From the trenches...

           Reports from your Business Reps

Unit 1 – Distribution
By Barry Poole

A new class of Electrical Distribution Mechanic Trainees has been picked up.  Class members are: Elmer Acosta; Mike Ascension; William Barnes; John Callaway; Anthony Casillas; Robert Devito-Sullivan; Juan Duran; Greg Flynn; Anthony Frias; Santiago Gallo; Daniel Grout; Marcelino Jimenez; Mark Kirkland; Javier Lopez; Miguel Lopez; Greg Martin; Juan Martinez; Mike Navarro; Alejandro Pulido; Sarang Rath; Jeff Reid; Sam Reyes; Leonard Sosa; Alex Valles, and Mathew Wilson.

Additionally, a new class of Electrical Craft Helpers was recently hired.  Class members are: Barry W. Barksdale; Jose D. Berrocal; Brian A. Brown; Gabriel Chavez; Chung Fong; Dallas J. Gentry; Douglas C. Jesson; James E. King; Wasim S. Majdali; William H. Middleton; Manuel C. Olivera; Paul P. Phillips Jr.; Mark L. Poulson; Luis R. Ramirez; James F. Reeves; Eric Roberts; Alan J. Romero; Ricardo M. Saenz; Matthew S. Schneider; Kevin B. Smith; Michael R. Stadler; Kenneth R. Starr; Leroy C. Stevens; Donald F. Thomas, II; Christopher A. Tovares; Ryan Tyler, and Ronald D. Walters.

Congratulations to all the employees who have promoted, and to those who are new to Local 18.  Be sure to be active in your Union in order to help create a better workplace for everyone! 

Unit 2 – ESOs
By Bill Lewis

The attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001 have had resounding effects on all of our lives. Due to those attacks, we now face ongoing improvements to the security of the water and power systems. At times, however, the pendulum can swing too far to one side or the other.

The latest security measures include cameras at all the receiving and distributing stations. The proposed installation of cameras is an example of the pendulum swinging too much out of control. Not only are there plans to install cameras in the racks and external premises of the stations, but also in the control rooms! Installation of control-room cameras is being justified because they are “unmanned” stations. Why then do cameras need to be operational when an Operator has control of the station? Our concerns have been voice and heard. Cost estimates currently are being researched for wiring the cameras through the local/remote switch. By wiring the cameras in such a way, the Operator will effectively turn off the camera when the station is “manned,” thus alleviating the fear of being watched while switching is taking place and eliminating any distraction the camera will cause. We will keep all members apprised on this sensitive issue.

Unit 3 – Testers
By Bill Lewis

Your Training Committee is in the final stages of drafting a course curriculum. We have also gotten the ball rolling with the personnel office in order to obtain a new class specification. The Duties Description Records (DDRs) are also being drafted. In all, progress is going well; however there is still much work to do. Please attend your unit meeting, held on the third Wednesday of each month for further updates.

Unit 8 – Clerical
By Shawn McCloud & Geralyn Washington-Tatum

Your Personnel File

All employees should ask to review the contents of their personnel files on a yearly basis. You can use your birthday as a  reminder.  A request is normally done in writing.  Management has a window of at least three (3) working days to comply with your request.  Once you receive the file, carefully review the contents and look for expiration dates.  Those items with expiration datesshould be removed.  Keep in mind, however, that suspensions and supporting documentation remain in your file. Documentation that could be used as the basis for any discipline must be removed upon request if it is more than two years old (see administrative policy 50-02).   

Half-time Civil Service New to DWP

In 1999, the DWP and IBEW Local 18 agreed to negotiate benefits for employees recognized in the City Charter as half-time.  Recently, the proposed ‘Part 2 of the Clerical Memorandum of Understanding’ (MOU) between the DWP and IBEW Local 18 completed the approval process from the Board of Water and Power Commissioners and the Los Angeles City Council. Included in the MOU are the Operational Rules that govern the implementation and operation of half-time employees.  

This new MOU provides benefits (A-time, B-time, holidays, sick, disability, to name a few) to employees who work 20 hours a week.  These benefits are earned at half the rate of a full-time employee. For example, a DWP full-time employee receives 40 hours personal business (b-time) annually, a half-time employee will receive 20 hours. Not all full-time benefits are available to half-time employees.  Currently the only half-time classifications are Customer Services Representative and Clerk.  Future positions will be filled through the regular Civil Service process. 

