Fish & Wildlife Bargaining Unit 2006 Archives

members
in action

JANUARY, 2007

WPEA Shares Legislative Priorities with Many Legislators

WPEA member from Fish and Wildlife, Tom Burns, joined WPEA’s lobbying efforts. We met with Representative Bill Fromhold (D-Vancouver) who was the Chair of the SCPP last year. His voice is well respected among legislators on this issue due to his tenacity and overall knowledge of the State’s pension system.

Tom’s main argument was for a “Rule of 85” in PERS. He has worked hard on this issue, and was motivated enough to provide Representative Fromhold with a flier stating why a “Rule of 85” is important to state employees who have worked many years for the state, but are far from the standard retirement age of 65. The Representative was candid in saying this legislation (HB 1199) will have steep opposition. Fromhold did give members hope that there was still time to stop the repeal of gain-sharing, reinforcing the fact that members can still influence the outcome.

Because the issue of gain-sharing effects a very large majority of state employees, WPEA has joined in coalition with other state employee unions in demanding that gain-sharing not be repealed. The Coalition is finalizing a flier that will be distributed liberally to all legislators to show how united we are. You can do your part by contacting your legislator NOW!

MARCH 2006

WPEA Settles Work Schedule Grievance

WPEA/UFCW 365 has settled a long standing grievance filed prior to the new contract in June of 2005. The grievance was filed under the old contract and involved an email sent by Dr. Koenings in June of 2005. The email changed the conditions of your employment regarding the ability to work alternate, flexible and telework schedules in violation of the old contract article which stated the union would be notified 21 days in advance of any and all major changes in working conditions.

As you all know the whole-sale change of work schedules for all workers within the agency in July of 2005 has created many problems. Efficiency in getting work accomplished, ability to juggle family and work needs, maintain leave balances, commute trip reduction and fuel consumption difficulty including increased costs and not the least nor the last, a plummeting morale were fall- out from the email edict and it’s various interpretations by middle management.

Happily, on March 7, 2006 your co-workers and union leaders, Deb Naylor and Norm Switzler along with WPEA/UFCW 365 staff representative Marian Gonzales, struck a settlement agreement with Cindy Lerch, Penny Cusick and Larry Peck after approximately seven hours in mediation with a PERC mediator. The agreement is as follows:

When requested by members of the WPEA/UFCW 365 bargaining unit, the supervisor will meet with the members of the workgroup to review the workgroup’s individual employee schedules.
As part of the process of reviewing these schedules, the supervisor will take into account the business and customer needs of the agency, commute trip reduction provisions, and family care act provisions.
If the supervisor and workgroup develop a scheduling plan different from the currently approved workgroup schedules, the written recommendation will be presented to the appropriate Appointing Authority for consideration. This recommendation will be given appropriate weight during the consideration process, taking into account the business and customer needs of the agency, commute trip reduction provisions and family care act provisions. If the workgroup’s plan for alternate schedules is denied by the Appointing Authority, the workgroup will be provided the reason for the denial.

If one individual within a workgroup needs their schedule to be reconsidered for the same criteria above, that person can make an individual request for the supervisor to work with them on putting forward a new request that meets business and customer needs and also allows for commute trip reduction and family care needs.

This agreement paves the way for a renewed sense of constructive labor relations between WPEA/UFCW 365 and DFW. It may not seem like much to some but it is a good start. It is important to note that we also have new contract grievances filed on this very same issue.

It is important that WPEA/UFCW 365 is notified of any denial of schedules that meet business and customer needs, are consistent with the job duties as assigned and assist employees in commute trip reduction and family care. We would have the right to file grievances on those denials under the new contract and should. If you have questions please feel free to call Marian Gonzales at (360) 943-1121 EXT 118 or 1-800-544-9732 EXT 118.

FEBRUARY 2006

Union Helps Agency Transition to Performance and Development Plan

The Department of Fish and Wildlife is transitioning to the Performance and Development Plan (PDP). This evaluation tool was reviewed by WPEA/UFCW 365 and has been approved for use in the collective bargaining agreement we negotiated with the Labor Relations Office for use as of July 1, 2005.

