Thursday, July 8, 2010
Questions for ODOT Local 730?
Do you questions about your Local? If so, you can post them below this entry at the "What are your thoughts?" line. We do not always have the answer. We can nearly always find someone who does. Any conversation here informs others in our Local. Thanks.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
The 560
Tuesday, 25 May 2010, around noon Governor Kulongoski held a press conference to announce that Oregon’s budget shortfall had increased to $560 million. That would amount to 9% of the state general fund budget.
That explains why he has asked all state agencies to cut 9% from their budgets. I will say a little more about that later. The Governor has also asked all unionized state workers to continue the step freeze until the end of the current contract. In addition he has asked all employees and agencies to explore reduced workweeks or additional furlough days.
The reason for this blog post is to look at these requests. Obviously, the Governor has a responsibility for directing state government. His personal philosophy will guide him; so will state law which requires a balanced budget. The effect of such a statute is to not allow our state government to run a debt, unlike our federal government.
The 9%. The governor has directed all agencies to come up with a 9% cut list. That is an order for agency directors. There is no doubt the governor has that authority.
The first thing for ODOT folks to understand is that this is a 9% shortfall in the General Fund budget. Therefore, agencies must cut 9% of their budget that comes from the General Fund. ODOT’s total budget for 2009 -2011, as approved by the state legislature in SB5548-A was $4,136,780,779. So let’s say 4.1 billion dollars. Of that $4.1 billion, there was no (0) money from the General Fund (In SB 5548-A of January 2009).
9% of 0 is 0.
There is some general fund money in our agency for programs funded in some other way; programs that the agency administers outside of the responsibility for Transportation. It is possible that some of the money used for small business contracts for fences, new facility roofs, job training, etc. may be general fund dollars. That would be outside of the Transportation Bill SB 5548-A.
Matt Garrett, ODOT Agency Director, in a memo released Tuesday May 25, has said that he does not anticipate the need for layoffs nor budget reductions in ODOT.
The Step Freeze. The governor has requested us to return to the bargaining table and negotiate increased furlough days and a continuation of the step freeze.
The governor has ordered all non-unionized employees (managers, executive service & unrepresented employees) to continue the step freeze for the rest of this budget cycle. This cycle ends June 2011.
Because we are a Labor Union with a negotiated Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) the governor has not ordered us to continue the step freeze past August 2010. The CBA is a contract between Us (WE ARE THE UNION) and our employer, the State of Oregon. If the governor decreed that we lose our step, he would have broken our contract.
More Furlough Days. Governor Kulongoski in his letter to state employees has asked labor organizations to discuss options, such as increased furlough days and reduced workweeks. His stated reason for asking is to reduce the need for lay-offs.
This discussion is the same as above regarding the step freeze. Our furlough days are set in our Collective Bargaining Agreement, a legal, binding contract.
For those of you who want to read this for yourself: In our ODOT Coalition CBA, 2009 – 2011 (orange), look on page 67, Appendix A. There you will see a Letter of Agreement for Article 27 – Salary Increase. On page 68, paragraph 5 it shows that the freeze will last through August 31, 2010. Paragraph 6 tells when our next step increase will happen. Read it carefully; there is a lot of misinformation out there.
There are 3 Letters of Agreement for Furlough days, starting on page 79 and going through page 82. Again, Furlough Days are a matter of contract.
It is up to members what we do. As members of ODOT Local 730 & SEIU 503 we elected bargaining delegates for the 2009 round of bargaining. Kermit Meling, Senior Motor Carrier Enforcement Officer, out of Portland is the head of the ODOT Coalition bargaining team. He also leads the Central Table bargaining team. The central table bargaining team will be meeting next week (first week in June) to discuss the governor’s request.
I do not know anyone who wants more unpaid days off. I do not know anyone who wants to be laid off. I do not know anyone who wants to watch his pay stagnate. My Email address is below. Drop me a line & tell me what you think is the right thing to do. You can also respond on this blog.
We should not let this ruin our day. Nor should these requests cause us to lose concentration on our jobs. There is danger in all of our jobs, from admin specialists on the 4th floor to maintenance specialists standing in traffic. Pay attention to where you put your hands. Pay attention to where you put your feet.