Please acknowledge the hard work and dedication of all the members of the Half-Time Civil Service Committee. They are: Shawn McCloud and Geralyn Washington-Tatum at IBEW Local 18, and Ron Balster, and Mike Buccat, Albert Guzman, Tom Harrington, Mark Howard, Cindy Roughan, Ann Woodmore, Andrew Virzie, and Helen Yee at the Department of Water & Power.

Mark Your Calendar 

Beginning January, 2005, the Clerical Unit will go back to having monthly meetings. Be there and be educated! We are aware of child-care concerns, so please know that it is fine to bring kids to your Clerical Unit meetings. The next meeting is set for 6:00 p.m., Tuesday, February 8, at the Local 18 Hall.

Training

To find out what training classes are available, go on the DWP intranet, Human Resources, and click on training.  For those of you that do not have intranet access, you may call the Training and Development Section in Human Resources.

Unit 13 – Automotive
By Ken Delgado

  • We held our Annual Luncheon Meeting last month. Unfortunately, there was a last-minute training class scheduled and more than half of our members who had RSVP’d had to attend this class and, consequently, missed out on the fun. The members who did show up enjoyed a good lunch and camaraderie. Hopefully, next year will be different.
  • I look forward to seeing you at our next unit meeting. It is important that every member stay informed on the issues that are upcoming in the next contract. We cannot wait until the next contract negotiations, or until our present contract is up. Our involvement and interest must begin now!

Unit 15/20 – Pasadena
By Barry Poole

  • Several IBEW Local 18 members working at Pasadena Water and Power celebrated milestones in their careers. Arnold Cortes, Efrain Garcia, Metric Edwards, and Ralph Meza celebrated 10-year anniversaries; Geoff Barsi celebrated 20 years; Frank Masi, 25 years, and Al Smith, 35 years. Congratulations to all of you!
  • The Meet-and-Confer process is continuing for the new job specifications of Vault Inspector, Field Design Technician, Lead Electrical Mechanic, and Senior Instrument Mechanic.
  • The draft of the June 30, 2003 to June 30, 2006 MOU has been approved. A signature page is being circulated among negotiating-team members. We expect that the new MOUs will be printed some time after the signature page is completed.
  • Three Street Light and Traffic Signal positions were recently filled. We continue to discuss one other vacant position.
  • Electricians at the Rose Bowl were being randomly tested under DOT regulations, even though they did not drive commercial vehicles. We brought this to the attention of management, and they have stopped the testing of these members.

Unit 17 – Field Groups
By Nancy Romero

  • We thank the members of the Metro Commercial Field Representatives Worker Safety Group for testing the new truck mounts for the handhelds. The new mounts will provide more flexibility for inputting information. They appear to be user-friendly and more ergonomically sound. The Department is working with the vendor with respect to members’ recommendations; this input has greatly helped to assure a better truck mount. The new mounts can swivel up and down, and provide a more comfortable position when inputting data while in the vehicle. They can be stretched to reach the passenger-door window. Contrary to rumor, the new mounts do help alleviate some of the vibrations during travel. Several members have expressed a concern that the printers are left unsecured in the cab, and can possibly become a problem. With input from our members, management is now looking at attaching a cradle for the printer onto the mount to address this concern. A suggestion has also been made to place the radio receivers directly on the mount.
  • We encourage you to continue to share your concerns with management about the handhelds during the MDDS meeting in the unit. Some members experience complete disconnections and the frequent self-rebooting of their handhelds. Connectivity continues to be a problem. Management will keep working with Cingular in order to address this issue. If possible, please make a note of where the disconnections happen; this will help management in its discussions with Cingular. If your handheld reboots itself several times a day, please see your supervisor.
  • The Field Investigations Unit is scheduled to initiate the MDDS program in February. We hope the testing will be successful, and there will be very few setbacks. You can expect that MDDS retraining will happen prior to implementation. A full ergonomic evaluation will be conducted to ensure that you are using the device in an appropriate and safe manner when inputting and retrieving information.
  • “This past year has brought about many positive changes for us all through the JLM Process. We want to encourage more participation in all our units to keep up with our successes, and also as we take on new ones,” said Cindy Coffin, the new Unit 17 Chair. “We want members to make every effort to stay informed this year by attending the Unit 17 meeting on the firstThursday of the month, talking to Shop Stewards or JLM Members, and reading the Surge.”

Unit 19B – Shops
By Gus Corona

Nearly 90% of the ballots returned were in favor of the bid plan for the Central Repair and Fabrication Services (CR&FS). One of the most significant changes approved by the membership was the creation of two field crews, one for mechanical (machinist), and one for electrical repairers. Both crews will be awarded strictly by seniority. The “grandfather” provision, which was also included on ballot, also received overwhelming support. The Bid Plan Committee will meet with management in order to determine which locations will be put out for bid.

