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City of Tacoma 2008 - 2010 Contract
available for download |
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Council 2 Convention Photos & Highlights |
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General Membership Meeting News
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Union
Label's Do Not Buy List |
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AFSCME
35th Convention Photos & Highlights
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AFSCME
38th International Convention - San Francisco |
Local 120 Delegates included,
left to right: Front row: George Hermosillo, Karen R. (TPCHD).
Second Row: Celeste Suliin Burris (City of Tacoma), Dian Seider (Library),
Joyce S. (TPCHD). Back Row: John Ohlson, Dave Shaughnessy (City of
Tacoma); Wayne Withrow (TPCHD), and Angelo DeFazio (Library). |
Barak Obama addresses AFSCME members at the
International Convention in July.
Nine delegates and
alternates from Local 120 recently attended the AFSCME International
Convention in San Francisco's Moscone Center. Joining 5000 other
AFSCME members, the delegates set the agenda for the coming election year
and heard from Presidential nominee Barack Obama via satellite feed.
Hearing rousing speeches from Hillary Clinton, Al Gore and
Barack Obama, the delegates are ready to help elect a Labor-friendly
President, and take back America for working families.
The delegates attended workshops about organizing, political
action and pension plans, and joined with Union members from similar
professions across America to discuss the most critical issues facing their
members today. Al Gore encouraged the nation to set a goal to reduce global
warming within ten years.
Highlights from Obama’s speech: 'We can't afford to let John
McCain serve out Bush's third term'.
'The current administration is not just anti-union; they are
trying to keep us from fighting for ourselves'.
'We are less than 100 days away from the change we seek'.
President Gerald McEntee closed the satellite broadcast by
proclaiming; 'AFSCME will pull out all the stops to ensure Barack Obama
will be the next President of the United States'.
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AFSCME To Mobilize 40,000
Activists for November Election,
Endorses Barack Obama for President
 The
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
(AFSCME), AFL-CIO, kicked off their 38th Biennial International
Convention with plans to build a powerful army of 40,000
activists to win victories for pro-worker candidates at every
level of government.
Nearly 6,000 activists gathered in late July in San Francisco to
develop the union’s plans on priority issues, including:
securing public support for the vital services our communities
depend on; providing states and localities with needed fiscal
relief; and guaranteeing quality, affordable health care for
all.
“The stakes are too high – too high – for our nation to elect
another President who doesn’t respect our work, doesn’t respect
our families, and doesn’t respect the public services that
America depends on and that our members provide,” AFSCME
International President Gerald W. McEntee (pictured above) told the delegates at
the AFSCME Convention in San Francisco.
Building Support for Public Services
McEntee outlined two key goals for delegates: to elect
pro-worker candidates across the country, and build public
support for the vital public services that make our communities
a better place to live, work and raise a family. “We have to
tell our story,” McEntee said. “It’s a story about the
tremendous value of the services we provide across this great
country. We keep families safe and make communities strong. You
know it and I know it: America works because we do.”
Hillary Clinton asked the nation's largest public employees
union — and one of her strongest backers — to work hard for the
man who beat her for the Democratic nomination for president,
Sen. Barack Obama. Clinton was greeted with a standing ovation,
raucous applause and cries of "We love you, Hillary."
“Barack Obama has mobilized a historic movement to reclaim the
greatness of America. With his leadership, our nation will rise
up to rebuild the middle class at home and restore America’s
reputation in the world,” said AFSCME President Gerald W.
McEntee.
An army of 40,000 AFSCME Activists
“AFSCME will mobilize more members and invest more resources
than ever before to help Senator Obama win the White House. We
will turn out an army of 40,000 AFSCME activists to knock on
doors, make phone calls and talk with their co-workers and
neighbors to produce an unprecedented turnout in the 2008
election.”
“Barack Obama is a proven fighter on the issues our members care
about most, such as ending privatization, providing state and
local fiscal relief, fully funding and supporting public
services and the workers who provide them, and guaranteeing that
everyone in our country has access to quality, affordable health
care they can count on,” McEntee said.
“We can elect a champion for working families or we can elect
John McCain and have four more years of George W. Bush’s
disastrous policies,” McEntee said. “When you look at McCain’s
record on the issues instead of his rhetoric on the stump, it’s
obvious that he’s just another Bush. McCain and the high-priced
lobbyists who run his campaign promise us four more years of
destructive economic policies at home and 100 more years of
occupation in Iraq. We need a change now.”
“Barack Obama will change the direction of our country, and end
the Bush era of corruption and incompetence that has led to
increased unemployment and home foreclosures, higher gas prices
and grocery bills, in addition to putting health care and
college out of reach for millions of America’s working
families,” said McEntee.
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Contract Negotiations Update
Council approves Local 120
COT Unit Agreement
The City of Tacoma bargaining unit has
approved it's 2008 - 2010 contract, by an overwhelming margin.
click here for details.
Read more about the negotiations on our
contract negotiations page.
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| City Loses
"Citywide Bumping" Arbitration, Celeste Returns To
Work!
 Local
120 Recording Secretary Celeste Suliin Burris has won her
grievance arbitration, challenging the City's assertion that
there are no city-wide bumping rights when employees are laid
off.
Celeste was laid off in July 2006, as part of a massive staff
cut requested by City management. She filed a grievance
against the city because past practice has been to allow
employees to bump across departmental lines in the event of a
layoff, yet she was not allowed to bump when her position was
eliminated. The Union presented various pieces of evidence
supporting our claims, including written policies, memorandums,
and city web pages that all acknowledged city-wide bumping
rights for employees.
As a result of the win, Celeste will have her employment
status at the city restored, will receive back pay, and will
retain the right to bump the least senior employee in her
classification.
UPDATE 5/27/07: Due to an unacceptable offer by the
City, Celeste has elected to return to city employment.
Update: 9/24/07: The Tacoma Fire
Department has created a new position for Celeste to work in, at
her original pay & classification.
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How
did YOUR Rep Vote
on the important issues facing our Union today? Enter your zip code
below, and find out!
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| Executive Board
Officers: |
Updated on
Monday, October 06, 2008
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President: |
John Ohlson |
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Vice President: |
Loralee Armstrong |
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Secretary/Treasurer: |
Dian Seider |
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Recording Secretary: |
Celeste
Suliin Burris |
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Sergeant At Arms: |
Wayne
Withrow |
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Trustee: |
Joyce
Seger |
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Trustee: |
Dave Shaughnessey |
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Trustee: |
Karen R. |
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Business Representative: |
Brock
Logan |
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Business Representative: |
Dennis
Bolton |
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| Bargaining Unit Chairs: |
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City of Tacoma: |
John Ohlson |
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Tacoma Public Library: |
Dian Seider |
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Tacoma P.C. Health Dept.: |
Wayne Withrow |
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Pierce County: |
Open |
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Bonney Lake: |
Keith Proctor |
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Orting: |
Roxanne Wolczak |
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