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From the trenches...
Reports from your Business Reps Unit 1 (Electrical Distribution/Transmission/Trouble/Street Lights)—The Lineman’s Rodeo will be held May 20 at the Sylmar Training Center...Cross training of linemen by seniority is being pursued by the Union. Cross training classes will begin in March per Tom Parker....Class 32 was picked up as journey level in January. Members of this class were: Leonard Archibeque, Kenneth Boothe, Isaac Chavez, Troy Couch, James Delacy, Darrel Eder, Oscar Gallegos, Cirilo Galvan, Dirk Lockwood, Andrew Nguyen, David Pratt, Benjamin Rodriguez, Glenn Slattery, Eric Swanson and Steve Wilkinson. Class 33 was picked up as journey level in February. Members of this class were: Rommel Balba, Daniel Barney, Daniel Blaue, Hewitt Dixon, Jaime Garcia, Dennis Ketterling, Bruce Martin, David McClung, Lucien Patenaude, Antonio Pinon, Christopher Tripp and Edwin Wold. Congratulations to all the new journey level workers and keep up the good work...20 new EDMTs started in January. Another class will be picked up in May. The next EDMT test will be in June or July. Unit 3 (Testers)—Most of the grievance settlements that were reached in the L/M committee last year are now in payroll, with the exception of two that are being held up by management. These two settlements resolve the issue of electrical testers replacing their supervisor, who left with the SRP. We will be working to get these final two settlements paid. Unit 8 (Clerical)—Thanks to all who attended the site meeting on Feb. 8. Look for future site meeting announcements...The complete list of current Customer Service Joint L/M Committees is as follows. Commercial Resource Center: Judy Litowitz, Odell Mathieu, Shawn McCloud, Reuben Sepulveda. Revenue Management 9/80 Committee: Judy Litowitz, Odell Mathieu, Shawn McCloud, Carolyn Mittinger, Edith Moore, Lisa Selem, Reuben Sepulveda, Lonnie Sliger, Mary Wilk. Customer Service Representative Realignment Committee: Bernard Doss, Christine Lear, Judy Litowitz, Odell Mathieu, Shawn McCloud, Stuart McKenzie, Max Reyes, Reuben Sepulveda. If you have a work-related issue that should be addressed, submit it by fax to Shawn or to any of these members. The committees meet at least once a month...Labor and Management have reached a tentative agreement to fill the Field Investigations CSR positions...The Clerical Realignment Committee made a presentation to the Joint Resolution Board on Jan. 27 regarding the appropriate pay level(s) for Sr. Clerical. The JRB held a special meeting on Feb. 8 to further discuss alternatives. As of this writing, no decision has been made...A grievance on behalf of Sr. Clerk Typists in Power Distribution has resulted in an agreement by the Department to notify all Sr. Clerk Typists within a Business Unit when a Pr. Clerk Utility position is to be filled by emergency appointment. Interested employees will be considered prior to the appointment being made. Units 8 and 18 (Clerical/Supervisory & Administrative)—The model ergonomic workstations at GOB should be available soon. The workstations will be set up to show different types of ergonomic equipment and should be “tried on for size” before equipment is ordered. Local 18 strongly suggests that employees who have had the training visit these model workstations when trainers are available. A schedule is being developed...We are in the process of sending members to Worker Safety Training and Mutual Gains Bargaining Training. If you are interested in attending, please call Annemarie or Shawn at Local 18. Unit 9 (Steam Generation)—The Department has just picked up 12 Operating Supervisors; congratulations to all of you, and we hope to see you at the Unit 12 meetings. With this behind us, we need to concentrate on backfilling the crews...We have had some conversation with management about training, and they agree that this needs to be a high priority...We have heard from some about the environmental tasks and who is responsible for those duties. This will be discussed and worked out soon. Thanks to those who brought this issue to the committee’s attention...Please mark you calendars: Our Unit meetings have been changed to the third Thursday of each month. Watch for the location. Unit 13 (Automotive)—We made it through another bid season and, as usual, there were a few mistakes. The seniority list is wrong and is being corrected. We found out why the production of the seniority list is so difficult. The personnel section that generates the list operates on emergency status. Fleet made the request for the list and told personnel that it was not needed until Feb. 1. We have been informed that we could have the computer programmed so that it will automatically produce the report in the future. We will do our best to make sure this happens. First we need to get it corrected, and then hopefully this won’t be a problem anymore. Unit 14 (Transportation)—Bids are out and were to close the end of February as per your negotiated bid plan...We are still in need of Heavy Duty Truck Operators and Equipment Operators. Local 18 and management are also trying to staff up with Power Shovel Operators...Sometime in March, management will have a selective interview for more “A” operators both in Valley and Metro...Local 18 is also looking into the Generation Facility using 15-ton and 18-ton cranes without proper equipment operators or Power Shovel Operators. Stay tuned! Units 15/20 (Pasadena)—The surveys for the 2000 negotiations are in and