Informational Links
Senate To Pass Seven-Day Interim Budget Monday
Gongwer News Service Special Update
June 29, 2009, 10:50 am - excerpt:
The Senate is expected Monday approve a seven-day interim budget that funds state government operations into the new fiscal year.
The interim spending plan - to be adopted as an amendment to the Industrial Commission’s budget (HB 16) – will fund programs at 70% of actual fiscal year 2009 spending, the Senate Republican Caucus said...
The development comes as the GOP-controlled Senate maintained its opposition to the installation of slot machines at Ohio’s horse tracks without a vote of the people. Instead, the chamber’s majority has argued that Gov. Ted Strickland, who proposed VLTs as a new revenue source, should authorize the expansion himself.
Click here for a clip of SEIU's Ohio Legislative Director addressing the current situation with the State of Ohio budget.
State of Ohio
Member Updates
SEIU District 1199 Members Ratify Contract with State of Ohio
The State of Ohio contract has been ratified by a clear majority vote of the SEIU 1199 membership. The final votes for the 2009-2012 tentative agreement between SEIU District 1199 and the State of Ohio were held yesterday, June 15, 2009.
The final results were then tabulated, and the contract has therefore been ratified. Notification has been sent by President Williams to the Office of Collective Bargaining informing them of the members’ decision.
A Message for Bargaining Unit 12 Members
Hello SEIU Brothers and Sisters,
Many of you may have seen postings at your worksites. SEIU would like to offer you information regarding the posting and tell you ways that you can keep informed throughout this process.
On June 3, 2009, the SEIU District 1199 received a letter from the State Employees Relations Board (SERB) notifying us that on June 1, 2009, the Fraternal Order of Police, Ohio Labor Council (FOP/OLC) filed a petition for representation of SEIU Bargaining Unit 12, as outlined in the collective agreement as attached to this letter (please see attachment).
After the expiration of a collective bargaining agreement, a rival labor organization may be able to file a petition for representation to SERB. If a rival organization can show thirty percent interest in the relevant bargaining unit, then a vote can be held between the incumbent organization and the rival organization that filed the petition.
If in fact a vote were to occur, members would be notified by SERB through a posting at your worksite. Whoever wins that election by a simple majority vote would be the exclusive bargaining agent for that unit.
We have received hundreds of questions, and many of you have raised legitimate concerns regarding this process; therefore, we have attempted to summarize the questions and provide you with answers.
In Solidarity,
Becky Williams,
President
SEIU District 1199, WV/KY/OH
Frequently Asked Questions from our Bargaining Unit 12 Membership:
Q: I hear that the FOP/OLC assigns a different status to workers within the same bargaining unit depending on their job classifications and hours worked. Is this true?
A: Yes. The FOP/OLC separates out workers depending on whether they work full-time hours of 40 hours per week and also depending on your job classification. An “associate member” status was created for workers who don’t meet whatever standards the FOP/OLC decides to apply in their case. This second-class status is justified on the FOP/OLC's very own website where they say that they don’t know anything about anyone who is not in law enforcement, and they “don’t want to.”
Q: Is it true what I have been told about the FOP being a large, strong Union?
A. No. The FOP is one of the smallest State organizations to represent State employees. SEIU, on the other hand, is the largest and fastest-growing Union in the country, as well as in Ohio, representing nearly ten times as many State of Ohio Employees than the FOP/OLC.
Q: Is it true that FOP/OLC members aren't even able to vote on changes?
A: Yes. The FOP is organized more as a dictatorship than as a democracy. That means that dues increases, most leadership positions, by-laws, and many other basic decisions are made exclusively by the paid staff of the FOP/OLC. Unlike SEIU members, the membership of the FOP/OLC is actually forbidden from having any vote to determine these changes.
Q: If we vote for the FOP/OLC Associates, will we still have all of our Executive Board and Delegates?
A: No. The FOP/OLC Leadership Board handpicks their Union representatives. SEIU District 1199 members, however, are guaranteed the ability to elect your President, Member Vice Presidents, your Executive Board Member(s), your Delegates, and not only your Contract Negotiation Committee members. Unlike FOP members, SEIU 1199 members have the ability to voice your opinions and vote on the issues that affect you most, such as the finances of your Union, by-laws changes, dues, and structure.
Q: If I were to vote for the FOP/OLC, wouldn't I just keep the protections and rights established in our contract?
A: No. Our contract would be null and void, and you would have to start all over again and bargain a new contract with the State of Ohio.
Q: If I vote for the FOP/OLC, then would my wages or benefits also start from scratch?
A: Yes. Any and all of your current benefits would also need to be renegotiated with the State of Ohio all over again. The State is again looking for any opportunity to make more cuts after the OBM announced another budget shortfall of more than $3 billion last week.
Q: Does the FOP/OLC currently represent members within many of the classifications in bargaining unit 12?
A: No. The FOP does not currently represent anyone in Bargaining Unit 12, and the majority of Bargaining Unit 12 is not law enforcement. The FOP represents approximately 580 state employees in bargaining unit 2, consisting of police officers, park officers, forest officers and other law enforcement classifications in various state agencies. All of the covered job classifications are listed in the contract.
Q: Will the FOP/OLC take Cost Savings Days?
A: The FOP will take the same percentage of cost savings as every other Union. If they do not bargain to receive the cost savings days, they will take the concessions in loss of other benefits their members currently have. Any losses will equate to the same per capita concessions as the other Unions.
Q: Are these really just “interest cards” that the FOP/OLC members are asking us to sign?
A: No. The FOP/OLC is lying to many members and telling them that the purpose of the card is merely to get more information. The cards that the FOP/OLC is asking SEIU members to sign are to schedule an election with the State Employment Relations Board to decide whether to join the FOP/OLC. If the FOP were to prevail, then your contract becomes null and void while all the wages, rights and benefits it includes become subject to renegotiation where they could be lost.
Any card-signers who feel they were misled about the purpose of these cards are encouraged to obtain and sign a retraction form .and submit it to SERB. A printable version of this retraction form can be accessed at http://public.seiu1199.org/state/forms/FOP_retraction_form.pdf.
Do you have any questions?
We will continue to answer any questions that you may have. If you find that you have any additional questions, please feel free to email fopquestions@seiu1199.org, or contact SEIU at 1-866-900-8292.
SEIU District 1199 has been there since the beginning, when we negotiated the first ever contract for State workers in Bargaining Unit 12 in 1986, and remains committed to the needs and concerns of all of our members in Bargaining Unit 12.
June 9 State of Ohio Budget Update
Click here for SEIU's Ohio Legislative Director addressing the latest on the situation with the State of Ohio budget.
Tentative Agreement and Tentative Agreement Outline
Click here to view the tentative agreement.
Click here to view an updated outline of the tentative agreement.
Additional Information
Contract Outline
Cost Savings Days for all employees except Institutional Nurses and Psych MR Nurses
Cost Savings Days for Institutional Nurses and Psych MR Nurses