We have a good Union to work for us. I’m sure of it because We Are The Union.
mac
Cameron M. McGinnis odotmac@hotmail.com
TMS2 Meacham Section
ODOT Local 730, President
.503's Response is in the "What Are Your Thoughts?" accessed below.
That explains why he has asked all state agencies to cut 9% from their budgets. I will say a little more about that later. The Governor has also asked all unionized state workers to continue the step freeze until the end of the current contract. In addition he has asked all employees and agencies to explore reduced workweeks or additional furlough days.
The reason for this blog post is to look at these requests. Obviously, the Governor has a responsibility for directing state government. His personal philosophy will guide him; so will state law which requires a balanced budget. The effect of such a statute is to not allow our state government to run a debt, unlike our federal government.
The 9%. The governor has directed all agencies to come up with a 9% cut list. That is an order for agency directors. There is no doubt the governor has that authority.
The first thing for ODOT folks to understand is that this is a 9% shortfall in the General Fund budget. Therefore, agencies must cut 9% of their budget that comes from the General Fund. ODOT’s total budget for 2009 -2011, as approved by the state legislature in SB5548-A was $4,136,780,779. So let’s say 4.1 billion dollars. Of that $4.1 billion, there was no (0) money from the General Fund (In SB 5548-A of January 2009).
9% of 0 is 0.
There is some general fund money in our agency for programs funded in some other way; programs that the agency administers outside of the responsibility for Transportation. It is possible that some of the money used for small business contracts for fences, new facility roofs, job training, etc. may be general fund dollars. That would be outside of the Transportation Bill SB 5548-A.
Matt Garrett, ODOT Agency Director, in a memo released Tuesday May 25, has said that he does not anticipate the need for layoffs nor budget reductions in ODOT.
The Step Freeze. The governor has requested us to return to the bargaining table and negotiate increased furlough days and a continuation of the step freeze.
The governor has ordered all non-unionized employees (managers, executive service & unrepresented employees) to continue the step freeze for the rest of this budget cycle. This cycle ends June 2011.
Because we are a Labor Union with a negotiated Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) the governor has not ordered us to continue the step freeze past August 2010. The CBA is a contract between Us (WE ARE THE UNION) and our employer, the State of Oregon. If the governor decreed that we lose our step, he would have broken our contract.
More Furlough Days. Governor Kulongoski in his letter to state employees has asked labor organizations to discuss options, such as increased furlough days and reduced workweeks. His stated reason for asking is to reduce the need for lay-offs.
This discussion is the same as above regarding the step freeze. Our furlough days are set in our Collective Bargaining Agreement, a legal, binding contract.
For those of you who want to read this for yourself: In our ODOT Coalition CBA, 2009 – 2011 (orange), look on page 67, Appendix A. There you will see a Letter of Agreement for Article 27 – Salary Increase. On page 68, paragraph 5 it shows that the freeze will last through August 31, 2010. Paragraph 6 tells when our next step increase will happen. Read it carefully; there is a lot of misinformation out there.
There are 3 Letters of Agreement for Furlough days, starting on page 79 and going through page 82. Again, Furlough Days are a matter of contract.
It is up to members what we do. As members of ODOT Local 730 & SEIU 503 we elected bargaining delegates for the 2009 round of bargaining. Kermit Meling, Senior Motor Carrier Enforcement Officer, out of Portland is the head of the ODOT Coalition bargaining team. He also leads the Central Table bargaining team. The central table bargaining team will be meeting next week (first week in June) to discuss the governor’s request.
I do not know anyone who wants more unpaid days off. I do not know anyone who wants to be laid off. I do not know anyone who wants to watch his pay stagnate. My Email address is below. Drop me a line & tell me what you think is the right thing to do. You can also respond on this blog.
We should not let this ruin our day. Nor should these requests cause us to lose concentration on our jobs. There is danger in all of our jobs, from admin specialists on the 4th floor to maintenance specialists standing in traffic. Pay attention to where you put your hands. Pay attention to where you put your feet.
We have a good Union to work for us. I’m sure of it because We Are The Union.
mac
Cameron M. McGinnis odotmac@hotmail.com
TMS2 Meacham Section
ODOT Local 730, President
.503's Response is in the "What Are Your Thoughts?" accessed below.
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