I want especially to acknowledge the work of the members of the Bid Plan Committee:

  • Greg Fuller
  • Bob Lambert
  • Pierce Watson
  • Brian Zilliotto

The bid plan was obtained through their efforts and persistence. Thank you.

Unit 22 – ESRs
By Bill Lewis

As it turns out, the light at the end of the tunnel is not a train. A long time coming, management has finally agreed to resolve the issue regarding the additional work taken on a number of years ago. We are in the process of rewriting the “C” level Duties Description Record (DDR). Once completed, the DDR must be approved by the DWP Board of Commissioners. If that happens, then all Electric Service Representatives will be moved to the higher DDR. As of this writing, we have an unpredictable time estimate. Remember, your unit meetings are the first Wednesday of each month, and we will keep you updated as we proceed with this resolution.

Unit 26 – Custodians
By Nancy Romero

  • We want to thank all of you who have been working with us and raising important issues. This past year was tough for many of us, but we must remember that we need to work together to improve our working conditions. Only through our unity can we demonstrate our strength and gain the support to resolve the issues we care about. We look forward to working with everyone again this year.
  • We will be working with our members at JFB to assure that, this year, Bids are posted in a timely manner.
  • It is with a heavy heart that we inform our members of the passing of our brother, Roger Sebastian. Roger was a very good member of IBEW Local 18, and he will be missed!
  • We will be meeting on the third Thursday of the month at the Union Hall at 3:30 p.m.

Unit 31 – Professionals
Unit 35 – Supervisory Technical
By Leslie Abbott

Your new DWP-Local 18 MOUs include several significant improvements from the former EAA MOUs regarding work outside of scheduled working hours.

  • Standby – Under the EAA MOU, employees could be assigned to stand by while off-duty for half-hour pay per day. In your Local 18 MOU, standby assignments have been eliminated altogether.
  • Disturbance Calls – In the EAA MOU, compensation was for one hour at the straight-time rate. In your Local 18 MOU, compensation is one hour at the appropriate overtime rate for each instance. That is at time-and-a-half, or double-time—depending on the circumstances.
  • Call Out – In the EAA MOU, call outs were defined as only occurring between10 p.m.and 6 a.m., and there was no distinction between days of the week. In your Local 18 MOU, there are no time or day restrictions. Any call to an off-duty employee directing him or her to report to work is considered a call out. Both old and new language guarantee compensation at a minimum of two hours at the double-time rate.
  • Rates of Overtime Pay – Under the EAA contract, there was a salary threshold barring the earning of double-time to higher wage-earners. In your Local 18 MOU, Sundays (and Sunday equivalents), holidays (and holiday equivalents) and each hour worked continuously after sixteen (16) continuous hours are paid at the double-time rate.

Local 18 is principally opposed to employees being assigned to stand by in their off-duty hours. Your personal life is your personal life, and it should not be assigned away because you work for DWP. It is management that stands by on a 24-hour basis.

Local 18 members who are voluntarily willing to respond to Department needs on their off-hours do have—through overtime, disturbance and call out—mechanisms for doing so. So you have theability to choose how you spend your off-duty hours. You can actually take the time off. Or, under your new MOU, if you respond to the call to work—you are compensated at ahigherrate for doing so.

Unit 32 – Technical
Unit 33 – Administrative
Unit 34 – Supervisory Professional
By Kerry McCorkle

  • Leslie Abbott and I are having success in fighting the contracting-out of your work. When the Department wishes to contract-out work or extend an existing contract, a Notice of Compliance (NOC) is sent from Labor Relations to Local 18. The NOC is then assigned to Leslie or me depending on the issue and the area it affects. Leslie and I investigate and review every NOC relating to the new bargaining units that comes to the Union. We consult with members who can give us details on the contracts and their impact on us. We make every effort to ensure that the scope is appropriate in content and time frame, or we deny it altogether. We are very concerned about the issues of training, staffing, planning, and skills and knowledge transfer.

