The Parties Continue Their Efforts to Reach Acceptable Terms
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As reported to you, in the last bargaining session on October 23, 2013, the parties were unable to reach a full T.A. In that session, CSEA moved off its LBF terms and instead offered the AEU a four year contract with no salary increase -- or health and welfare or pension contributions in the first two years, but reopeners on those items in the 3rd and 4th years. The result was a regressive proposal i.e., less than CSEA’s imposed LBF terms which AEU is required to reject. This also constitutes an unfair labor practice charge. CSEA wanted AEU to bring you that proposal anyway but CSEA elected to change the proposal on October 31, 2013 by removing some non-economic T.A.’s.
To their credit, the parties are attempting to work through their differences including interaction with the NLRB related to AEU’s pending ULP charges. On October 31st, DFO Pace accepted AEU’s offer to return and hammer out an agreement at the table. Towards that end, on November 4, 2013, AEU offered the dates of November 12 (morning), 14 and 19-21, 2013 for continued bargaining. AEU now waits for CSEA’s confirmation of dates. AEU is hopeful that the agreement by DFO Pace to resume talks past the snap shot of proposals exchanged on October 23, 2013 (and subsequently revised) will prove that fair resolution is possible. However, AEU is duty bound to file additional ULP’s if it believes that CSEA is not complying with its obligation to negotiate in good faith in accordance with the law. We hope this will not be necessary.
The AEU Executive Board has adopted the special meeting date of December 8, 2013 in Visalia which we hope will be a T.A. ratification meeting before the December holidays. However, continued hard work and movement on both sides is required before this can happen. The AEU bargaining team continues to focus on good faith attempts to secure a fair market successor agreement within CSEA’s means and report out accurate, up-to-date facts that are directly relevant to that goal. Next, we hope to immediately report to you those dates that CSEA and AEU agree to return to the table once AEU hears back from CSEA.
Stay Strong, Stay United,
The AEU Bargaining Team
Debbie Pichetto,
Val Hollins,
Karen Hartmann,
Scott Hendries,
Carol Koenig
Christopher Platten
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