From the trenches...Reports from your Business RepsUnit 1 – Electric Distribution • We are discussing the possibility of separating the Electric Distribution Mechanic training program into Overhead Line and Underground Cable apprenticeships. Please attend your Unit meeting the second Thursday of the month, at 5:30 p.m., for more information. • There will be a Unit 1 dinner meeting scheduled in August. If you plan to attend, please RSVP to the Union Office (213-387-8274, ext. 0). Unit 9 – Generation As we have been discussing at our unit meetings, and noted in my last Surge article, training for maintenance personnel has become an issue of great concern at all the generating plants. This issue has been discussed at the In-Plant Joint Labor Management Committees (JLMC), as well as the In-Basin JLMC. Some plants have taken the steps to correct this problem. If there are training goals that you believe are necessary for you to perform your job safely and efficiently, it is important that you inform your plant committee members. Joint Labor Management Committees only work as long as you are willing to participate in the process. Unit 15/20 – Pasadena Ballots for the contract ratification were counted on July 14. The proposal passed. We are working now to get the language finalized, and all pay and inequities implemented. Special thanks to Mohamed Youines, Sonny Brassie, Michael Coil, Larry Husted, Victor Jaime, and Brad Secreto for all their hard work on the negotiations! Unit 17 – Field Groups • We want to thank all the members for their patience and understanding as we move forward with fully implementing the Worker Safety Tours (WSTs) in the CSBU. During the past couple of months, we have been attempting to work with CSBU management in an effort to fully implement the Joint Safety Institute-sponsored worker safety program. We must have a strong partnership in order to assure that our members perform their work in the safest- possible manner. To that end, we have updated and expanded the list of WST members for both labor and management. I want to thank all the members who have expressed an interest in joining us in this very important activity. Please call me at the Union Office (213/387-8274, ext. 113) if you are interested in joining us in conducting the tours. • We want to remind all the members that WSTs are there for you. They are an opportunity for you to raise issues of safety directly with supervision and your Union. All members are encouraged to fully participate if and when a safety tour is conducted in your route/district. • We want to clear up a misunderstanding that has been raised by some Unit 17 members. The WSTs are not the same as Field Checks that are done by Supervisors. Nor are they the same as Quality Assurance Evaluations (QAs). When you are involved in a WST, a small committee will let you know in advance that they will be touring your route/district. During the tour, they will be asking you to raise any safety concerns that you may have. Many recommendations that have been suggested by rank and file members as a result of these safety tours have been implemented over the last two years. • Remember, there can be no disciplinary action as a result of the safety tour. We also want to encourage the members who have been toured to get a copy of the post-visit report that is generated by the committee members. While it is important that the reports get filed with all appropriate levels of the Department, it is equally important that members know what conclusions the committee reached from the tour. • We hope that this information is helpful, and that all members join us in keeping each other safe on the job! Unit 19B – Shops • At the Shops Joint Labor-Management Committee meeting, a proposal was made to have the Electrical Craft Helpers rotated among the four permanent reporting locations in Electrical Repairer Services. The reasoning behind this was to give helpers the opportunity to learn about the different work tasks performed at the various locations. The committee requested that all helpers be asked if they want to participate in this type of rotation. This is your opportunity to let the committee know if you have any concerns that need to be discussed, or if we should implement this proposal. • Our unit meeting participation has been improving, and the feedback we receive has been of great help to me. It is important that you attend as many meetings as you can, because the exchange of information is mutually beneficial. Unit 24 – Water Supply • The bid plan for Water Utility Operators is now being drawn up and finalized. We are looking to have it back in effect within two or three weeks. I want to thank Michael Bloch for stepping up and getting involved in order to help make this happen. • The Jurisdiction Joint Labor-Management Committee is up and running again. We just held our July meeting, and we are making progress in identifying the overlapping areas of the Waterworks Mechanics and the Water Utility Operators. We continue to work hard to get back to where all classifications can work together in the way we used to on the job. Unit 25 – Gardeners and Landscapers • A labor-management committee met to discuss the 9/80 alternate work schedule. Our Union presented management with a proposal, and it will be discussed at the next meeting. The proposal was also discussed at the August 6 “all hands” communication meeting. • Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Smith on the birth of their son, Zane. Mother and baby are doing well. Father is still undergoing treatment! Unit 26 – Custodial Services • As of June 28, 2004, all Custodial Services Attendants (CSAs) who were previously working in the Water Division were functionally transferred to the Facilities Maintenance Business Group. I do not think that new FMBG members will see much change with respect to their assignments at their current facility. Management is committed to assessing all the newly acquired facilities, position by position, to learn exactly what has to be done. • Due to the additional locations absorbed from the functional transfer of the Customer Services Business Unit CSAs, the Water Division CSAs, and the Power Supply and