Attend Lunch & Learn on May 22

An information sharing event with members of the Lacey City Council: Mayor Virgil Clarkson, Cynthia Pratt, and Andy Ryder.

What’s on your mind?

• Martin Way crosswalk?
• Bike paths?
• Growth and Development?

 Join us! All are welcome!

Tuesday, May 22
Noon to 1 PM
Ecology HQ Library (3rd Floor)

 Snacks will be provided.

HQ-MEL Communication Committee Starts Work

by Mariann Cook Andrews 

Union members with concerns that are not covered under the contract can now contact members of their local Union Management Communication Committee for assistance. The Headquarters and Manchester Environmental Laboratory (HQ-MEL) committee formed in February and can now help Ecology employees in those offices.

The Washington Federation of State Employees bargained for and won a clause in the contract to establish regional and headquarters communication committees at Ecology. Several other agencies have similar systems.

Our Mission Statement

We are the Union part of your Ecology Headquarters-Manchester Environmental Laboratory Union Management Communications Committee. We are here to collect HQ & MEL employees’ concerns, and bring them to management. We provide a system for giving and receiving ideas on matters that affect your ability to do your job.

The committee will handle concerns such as:

• Building closures
• Building Access       
• Workplace health and safety
• Loud hand dryers
• Parking
• Rodents
• Pets

The committee will refer concerns that come under the union contract to the bargaining committee, shop stewards, or other groups if appropriate.

The group has already worked on one employee’s concern about paid vs. unpaid parking in the Lacey building’s parking garage.

HQ-MEL Committee members:

• Barb Anderson, HQ-Water Resources
• Dustin Bilhimer, HQ-Water Quality
• Elena Guilfoil, HQ-Air Quality
• Dolores Mitchell, HQ-Toxics Cleanup (Dolores also serves on the statewide Union Management Communication Committee)
• Mariann Cook Andrews, HQ-Hazardous Waste & Toxics Reduction

Union members in the two offices elected the committee members for the duration of the contract.

Below are members of the other regional UMCC committees:

• CRO: Committee is still being formed—Contact a steward if you would like to be a member!
  ERO: Shara-Li Joy, Marcie Mangold, Phil Leinart, and Scott Mallery
  NWRO: Committee is still being formed—Contact a steward if you would like to be a member!
  SWRO: Pat Bailey, Robin Munroe, Tom Middleton, Bob Troyer, and Lydia Wagner.

Survey of Members Shows Support for Ecology Local

By Paul Pickett

Last autumn, a group of Ecology employees petitioned the President of AFSCME to create a new Local for Ecology Bargaining Unit members in Thurston County. The petition is under review and we are still awaiting a decision.

As part of preparing ourselves for self-governance, we wanted to find out more about how employees viewed the Local, if it would increase their involvement, and if they needed more information.

We now have 52 responses to that survey!

Question 1:

Almost two-thirds of employees (65%) told us that if an Ecology agency-based local were created, their level of support and activity would stay the same. Another one-quarter said that it would encourage them to be more active and they’d be more likely to volunteer. Only two employees said that they would be less involved. This is a very positive result – it tells us that we are likely to see more activism, and in any case it can do little harm.

Question 2:

Over half the employees (56%) told us they understood the issues, didn’t care, or didn’t need more information about changing to an Ecology agency-based local. This is also a positive message, because it tells us that our newsletter articles and other information have been reaching staff. However, almost a third of employees want more information. This tells us that we need to continue communicating about the local proposal and its implications.    

We will be working on several ways to respond to the need for more information. The newsletter articles will be posted on the Ecology Bargaining Unit blog and we will work harder to distribute the blog address (http://wfsec28-ecology.blogspot.com/).

We are starting up monthly meetings of the “proto-local” open to all members of WFSE who work in the Lacey building. We will also be exploring other ways to communicate, such as better use of bulletin boards in the building. We welcome your ideas for getting information to our members.

Lastly we were very happy to provide the prize drawing of a $50 gift card to Hannah Aoyagi! Thanks to everyone who responded to the survey. It will help us build a better and stronger employee organization at Ecology.

Stewards News

By Paul Pickett

Layoffs

April was a tough month for stewards. Six employees at HQ and SWRO in the Spills and HWTR programs were laid off. One of them turned down their “formal option” (the job they were offered) and left the agency. The other five took their options. Unfortunately, many of the options represented a demotion and all were jobs held by another employee (i.e. a “bump”). That resulted in another 5 employees laid off and offered options. We are not sure how that all turned out, except it appears that at least 4 landed in vacant positions, although once again taking demotions.

Nobody is happy about layoffs, and many people are frustrated with the seniority system and the use of “bumps” that favor senior employees. However, keep in mind a few things:

• The system is intended to reward longevity in state service. Without seniority, highly paid senior employees could be the first laid off, as often happens in the private sector. 

• The system is also intended to discourage favoritism. We don’t want a “family and friends” system where managers can purge employees or prevent them from filling positions just because they don’t “fit in”. Many employees ask why we can’t have a “merit-based” system to decide on who gets laid off. Unfortunately, although it sounds like a nice idea, experience has shown that such a system is commonly abused. 

• The seniority system is very “mechanical”. The employee laid off is offered a vacant position first (if available), then a position in the same job class with the least seniority (again, if available), and then other options if available. It is supposed to have nothing to do with who is in the position. Although it’s a lousy situation and no one is happy, it isn’t personal.

• Finally, the layoffs all started with decisions made by management. They made decisions to offer up cuts in certain parts of the agency based on priorities they set. The governor accepted those cuts and the legislature included them in the budget. If layoffs, seniority, and bumps make you angry, I suggest you direct your anger to a Governor and legislature who refuse to consider closing tax loopholes or raising user fees instead of cutting vital programs.

Demands to Bargain

• In April the agency issued a new parking plan for the HQ/SWRO building. It includes a proposal to tow employees cars if they are caught three times parking in the wrong spot. Employees are unhappy with the plan, and based on the advice of union members, the union has demanded to bargain over this issue. 

• We have also demanded to bargain over the impact on working conditions from the layoffs described above. We can’t stop a layoff, but we can address issues like training, workload, and reasonable accommodation.

• Bargaining dates for these DTB’s have not been set at the time of publication. If you have any comments or questions, please contact a UMCC member or steward.

2013-2015 Contract—Bargaining Update

Members of the 2013-2015 Bargaining Team recently completed a series of meetings to review and discuss the contract proposals that were submitted to WFSE late last fall. Bargaining at the table between the union and management begins in early May.  Events will be planned throughout the spring and summer to support our bargaining team—keep an eye on the union boards for more information.

Find updates on WFSE.org > Bargaining Center > General Government Bargaining Team news and information. 

Environmental Specialist Classification Review—Article Update

Over the past few months Ecology has been working with the Office of the State Human Resource Director (OSHRD), formerly the Department of Personnel, to review and update the Environmental Specialist classification. A draft agenda for the May 10 State    HR Directors meeting does not include the ES Classification Review. When the review is eventually scheduled for discussion at an HR Directors meeting,  a public comment period will open—this is your opportunity to be heard.  We’ll keep you posted as more information is available.

Read related article here.