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Union Update: Raises, the State Budget and Salary Reserve
Adult Services staff recently received a bonus check. Our union contract calls for Adult Services staff to get a raise to their base pay. (Children’s Services staff received this raise last July).

Why did this happen and what are we doing about it?

Our Union Contract calls for a 2.75% raise for Adult Services staff retroactive to 7/1/08 once Latham receives money from the State called “Salary Reserve”. This year, there are Salary Reserve funds in the budget but because of the state budget problems, the State wants them distributed as a one-time bonus, not a raise.

Our Union Contract also calls for raises effective 7/1/09 and 7/1/10. These raises depend on the amount the state gives Latham for Adult and for Children Services but our contract calls for a minimum of 2%.

Latham Management wanted us to agree to change the contract.  In return for paying Adult Services this year’s 2.75% as a raise, not a bonus, they wanted us to agree to drop the minimum 2% requirement (for both Adult and Children services) for the next two years.

In other words, if there is no state money next fiscal year (starting 7/1/09) and the year after, then we would not get a raise.

Management also mentioned that if we don’t make changes, there may be some cutbacks that would affect staff.

Your union representatives considered this and said no. We don’t feel our members would want to make this deal. We believe our contract requires Latham to pay Adult Services staff the 2.75% as a raise anyway. We have filed a grievance and are willing to go to arbitration if necessary to enforce it. No one wants cutbacks, but there is no guarantee they wouldn’t happen regardless of whatever deal we make.

The bottom line is we cannot risk having zero raise in any year of our contract. The 2% minimum isn’t much and we cannot afford to do without it.

Stay in touch with your steward for more information.


Bringing Your Union Rep to a Meeting
You get called in to a meeting. Maybe it’s with a supervisor. Maybe a higher-up. Maybe it’s an investigation. What are your rights?

You have a right to bring a union steward to a meeting if a supervisor, manager or investigator:

• Is going to ask you questions about your work that you think might lead to disciplinary action.
• Wants to meet with you to discuss something that you think might lead to disciplinary action

Management does not have to tell you that you have this right. You have to request the steward. You have the right to tell the supervisor or manager that you do not want to come to the meeting until you have a steward with you.

If you are informed about such a meeting and want to bring a union steward, tell the steward right away. The steward can contact management to arrange the time for the meeting.

You have a right to meet with the steward before the meeting with management if you want to. The steward has a right to find out what the meeting is about.

You have the right to bring a trained union steward; management cannot pick any member to represent you.

If management insists on meeting with you without a steward, you have the right to sit in the meeting and just listen, not answer questions. Then tell your union steward right away!

If you have any difficulty exercising any of these rights, please contact a union steward as soon as possible! 

List of Union Stewards 

SAIL   Fredericksburg   Headwaters    Weir Rd        Main campus    Main campus    Chatham

Karen Long  Susan Christopher  Sue Horvath  Steve Katz  Jim Rosato  Nancy Burchill  Wayne McDonald  Alanna Capitummino

 
Feel free to speak to any steward, regardless of where you work.