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Letter to the AMHS Bargaining Unit |
| Posted by Darryl (darryl) on May 05 2008 |
| News >> AMHS BU |
Darryl and the negotiating team, now this TA has been presented to you, are legally restricted from speaking against it. That is why Darryl’s letter to you is written the way that it is, and why the informational meetings held so far have sounded the way they have. We know it is not the contract you directed us to secure for you. That is why each of us very pointedly asks you to very carefully consider what the State is offering us. Their offer, as you have pointed out, cuts both ways in terms of costs and rewards. Nevertheless, YOU make the decisions here, not the negotiating team. So, we vote.
To keep this short, I will focus on the most discussed questions and concerns you have voiced:
- The State offers Economy Health Care. Their price for the plan has increased, so they are calling it an increase in your health benefit. It is not the Standard Health Care Plan we were receiving in the previous arbitrated health care portion of the contract. 90% of us utilize the Standard Plan and roughly 1% of the 3% per year offered wage increase will be eaten up to pay the difference in the two plans. You must decide if this is acceptable to you and your families.
- The State is asking us in the Unearned Wages rule to vote away what the IBU has already won in arbitration. You must decide if this is acceptable to you.
- The State, after years of refusing to do so, has put a dollar value on a portion of Sick Leave in their offer that switches Vacation and Sick Leaves into a “Personal Leave” account. The ability to cash out leave that was previously only used or lost is a big benefit to those who have large sick leave balances. To vote yes on this Rule change means there will be no more sick leave accrual for anyone; the total annual accrual of vacation and sick leave the State offers in this change is far less than the total has been; and new hires will not enjoy what all of us have enjoyed by the system in place when we hired on. You must decide if this is acceptable to you and the generations of workers afterward.
- The State is desperately looking at ways to cut costs in AMHS operations. They see contracting out Yards work as a real possibility. Do you rely, or hope to rely, on working Yards in RIF? You must decide if ratifying this proposal is acceptable to you and your families.
To keep this letter to one page I will end here. There are several other issues which you have voiced to me, but the above are the largest topics of discussion. Go to the informational meetings, compare the TA with the old contract, talk with your families about what you can, and cannot, afford. Made sure your decision is as fully informed as humanly possible.
In Solidarity,
Purser Mike
Last changed: May 05 2008 at 2:22 PM
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