At bargaining on September 24th, your AEU team and representatives of CSEA were unable to close the gap in bargaining positions on this day. On September 24th, CSEA did not impose any offer. CSEA did not impose the “last, best” one year scenario it presented on Wednesday, September 18th, and again as part of its two scenario proposal on Thursday, September 19th. CSEA’s current formal proposal when we left bargaining on the 24th was the two scenario proposal(s) presented on September 19th. However, after the close of business today, September 25th, at approximately 6:33 p.m., the AEU President received a document that purports to be a last, best and final offer. This set of documents was never presented to AEU across the table. The purported proposal appears to be a collection of various proposals over the many months of bargaining including new proposals informally introduced as solutions on Sept 24th but falsely labeled September 19th. Your AEU team must now assemble and assess what this “offer” is and take the appropriate steps. The 1 pm “all staff” meeting on September 26th called after hours today, September 25th is obviously a tactic to disrupt and divide the unit in tandem with this document.
Power Point Presentation Handout
In accordance with the vote of the membership on Saturday, September 21st, if agreement was not reached on September 24th, your AEU bargaining team is providing the membership with a copy of the power point presentation, updated, as reviewed at the meeting on the 21st. We provide this information in handout format with explanatory commentary that can be easily printed. (Please click here to access the power point information and commentary.)
AEU’s Proposals Are Affordable and Consistent with the Relevant Labor Market
AEU seeks to obtain wages and benefits within the relevant labor market composed of similar union staff labor organizations in California. AEU has made plain in bargaining that going forward, CSEA must eliminate the 2-tiered pension structure now in effect, and obtain wages and benefits in line with comparable employers.
AEU’s bargaining demands are affordable. In the first year alone, AEU’s proposals represent a total cost equal to less than one-half of the known and conceded budget amounts available to CSEA. Put simply, CSEA knows that its pension contributions for Fiscal Year 2014 will be $1.9M less than budgeted. It also knows that it has over budgeted another $1.9M for employee costs for employees not on the payroll. This equals a $3.8 million savings for FY 2013-2014. In comparison, the cost of AEU’s proposal including a 3% salary increase; restored 2.275 pension factor moving forward and no cap on medical is $1.3million. (We correct the $1.78 million previously reported. The cost of AEU’s proposal in the first year is even lower.) CSEA retains a cost savings of $2.5 million.
AEU is providing this information and will continue to keep the members informed about developments as they transpire. This will now include our assessment and reporting out on the purported “last, best and final” received today but not exchanged across the table.
October 20, 2013 Membership Meeting
There will be an all AEU member meeting scheduled for Sunday, October 20, 2013, in Visalia, at Noon. At that meeting, the membership will take appropriate action on whatever “offer” then exists from CSEA to AEU.
Stay strong, stay together – don’t fall for the tactics.
In Solidarity,
Debbie Pichetto
Val Hollins
Karen Hartmann
Scott Hendries
Carol Koenig
Chris Platten
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