Our ABHS bargaining team needs to hear from you!
Tell us what you think of these proposals. Send your EMAIL RESPONSE HERE.
Your responses will only be shared with the Union bargaining team.
ABHS management wants to take away many of your rights. What will you do to help stop these takeaways and win a strong Union contract?
- Sign 100% Union Card? Talk to coworkers about importance of united contract campaign?
- Organize contract support actions/job actions?
- Be featured on WFSE literature, website, Facebook?
- Train as steward?
- Something else?
First, some good news
Bed Rate Increases – You did it!
On March 8, 2018 the House and Senate both passed budgets that included a 25% increase in vendor rates for chemical dependency service providers in the Department of Corrections. This is all thanks to the hard work of WFSE members across the state who put in the time and energy to educate their legislators about the critical work that you they do every day.
So what is happening with your raises?
Your bargaining team met with ABHS management for our latest bargaining session on March 9, 2018.
The ABHS management team, led by Craig Phillips and Eryn Kelley, have sent a message to you through their proposal that is loud and clear: they are not interested in improving your wages, hours or working conditions. READ PROPOSAL HERE
In fact, they want to make them much worse. It is important that you see exactly what ABHS management wants your Union contract to look like. Below is a list of the main ABHS management proposals sent to the Union in writing on March 8, 2018:
ABHS Management’s Proposal
Union Recognition - ABHS does not want new classifications or locations to be Union members.
Union Activities - ABHS wants to make sure that union stewards cannot help you on work time even though that is when the meetings occur. They also want to have a say in who is on your bargaining team.
Hiring and Appointments - ABHS wants to be able to reduce full time employees to 30 hours a week whenever they choose and to make your probationary period even longer.
Hours of Work and Overtime - ABHS wants to be able to change your schedule for up to 6 weeks at a time to suit their needs, regardless of your needs. They also want to be able to trigger low census layoffs sooner and decide who works overtime based on added requirements.
Employee Files - ABHS wants to change things so that if you want to see your own file, you have to make an appointment (only once per year) on your own time and pay for the copies. They also want disciplinary actions and other documents to stay in your file forever.
Employee Privacy - ABHS wants to take away your right to privacy during your off time.
Discipline - ABHS wants to take away your right to know what you are being investigated for and stop your pay without due process if you have to be placed on reassignment because of an allegation. Your pay would stop when placed on reassignment whether or not the allegation is true. They also want to take the agreed upon just cause language out of the contract.
Safety and Health - ABHS wants to take away the language that protects the staffing levels for the clinical program.
Employee Leave - ABHS wants to take away the shared leave program as you know it. They want a pool that would allow them to decide who gets what.
Holidays - ABHS wants to take away your Holidays unless you are scheduled to work on the day of the Holiday – this means a loss of Holiday pay for you. They also refuse to recognize Native American Heritage Day as an additional Holiday in your contract.
Layoff - ABHS wants to change your layoff options based on qualifications they determine, even though you already qualify to do your job.
Uniforms, Tools, and Equipment - ABHS wants to make their own new dress code instead of following the contract.
Employee Rights - ABHS wants you to be responsible for their equipment but to take no responsibility when yours is damaged at work.
COMPENSATION - ABHS wants to take away all step increases that currently recognize your years of service. Their proposal would pay only the legally required minimum wage. For everyone else, your wages would be frozen until at least 2020. They also want to take away standby pay and to be able to change your schedule any time to avoid paying you any overtime. They also want to take away your rights when THEY overpay you in error.
READ FULL PROPOSAL HERE
Tell us how you will join the fight to protect your rights by responding directly to this message. Your responses will only be shared with the Union bargaining team.
