 has adopted a focused strategy to fight the furloughs for LA City Professionals, that hamper their work for the citizens of Los Angeles, and get out from under the mutually contradictory approaches pursued by EAA in violation of the MOUs they negotiated.
EAA filed both an “Unfair” charge (UERP: Unfair Employment Relations Practice) and individual grievances for specific employees–despite the prohibition in MOUS 8 & 17 against seeking both remedies at once:
ARTICLE 3.0 GRIEVANCES
ARTICLE 3.1 GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE
Section II – Responsibilities and Rights
A. Nothing in this grievance procedure shall be construed to apply to matters for which an administrative remedy is provided before the Civil Service Commission. Where a matter within the scope of this grievance procedure is alleged to be both a grievance and an unfair labor practice under the jurisdiction of the Employee Relations Board, the employee may elect to pursue the matter under either the grievance procedure herein provided, or by action before the Employee Relations Board. The employee’s election of either procedure shall constitute a binding election of the remedy chosen and a waiver of the alternative remedy.The CAO’s office preferred for SEIU to set aside the grievances until a decision is reached on the UERP. However, SEIU 721’s strategy is not to wait for that decision, but instead to zero in on one representative grievance for each department or other category to pursue through arbitration–deeming the outcome precedential for everyone in both units.
The stewards and Contract Action Team members in your departments will be circulating petitions to attach to the individual grievances pursued on behalf of everyone currently impacted by furloughs. The petitions will demonstrate solidarity and strengthen our case.
To add your name to this petition, contact your steward or the Contract Action Team member in your department or contact your Worksite Organizer (WSO) Paul Kim at 213-280-0723 or paul.kim@seiu721.org.
JKim!!
Welcome to the website of a union where members have a voice! When will you allow members/staff of SEIU to post comments on EAA’s website?
Even better, when will you allow your own members to post comments?
I understand many of your remaining members have very strong opinions about your handling of their furlough grievances, not to mention the shoddy representation that allowed the City to impose furloughs and a 10% pay cut in the first place, especially after you told them you were demanding an extra holiday before you would even begin to negotiate something more favorable!
In the past 8 years you have gone from a union representing 10,000 professionals to an association of a mere 5,000. When do you think you will find time to listen to your own members? Is it possible you might be doing something they don’t like?
Right now might not be the best time for you to be looking over our shoulders. Your members want to talk to you. Can you really afford to keep slamming the door in their faces?
You can respond to me directly. You know who I am.
Why don’t you use your real name? I would love to facilitate a meeting with the real J. Kim, a member of MOU 17, formerly EAA, and now SEIU 721. He has a few things to discuss with you.