You have the best insights into what is going on in your workplace technically and politically, so you have a very important role in educating us about these contracts (both existing and proposed)

  • At the December 8 Unit 32 Meeting, we held officer elections. I am pleased to introduce and congratulate John Lockett (Unit Chair), Ed Sosa (Vice-Chair), and Dennis Skelton (Unit Recorder). They will be dedicated and determined leaders.
  • I am pleased to introduce the recently appointed Technical Unit Shop Steward: Dennis Skelton (Senior Safety Engineer, Pressure Vessels). Dennis works at the Lincoln Heights Service Center.
  • Regrettably, due to a continuing lack of a quorum, we have been unable to hold officer elections in the Administrative Unit. Your attendance at unit meetings is important; we bring up issues that need to be discussed, decide what matters are to be worked on, and elect unit officers. We will hold officer elections at the earliest meeting where there is a quorum.
  • Now that your new MOUs are in effect, I hope to begin working on Bid Plans and Accumulated Overtime Log (AOTL) language. These two issues have a big impact on you. I need your participation and assistance in working on these important matters. Please come to your unit meetings and get involved in these very important negotiations.
  • I am still seeking members interested in participating in Worker Safety Group Tours. You can find information about them at the Joint Safety Institute Intranet site, at “JSI”. Please contact me if you are interested in getting involved in these tours.
  • Please contact me if you are interested in becoming a Shop Steward or a Joint Labor-Management Committee (JLMC) member for the Technical, Administrative or Supervisory Professional Units. We already have several Shop Stewards and members nominated to JLM Committees. These are among the pportunities for you to take an active role in your Union’s activities. Please come to your monthly unit meetings and get involved!
  • 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.

Unit 50 – Burbank
By Barry Poole

  • Ballots were counted for the Unit election at the November 29 meeting. The new Unit Chair is Bruce Redmann, the Unit Vice-Chair is Chris Besvold, and the nit Recorder is Barry Heller. Congratulations to all three of you!
  • The new job specification for the Senior Instrument Mechanic went to the City Council for approval on December 14.
  • Unit meetings are now being held at 4:30 p.m., at the Elks Lodge, 2232 North Hollywood Way.

Unit 53 – Water
By Ken Delgado

  • We held our Annual Dinner Meeting last month at Damon’s Steak House, and I think everyone was really impressed with the turnout. We received 80 RSVPs and 70 members showed up. We had a great time together. It was like a family reunion, seeing brothers who we had not seen for a while, and enjoying good food and conversation. It was a very successful event!
  • Congratulations to our new Unit 53 officers: Jim Schrein, Chair, Doug Land, Vice-Chair, Brian Wilcox, Unit Recorder, and Eddie Ybarbo, Sergeant-at-Arms. I hope we can continue our unit harmony, with members attending on a regular monthly basis. I look forward to seeing you at our next unit meeting. It is important that all members stay informed on the issues upcoming in our next contract negotiations. We cannot wait until our contract is up in order to be involved! Our involvement must start now!

Unit 55 – Communications
By Nancy Romero

  • We encourage you to bring up important safety issues to your supervisors when you discover them. Some issues are so vital that they must be dealt with in a timely manner instead of waiting for the next Worker Safety Tour, or Unit 55 or Joint Labor-Management Committee (JLMC) meetings.
  • Thank you for forwarding your concerns and issues to the appropriate levels of management, the ITS Safety Office and to the JLMC members for their deliberations. Our improved safety awareness/communications has allowed for an open and candid discussion on exactly how safety concerns are addressed. As always, we want more participation from you, and we again ask for more volunteers to join us on the Worker Safety Tours (WSTs). These tours are key to improving your working environment. They are a great tool for building a safer work environment and opening a dialogue with management about our safety. We thank all of you who have been on WSTs; keep up the good work!
  • We want to thank members who have raised safety issues this year. Your courage and input have helped resolve some potentially hazardous situations. As a result, many safety concerns have been positively addressed through the Joint Labor Management Process and WSTs.
  • You are also encouraged to raise any other work related issues to the JLM members or at Unit 55 Meetings. We welcome all issues or concerns; JLM committee members do not filter any of the issues or concerns that are raised. Issues are discussed and recommendations are made. There is follow-up with the affected individuals. Anyone who wants to track JLMC issues can log on to the ITS website and read the minutes for every meeting. We encourage you to attend the Unit 55 meetings, where the JLM update is presented monthly.
  • Please be aware that the Unit 55 meeting date has been changed to the second Wednesday of the month at the Boylston yard . We welcome everyone to join us on our new night!

Unit 63 – Underground Construction
By Barry Poole

Starting in January, Underground Construction will hold Unit meetings on the fourth Wednesday of every month. This is a change in frequency from every other month to monthly, and a change of days from Tuesday to Wednesday. Please plan on attending your unit meetings in order to bring up your concerns and be updated on the latest issues.

DEC/JAN SURGE

Business Manager's report
Shop Stewards' Golf Tourney
Business Reps' reports
Don't Lose Your Vacation!Safety Is Priority #1!


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