From the trenches
           Reports from your Business Reps

Unit 2 (Electric Station Operators)—After months of pressure management has finally agreed to hire two more classes this year. They have told us that they will hire off the existing list before it expires in May. There is a Request for Proposal (RFP) being written to automate the substations. We will keep an eye on the progress of such a proposal to see what impact the automation will have on our members. The Operating Order Revision Committee is concerned how it will impact the Orders. More discussion will be forthcoming on that issue.

Unit 8 (Clerical)—Lynette Lee was inadvertently left off the list of employees trained to assist with ergonomic issues. Please add her name as a resource. Lynette is located at the Palms District. • The Clerical Training Review Committee has been established and will start meeting to address training issues. Labor appointees are: Lilly Calvache, Human Resources; Annemarie Cavallaro, Local 18; Carol Cooley, Power Distribution; and Vicky Rose, Water. Management appointees are: Nancy Body, Bulk Power; Loretta Dotson, Water; Rose Garcia, Human Resources; and Cynthia Gaudioso, Labor Relations. • We are working on setting up the parameters for Clerical Bid Plan negotiations and will name the committee(s) shortly. • A Safety Tour was conducted in the JFB mail room by an across Business Units Safety Team. This is a pilot to see what problems are encountered before we expand this type of tour. • Due to continued automation within CSBU Mail Center and RPC, we are in the process of moving Exempt Part-time Clerks to Exempt Part-time CSRs. • Our Safety Tours within CSBU at the AOB are proceeding according to schedule. Branch offices are the next to be scheduled for tours. Thanks to all for your participation and continued cooperation.

Units 8 and 18 (Clerical/Supervisory & Administrative)—We have interviewed prospective candidates for the ergonomic contract and we anticipate that ergonomic training will resume in March. At the same time, Corporate Safety is in the process of hiring someone who will be a full-time in-house resource for ergonomic issues. This is a huge step toward a proactive approach to workplace safety. • A Letter of Agreement re: temporary upgrades within Civil Service Class has been signed. It provides parity to Clerical and Supervisory Clerical with the other bargaining units. Effective Jan. 1, 2001, employees who are assigned to perform duties of a higher position within their classification will receive at least a five percent increase effective the first day those duties are performed. The exact language is being transmitted by the Department. If you are unable to obtain a copy, contact the Union Hall.

Unit 9 (Steam Generation)—The training committee is still meeting, trying to finalize the details of the new training program. This is a long and arduous task. We are discussing whether the GSAs who have been hired in the last couple of years are going to be part of the new program or just stay on the old program. More to come on that. • The advisory exam is scheduled to be given on March 10, this will be one exam for the three disciplines. The information is all contained in your home study course, so review and prepare yourself for the exam.

Unit 12 (Supervisors)—CITY COUNCIL SAYS NO. Last October the Local 18-DWP Joint Resolution Board came to an agreement on the overtime issue for those supervisors who do not receive double time pay if they are above the salary of an Electric Mechanic Supervisor. The EERC (Executive Employee Relations Committee) of the City Council, comprised of Council Members Feuer, Galanter and Ridley-Thomas, met on Feb. 2 and rejected our proposal, even though Local 18 and DWP agree this should be changed. At this time, the Joint Resolution Board is looking into the problem and attempting to find out why it was rejected.

Unit 13 (Automotive)—The bids are out again. Management forgot two positions (as of this writing) and who knows how many by the time the bid period ends. There is a commitment to hire 11 more mechanics this year; however, there currently is no list for heavies. Hopefully, there will be soon, and then you can get started on the backlog of work that needs to be done.

Unit 14 (Transportation)—The Unit has now formed a local joint L/M committee. Labor appointees are Robert Saunders Sr., Al Vasquez, and Larry Escobedo from Metro, and David Ratzlaff, Mike Murphy, and Peter Poland from the Valley. Some of the local issues being discussed are uniforms for Fleet Operations, a basic tool box and basic tools for emergency quick fix, an out-of-town quick fix tool box, light duty policy, trailer setup for temporary jobs, front loader license for all heavy duty truck operators, Service Level Agreement and worker safety.