the tally of issues that the membership want to see addressed will be brought to the next unit meeting. The issue of governance has been raised again by management. The Union will not discuss issues that are mandatory subjects of bargaining when the MOU negotiations are so close at hand. Unit 17 (Customer Service Field Units)—The Meter Readers joint L/M subcommittee reconvened on Feb. 17 to discuss the implementation of a 9/80 pilot program for office reread personnel...If you have issues that should be brought up at these meetings, please contact your Rep or your Steward. Unit 18 (Supervisory Clerical/Administrative)—This Unit has been steadily growing with several new appointments being made to supervisory positions since the SRP. If you are a new supervisor, make sure you have a copy of the Supervisory Clerical & Administrative MOU. If you haven’t had classes in supervision, ask for training. Unit 19 (Electrical Station Maintenance/Elect. Mechs.)—The effort to secure a 9/80 shift for ESM is proceeding but not without some difficulty. The 9/80 committee has met and will be doing an additional survey of the membership to gain data to attempt to address all of management’s concerns. Unit 19B (Mechanical Shops/Generating Station Crafts/FMBG)—The General Construction section of ISS has finally begun to fill positions with Annual Rated Civil Service Employees. Please be aware that Annual Rated employees do not job report. You have a travel time provision under Article 14. Local 18 successfully defended this provision in an arbitration that resulted in large paybacks for General Shops employees. If management has assigned you to job report at any time since you became Annual Rated, please notify Hank immediately. Unit 24 (Water Supply)—All District Regulator Crews are now under Water Quality and Operations. They were formerly under Water Quality and Distribution...Your Worker Safety Groups are working on at least eight issues: Telephone instructions in each facility, Nextel deficient areas, local hospital phone list, fire extinguisher inspections and exchanges, communications at Santa Yanez Reservoir, jurisdiction issues between groups, footwear policy and hard hat policy revision. If you have questions please contact committee members or your Rep. Unit 25 (Gardeners)—Your participation is an integral part of getting things done. That is why it’s important to attend your unit meetings. Not only are you receiving information that affects your work environment, but you may be able to offer information that is helpful to other members and to the unit as a whole. Unit 26 (Custodians)—We will be meeting with management to discuss problems with the Department’s recycling program. It is the Union’s position that these are a change in duties and that management needs to meet and confer with the Union. More information will be forthcoming. Unit 28 (Reprographics/Print Shop)—A grievance was filed in the print shop because management arbitrarily instituted a policy to deny the use of b-time to employees reporting late to work. They decided that all employees will receive no shift no pay...On a more positive note, all of the team members who are participating in the Joint L/M committees have completed the mutual gains training class. Unit 50 (Burbank)—Negotiations continue on the Electrician’s survey…A letter was sent to put the VEBA issue on the City Council agenda…Discussions are being held about the possibility of lateral transfers…A proposal was made to change from holiday overtime to salary differential for workers at the Dispatch Center. Management is checking to see if there would be any cost associated with this change. Unit 52 (Owens Valley)—There have been several instances of doctors and hospitals overcharging members for services. The best way to avoid being surprised by big medical bills is to ask questions before undergoing elective treatment and call the insurance carrier to find out how much they pay for the services. Unit 52A (Mojave)—The shutdown has been completed and unit meetings have resumed. Please attend. Unit 53 (Water Quality and Distribution)—Your L/M committee has been working on at least 11 issues at present, including smog and heat policy, updated Thomas Guides, practice for connections regarding gate and valve operations (water flow), emergency procedures (disaster, earthquake, etc.), safety recognition, distribution of updated equipment and tools, new Water Utility Worker Helper class, emergency operations of heavy equipment, class consolidation of Water Utility Worker and Water Service Worker, operation of equipment (Operator/Senior Utility Worker clarification), and Weld Apprenticeship program. Please contact committee members or your Rep with questions and suggestions. Unit 60 (Waterworks Mechanics)—The joint L/M committees are meeting and making progress on several issues. Watch your bulletin boards for minutes of subcommittee meetings. Unit 64 (Azusa)—Local 18 and your negotiating committee have been meeting regularly to prepare for the upcoming negotiations for the successor memorandum of understanding between Local 18 and the City of Azuza. Unit 65 (County Sanitation District)—Local 18 and your committee are still looking into the one-man shift. We have held meetings to discuss our concerns and Local 18 has also requested more information from the County Sanitation District Safety Section. Your committee is doing a great job examining all practical consequences of the one-man shift.
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