JVS SoCal UNION NEGOTIATIONS REPORT # 4, Sept. 9, 2020

UNION NEGOTIATIONS REPORT # 4  

 PROGRESS IN UNION NEGOTIATIONS

 SERIOUS REDUCTIONS IN OUR BENEFITS AND UNION RIGHTS REMAIN FROM JVS SoCal

Andy Sacher, AFSCME Local 800 Bargaining Team member/Career Coach from the WeHo Works program, expressed to JVS SoCal management in negotiations that, “Union members feel like second-class citizens when we learn that non-represented JVS employees earned a 3% raise in 2019 and management received over $200,000 in bonuses.” His heartfelt remarks appear to have made a difference.  JVS SoCal   just proposed to make up most of the wages we’ve lost since July, 2019 (including “retroactive” pay), but increases going forward are still less than 1% until June 30, 2022.  See summary below of progress and continued negative proposals by JVS SoCal.

 It’s time for JVS SoCal to see that a strong majority of union members support a Fair Contract with cost-of-living wage increases, maintenance of all current benefits such as paid holidays and no takeaways to our basic union rights.   Be sure to attend our MEMBERSHIP MEETING (via zoom) THIS FRIDAY AT 1PM to discuss how we can organize support for what we deserve.

 SUMMARY OF JVS SOCAL AND AFSCME LOCAL 800 PROPOSALS

A. IMPROVED MANAGEMENT PROPOSALS

 1.WAGES: 

*Does not include former employees

 2. HEALTH INSURANCE:  JVS withdrew their proposal to raise the employee share of monthly premium increases to 80% and returned to maintain  our current 50% share.   But this proposal is conditioned on us giving up our protection from a unilateral “reduction of overall benefits” in case there’s a need to change the insurance company due to exorbitant premiums.   The only guarantee in the JVS proposal is not to reduce our benefits without mutual agreement  unless the changes are also made for the entire agency, including non-represented staff.

 3. UNION MEMBERSHIP:  JVS withdrew their proposal to exclude Lydia Buchman, Careeer Coach/Job Developer in the Santa Monica Youth program from union representation. Also withdrew their proposal to force our two members who work in the GAIN program, Seda Chinavaryan and Satenik Ansaryan, into the GAIN bargaining unit. This will protect their retirement benefits after over 20 years.

But they maintained proposals to exclude staff in the Finance and Grants department from the Union, including Local 800 President Charlie Orlowski.

 4. SENIORITY RIGHTS:   JVS withdrew proposal to weaken our seniority rights in case of layoff. 

 5; SEVERANCE PAY:  Improvements in Severance Pay benefits in case of layoff for some employees, but reductions for others. For example, employees who work in “Time-limited” programs (based on grants for example) would see an improvement.  “Time -limited” employees are not eligible now for severance until 5 years of service. JVS is proposing to lower that eligibility to 2 years. ( 1 week for every year of service up to a maximum of 15 weeks).  But “Core” employees who work for the overall operation of JVS such as Finance and Grants and Admin at 6505 who have over 6 years of service would have their benefits reduced by up to 5 weeks of severance pay.

 6. VACATION PAY OUT:  JVS withdrew the outrageous proposal to deny your earned vacation pay if you don’t provide “timely” notice of resignation. Yet, JVS maintains their proposal to deny vacation pay-out if an employee is fired -- regardless of the circumstances.

 CONTINUED TAKEAWAYS: (In addition to those included above)

 1. FEWER PAID HOLIDAYS:   Elimination of credit for paid Jewish Holidays if you work outside of the Jewish Federation Building. That will result in a reduction of paid holidays for most members in the years that there are more Jewish holidays than “legal” holidays like Cesar Chavez Day, Veterans Day etc.    JVS also proposes to deny paid holidays if they fall on a weekend day.  For example, there will be no paid holiday if July 4 falls on a Saturday or Sunday!

 2. FORCED ARBITRATION:  JVS proposes to deny employees the right to take legal action with State and Federal agencies for claims such as discrimination or denial of rights under the Americans for Disabilities Act. Private arbitration would be required in these types of cases.

 3.  WEAKEN GRIEVANCE AND ARBITRATON PROCEDURE: This is the process that gives real teeth to our ability to enforce our legal rights under our CBA. JVS proposes to add language to provide their attorneys with loopholes to throw out valid complaints.  

 For more information, contact Bargaining Team members Charlie Orlowski or Andy Sacher or Union Representative Gary Guthman at gary@afscme36.org or (213) 248-0381.

 Please let Gary know if you can attend the Membership Meeting on  Friday, 9/11 at 1pm.