Unit 19 (Electrical Station Maintenance/Elect. Mechs.)—Civil Service has finally approved the Electrical Mechanic Journeyman’s Exam, which will be used to hire established journeymen who have completed an approved apprenticeship program. This test is necessary to fill the ranks of both ESM and Electrical Construction and to ease the burden on the current EMs in these organizations. • ESM: A seniority list for bidding purposes is being passed around ESM to allow members to check their time at Station Maintenance. For bidding purposes, the seniority is the amount of time in Electric Station Maintenance as a journeyman EM or Sr. EM. Please check your time. If you do not agree with your seniority date as listed, submit the correct date to your supervisor and your L/M committee will go through the necessary record to insure the accuracy of the date. • ERS/SHOPS: The L/M committee to deal with the AOTL in Shops has almost reached an agreement as to how the OT distribution will be handled in the future. The main problems have been declined OT not being accounted for, and how the AOTL is zeroed or modified at the end of the year.

Units 19B and 60 (Mechanical Shops/Generating Station Crafts/FMBG/Waterworks Mechanics)—For several months, a L/M committee has been trying to reach an agreement allowing Annual Rated Welders to upgrade to a newly-created “B” Level DDR. The new DDR requires additional certification and gives Welders the ability to be more flexible and (in many cases) get paid for the work they are already performing that is over and above what is called for on the “D” DDR. A training committee has been established to help Welders obtain the required certification. The committee’s proposal has been approved and is retroactive to Jan. 1. Many thanks to all involved for your enduring patience. • Integrated Support Services is in the process of hiring 10 Millwrights (four permanent, six Limited). This is depleting the already-taxed class of Water Works Mechanics. This situation does not give Department management a license to assign people to work out of Class and/or DDR. • Reminder: Unit 19B/60 employees do not job site report. You are covered by “travel time” and, in some areas, “zone pay,” as called for in Article 14 of the OM&S MOU. Nowhere does this article give you the ability to “voluntarily” give any part of this agreement away. • The Feb. 27 Unit meeting was cancelled. Next meeting will be March 27, 4:30 pm, at the Local 18 Hall.

Unit 24 (Water Supply)—The tank cleaning safety concern by the treatment operators has been resolved. A new Tank Cleaning Procedure with built in safety provisions has been completed. The confined space issue is also being resolved by a L/M subcommittee, which is drafting a procedure with built in safety. • A subcommittee has been formed to bring the bid plan back into compliance with the Steam Plant and Water Supply MOU.

Unit 50 (Burbank)—Members of the Contract Negotiations Committee are Barry Poole, Mike Lemos, Tom Wilke, John Washington, Barry Heller, Russ Riegler, Jeff Hancock, Jim Jernigan, Sergio Carraco and Bill Hamilton. The negotiating committee met and went through the surveys on Feb. 5. The responses were tallied and prioritized. If you have any issues or concerns, contact one of the above listed members. We are working to have Mutual Gains Bargaining as the process to be used for the negotiations.

Unit 52 (Owens Valley)—Finally, the proposal to add a pay level to the Labor Supervisor Classification in the OV and Mojave has made it over all the hurdles. A letter to implement should be issued in the near future. Thanks to all for your persistence and patience. • The schedule for the three Owens Valley/Mojave joint L/M committees has been changed to the third Wednesday of every month. This was done so that Department management and the Union Reps could attend regularly. Thanks to Unit Chair Don Kunze, Unit Secretary Nancy Fullingim and Mojave Shop Steward John Miller for their attendence and input at the Water System L/M committees. We all appreciate the long trip you endure.

Unit 52B (Mojave)—As the shut-offs are winding down, it looks as if we’ll be able to schedule a Unit meeting for March. Please see John Miller for details.

Unit 53 (Water Quality and Distribution)—Discussion on 108 transfers and the consolidation of Water Utility Worker/Water Service Worker is still going on. It appears that the Water Utility Workers have alot of concerns. • A subcommittee was formed to look at preventing electrical shock hazards. Representatives from both Water and Power are working together to come up with a consistent policy of prevention. We have had several instances of electrical shock hazards recently; initial investigation points to people not using jumper cables. Jumper cables are mandatory and are to be used at all times when changing meters. Remember: It’s your life!

Unit 64 (Azusa)—Local 18 is trying to set up a meeting with management regarding Overtime Meal Policy. Management has denied pay for people who did not take time out to eat their meal and chose to go home after working several hours to serve the customer. Local 18’s position is that the employee not given the opportunity to stop and eat his (or her) overtime meal should be compensated at the appropriate meal period time, which is 40 minutes. Local 18 is working with both Lynn Dent and David Patterson on this issue.

Unit 65 (County Sanitation District)—Management has requested a meeting with Local 18 to discuss the training of PPOAs to be board certified. Local 18 has requested that Unit Chairperson Jeff Lambert be at this meeting. • Local 18 has filed several grievances at the Commerce Plant for violations of the negotiated MOU. Stay tuned!