Rep. Michael Kane "Walks a Day" in shoes of Western Mass Family Child Care Provider

Rep Micheal Kane walking a d ay in the shoes of Holyoke family child care provider Tracey Webb

On December 11th, State Representative Michael Kane of Holyoke walked a day in the shoes in Holyoke child care provider Tracey Webb. Arriving before breakfast, Kane spent the entire day helping Tracey feed, play with and care for the children of Western Mass working families. (On another front, Rep. Kane was recently cited by the Governor as one of the key legislators who helped move the administration to restore funding for the Soldiers Homes!)

---

Lottery and Unit 2 Ratify MOA's

Members from the State Lottery Commission and the Alliance - Unit 2, approved amendments to the contracts that were ratified last year. The amendments push back the funding dates by 364 days, but preserves the status quo on health benefits despite the mid-year changes in co-pays and deductables by the GIC.

Lottery members voted 208-37 in favor of the new agreement. SEIU 888 Executive Board member Mark DelloRusso and Trustee Mike Kelly travelled across the state holding ballots for members to vote at each of the five worksites between Jan 18 - 25th.

Alliance - Unit 2 members voted 117 to 7 in a single day ballot at worksites across the state on January 5th to ratify their new agreement.

Similar agreements have already been, or are in the process of being, negotiated by all of the state unions. However, unlike some of the other barganing units, Lottery and Unit 2 members will not face any furloughs.
The non-financial sections of the original contracts came into effect last July. But underMassachusetts law, the financial sections of state collective bargaining agreements do not take effect until an appropriations bill is passed by the Legislature and signed by the Governor. And although all of the state contracts were submitted to the Legislature last summer, no monies have been appropriated to fund them.

It is hoped that delaying the first 1% increase until next July will help get the appropriations bills passed. The Governor has promised to sign the bills if the legislature acts. SEIU 888 and the SEIU State Council will be working hard to convince the legislature to fund the contracts. We will keep our members advised and alert you if action is needed.

State Higher Education units have held an initial meeting with the Administration to discuss a similar MOA.Part of the administration's proposal includes furloug days.  SEIU 888 believes that the cost savings in the Lottery and Unit 2 settlements, which did not include any new furloughs, should be used as a model for any new MOA for higher ed.

---

Union Wins Plymouth Arbitration, Town Administrator Stankiewicz Shirks Responsibility

SEIU 888 recently won an arbitration victory upholding the right of senior employees to bump when the employer targets them for a reductions in hours.

The dispute began when Town HR Director, Roberta Kedy, notified 888 members Patricia Santos, Margaret Fitzgibbons, Deborah Cavicchi and Rebecca Kearney that their hours were being reduced by one day a week. The union tried to implement the bumping process contained in the contract. But the administration refused to follow the contract and the union filed a grievance.

At the arbitration, the Town contended that it could target any employee for a reduction in hours without triggering the Seniority or Layoff provisions of the contract. The union argued that if this was the case, then the Town could reduce a worker to just one hour a week.  And that any reduction in hours must be viewed as a partial layoff which triggers the members right to enforce the seniority and bumping sections of the contract.

The arbitrator agreed with the union, found that the Town had violated the contract, and ordered the town to pay the members' lost wages and benefits.

In a recent news article in "Wicked Local Plymouth", Town Manager Mark Stankiewicz bemoaned the fact that the Town was going to have to come up with $15,000 to satisfy the arbitrator's judgement. But this cost could have been avoided altogehter, if the Stankiewicz had simply followed the process laid out in the contract.

Stankiewicz also hints darkly in the article that he may exact his revenge by laying off innocent town workers in order to make up the funding.

SEIU 888 strongly suggests that the Plymouth Board of Selectmen should considering holding those administrators who were responsible for this fiasco, personally liable and recoup the funds from their salaries; instead of allowing Stankiewicz to go after low paid town workers who actually perform their jobs without costing the town thousands of dollars in lost wages and useless litigation.