CRITICAL ISSUE #3BARGAINING
BROTHERS:
OUR CURRENT BUSINESS MANAGER TAKES CREDIT FOR THE WAGE INCREASE OBTAINED IN THE 2006 CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS. HE EVEN ASSERTED THIS CLAIM IN THE FIRST ISSUE OF HIS FAILED NEWSLETTER, “THE DISPATCH.” HE WROTE, "I AM THE PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONTRACT." ONCE AGAIN, HE SHOWS HIS TRUE CHARACTER, INDIVIDUALISM! AGAIN, WHY DOES HE INSIST ON TAKING CREDIT ALWAYS FOR THE GOOD AND NOT THE BAD?
FACT: DURING THE 2006 NEGOTIATIONS, OUR BUSINESS MANAGER WAS FORCED TO PERFORM HIS DUTIES BY THE AFFILIATES WHICH WERE SUBMITTING PROPOSALS. TO US, IT WAS OBVIOUS OUR BUSINESS MANAGER WAS OUT OF HIS ELEMENT AND UNPREPARED. HE FAILED TO ESTABLISH TIME LINES, FAILED TO DISCLOSE VERY IMPORTANT OPTIONS IN CASE OF AN IMPASSE, WHILE MISCHARACTERIZING OUR EFFORTS TO SUCCEED AS A STRIKE ACTION. CONFUSION ALWAYS HAPPENS WHEN THERE IS A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING, PREPARATION, PROFESSIONALISM, OR SIMPLY A WELL THOUGHT OUT PROCESS. ONCE AGAIN, ONE CAN ONLY CONCLUDE THAT OUR OWN BUSINESS MANAGER EITHER DOES NOT FULLY COMPREHEND, OR WAS NOT PAYING ATTENTION AT OUR OWN DISTRICT COUNCIL SEMINAR IN WHICH OUR INVITED GUESTS…THE CARPENTERS, INFORMED US THAT THEY DILIGENTLY PREPARE FOR CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS TWO YEARS PRIOR TO EXPIRATION! HERE, WE SIT BEHIND THE 8-BALL AS OUR AGREEMENT EXPIRES IN ALMOST ONE YEAR.
WHEN ELECTED, AS CHAIRMAN OF NEGOTIATIONS, I WILL MEET WITH ALL BUSINESS MANAGERS FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF LAYING OUT AN AGREED UPON PROCESS WHICH WILL INCLUDE TIME LINES, PROPOSAL SUBMISSIONS, AND PROCEDURAL OPTIONS TO ADDRESS ALL ISSUES IN EVERY AREA TOGETHER SO WE CAN REVIEW AND TRULY COMMIT TO OUR NEGOTIATIONS STRATEGY. THEN, ANY TENTATIVE AGREEMENTS WILL BE PRESENTED TO ALL DELEGATES FOR RATIFICATION WITH SUFFICIENT TIME FOR REVIEW (NOT THE 10 MINUTES WERE USED TO,) SO THAT WE WILL BE IN THE BEST POSITION TO EMBRACE THE OUTCOME BECAUSE WE WILL BE SURE WE’VE DONE EVERYTHING TO GET THE BEST POSSIBLE CONTRACT!
I BELIEVE THAT FUNDAMENTALLY, COLLECTIVE BARGAINING IS THE GREATEST RESPONSIBILITY WE HAVE, THE PRIVILEGE OF ENGAGING THE EMPLOYERS ON BEHALF OF OUR MEMBERS! STARTING LATE AND LEAVING EARLY (MORENO’S SCHEDULED VACATION COULD NOT WAIT,) WILL NOT BE AN OPTION FOR OUR UNIFIED COUNCIL!
(pictured: Last week, following the conclusion of successful School District negotiations, Oscar agrees to a new Joint Labor Management Committee for Public Employees during ongoing collective bargaining with the City and County of San Francisco.)
http://unitethencdcl.blogspot.com/