Operations CSAs, we have had to continue our discussions with management on how best to assure that there is appropriate levels of supervision throughout the city. Where in the past, there was just one supervisor position for the outside facilities, there are now two. • We are currently working with management to fill additional supervisory positions. While it is likely that these positions will be filled on a limited basis for now, we will work diligently until they are able to fill these (and other CSA positions) on a full-time basis. • Once again, we invite all CSAs to join us at the Unit 26 meetings, at 3:30, on the Third Thursday of the every month, at the Union Hall. Unit 31 – Professionals • Kerry McCorkle and I plan to have another round of site meetings for the members in Pro, Tech, Admin., Super Pro and Super Tech Units in September and October. At the beginning of 2004, close to 20 site meetings were held at different locations around DWP. They were a terrific opportunity for us to meet each other and share information. Autumn seems like a good time to do it again – to get to know each other better, to review our shared progress so far, and to identify issues we can proactively pursue together in the future. Please plan to attend the meeting at your location! • A key component of the Local 18-DWP Joint Safety Institute are the Joint Worker Safety Tours (WSTs). The tours are an opportunity for both labor and management to visit workers on the job, hear first-hand about safety problems, and get employees’ ideas on how to do their work more safely and efficiently. The information generated from the tours gives immediate supervisors the opportunity to resolve safety problems or issues. And if some safety issues are too big to be handled at the local level, they can be handed off to the Business Unit Safety Director, the Corporate Safety Manager or, if necessary, to the Joint Safety Institute for resolution. JSI conducts safety tour training workshops to prepare members for participation. We would like to expand the WST participation to our new members. For more information, please check out the JSI site on the DWP Intranet. If you are interested in attending any JSI workshops, please contact me. • You can always find the monthly meeting schedule for all of Local 18’s evening meetings on our website: www.ibewlocal18.com. Please join us for your unit meeting and for Parent Body, Local 18’s general membership meeting. • I can be reached at labbott@ibewlocal18.com or 213/387-8274, ext. 110. Unit 32 – Technical • As of this writing, we have made significant progress in providing new MOUs. We have received initial approval from the City Council, and have begun the ratification process. Ratification ballots will be counted on August 17. Shortly after, we will move the MOUs through the approval process. • Technical Unit meetings are scheduled on the second Wednesday of every month, at 5:30 p.m., at the Local 18 Union Hall. • Administrative Unit meetings are scheduled on the third Wednesday of every month, at 5:30 p.m., at the Local 18 Union Hall. • Supervisory Professional Unit meetings are scheduled on the first Tuesday of every month, at 5:30 p.m., at the Local 18 Union Hall. • You can always reach me at 213/387-8274, ext. 138, or at kmccorkle@ibewlocal18.com Unit 50 – Burbank • We continue to work on the final language for the MOUs. We feel we are close to agreement on the provisions. • We are still working on enhanced retirement proposals. If you have any questions, please contact John Washington or James Anderson. Units 52 – Owens Valley & 52A – Mojave • Business Reps Shawn McCloud and Geralyn Washington-Tatum conducted site visits for clerical employees; they were well attended. Some of the discussions revolved around clerical staffing, the Lead Team Certificate Program, and the progress of the Clerical Bid Plan. Thank you for your participation. • The joint labor-management committee is making rapid progress in filling positions on Owens Dry Lake. • Most of you are aware by now of the new body scan benefit being offered by your Local 18- sponsored health plans. Employees will have an opportunity to take advantage of this benefit when the mobile unit is scheduled to visit Owens Valley. Please keep an eye out for our announcements, so that you can make an appointment. Unit 53 – Water • It is finally done! All the Maintenance Construction Helpers who have completed their training, and have met all their qualifications, have been upgraded to the “C” position. Congratulations to all of you! • All the crews that are working the continuous shift will now be starting 30 minutes earlier. This was done because of the 9/80 that is now in place. The continuous shift crews, especially the day shift, started at 7:00 a.m., and the 9/80 crews at 6:30 a.m. When the districts had safety or communication meetings, the continuous shift crews were missing them. A verbal poll was conducted throughout all the shift crews, and every members was on board with the change. Through the Joint Labor-Management (JLM) process, a unanimous decision was reached and the change was implemented. This is an excellent example of how the JLM process works, both for labor and management. This process is here for both sides to air views and be heard. Please take the time to find out who your JLM representative is, and let him or her know what you would like to have discussed at their next meeting. Unit 60 – Waterworks Mechanic • The Jurisdiction Joint Labor-Management Committee is now up and running. We held our July meeting and, believe it or not, we are making progress in identifying the overlapping areas of the Waterworks Mechanics and the Water Utility Operators. We are working very hard to come to a place where, ultimately, we can all work together in the way that it once was between the classifications. • I would like to see more participation at your unit meetings. They are held only once a month, and the meeting is right there in your building. It is in your best interest to attend your meeting so that you can learn what is going on in your unit. The meetings are set for 3:30, on the fourth Wednesday of every month. I hope to see you at the next meeting! |