Members at the newly formed DCYF unit are celebrating a hard-won reallocation winning fair pay — and back pay — for the work they do every day.
Union membership equals fair pay, affordable healthcare and retirement security, YES! But it also provides access to union staff resources such as technical support when you need it most.
In July 2017, twelve co-workers at DSHS submitted a position review request (PPR) stating their duties warranted reallocation from Social & Health Program Consultant 1 to Management Analyst 3 (MA3).
In December 2017, they were notificed that a reallocation to Forms and Records Analyst 3 was approved. This change still did not meet their expectations because it failed to take into consideration the aspects of their daily work.
In January, union staff assisted in filing an appeal requesting a Director's Review of the decision. During this same time frame, their positions moved from DSHS to the newly formed DCYF further complicating the reallocation process. DCYF members Tierre Reilly and Jin Kim and Council Rep James Dannen provided compelling testimony at the hearing to make the case that reallocation was justified.
Determination and persistence prevailed and on August 7, 2018 a Director's Determination concluded that their assigned duties did indeed justify reallocation to MA3, resulting in a 5-range (13%) increase in base pay and 13 months of back pay.
"It's taken a long time, but we feel validated that the scope of our work is recognized and respected," said Tierre Reilly, DCYF.
"My previous experience made it clear to me that this reallocation was warranted, but getting it approved took help from co-workers and our union. We're grateful for the outcome," added Jin Kim.
In today's post-Janus environment, there are lots of questions raised about how the union helps workers move forward. Contract negotiations illustrate how we collectively make gains in compentation and working conditions. Stewards help us naviagate enforcement of the contracts in our workplaces. Council Reps and union staff with content specialties, like classification, can help win individual outcomes also - amplfying our message: We are stronger together.