Recently, the Department of Fish and Wildlife requested to change all our bargaining unit’s evaluation period dates and unify all evaluation dates to March. Your union, WPEA/UFCW 365, requested information on the proposed annual review date changes and to bargain the impacts of such changes prior to any change taking place.

We met with management on February 17, 2006, to get clarification on the proposed change and to discuss the following concerns we had:1) employees being evaluated for more than a one year period; 2) employees being evaluated for less than a one year period; and 3) employees being evaluated without appropriate PDP position description, goals and expectations, and training on the new tool.

We are happy to report that the Department of Fish and Wildlife and WPEA/UFCW 365 agreed to the following stipulation on the proposed evaluation date change for our employees:

No one will be evaluated for more than or for less than a one year period.

The terms, as set out in the February 17, 2006 meeting and two subsequent letters dated February 23, 2006 and February 24, 2006 are as follows:

For those employees who received evaluations in August, September and November of 2005 and who had PDP goals and expectations, position updates and essential job duties reviewed, these PDP mandated items would be reviewed in March of 2006 for appropriateness. Their evaluation year would start in March 2006 to be completed in March of 2007.
The months prior to March of 2006 would fall off and not be part of the evaluation year for those employees.
For those employee’s who did not have PDP goals and expectations, position description updates and essential job duties reviewed in 2005, theirs would be set in March of 2006 within appropriate PDP guidelines and they would then be evaluated in March of 2007.
DFW will not conduct interim evaluations for our employees.

No evaluations of more than a year, in whole or in part will take place. No evaluations of less than a year will take place. All Bargaining Unit Employees will be allowed to, and encouraged, to take the Performance and Development Plan Training that is mandatory for all supervisors. All employees will be given a training guide with the training.

Management has agreed to offer a couple more training sessions for all interested bargaining unit employees. Please ask about and look for the training notices. Sue Vance is the Human Resource Contact for these trainings.

Some important things to remember:

You have a right to and should be reviewing your supervision and personnel files at least quarterly.
The evaluation of your performance needs to be based on actual evidence. This evidence is contained in actual work products, on documentation from your supervisor to you, and from you to your supervisor.
Deadlines should be clear, obtainable and flexible if actual obstacles to work completion arise. You should be given appropriate training and support in doing your job.
You should have access to the information you need to conduct your job and meet performance goals. Clear communication should be in evidence between you and management and between management and you. Supervisors often keep some kind of documentation file. You have a right to review this file and should do so at least quarterly.
Please request a copy of the PDP guidebook, and other training materials that have been made available to your supervisors.

These materials include the how to of creating a position description, how to define skills and abilities needed for work, how to create appropriate and work related goals and expectations, in addition to how to use the PDP evaluation tool.

Please have your name put on the training list TODAY! Ask for the guidebook and other tools that have been given to supervisors for the training.

If you have questions, please contact Marian Gonzales at (360) 943-1121, ext 118 (if outside Olympia call 1-800-544-9732, ext. 118).

FEBRUARY 2006

WPEA Files Exchange Time Grievance

WPEA has filed a grievance on behalf of all overtime exempt employees. The grievance was filed on the heels of Lew Atkins’ memo to our bargaining unit employees changing how Exchange Time will be accumulated and used. This memo demonstrates management’s misunderstanding of the contract and in general labor law, to say the very least.

It is an unfair labor practice to change the conditions of employment without notification to – and bargaining those changes with – the exclusive bargaining representative. Atkins did not notify WPEA that he was changing Exchange Time accumulation or use and did not give the union a chance to bargain the changes.

Management had a chance to bargain changes in Exchange Time at the bargaining table prior to July 1, 2005 when your current contract took effect. To change now without notification is a violation of the bargaining process and of your contract language on Exchange time.

Please note no changes in your Exchange Time leave banks or use should take effect until this issue is resolved.

If you have questions, please contact Marian Gonzales at (360) 943-1121, ext 118 (if outside Olympia call 1-800-544-9732, ext. 118).