Why IBEW is Screwed

9/20/09

By Marc Garman

IBEW Prefers Deal Over Appeal

In the days before Judge Michael McManus gave the green light for Vallejo to eradicate contracts with its IBEW  workers, the union put an offer on the table that, under different circumstances would be considered very reasonable and accommodating.

Members of Vallejo's IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) local 2376 are the people who pretty much do everything in the city that is not public safety or management. They trim the trees, sweep the streets, keep clean water flowing when we turn on the tap, fix potholes etc. etc. They are the city workers who have the lowest pay rates in Vallejo and are facing the greatest hardships due to Vallejo's bankruptcy.

In a letter dated August 6, 2009, IBEW 2376 President Frank Caballero outlines the concessions the union presented to the city in court the day before:

• The contract would be extended until June 30, 2013

• All retirees and new employees would pay into their health care on a sliding percentage, starting at 20% for the highest paid down to 5% for those with salaries below $50,000

• The 5% pay cut under the pendency plan could be converted into furlough days

• Wages would rise no more than 2% annually, but the union would be willing to take no increase if necessary

• New employees would retire with a 2.5% @55 plan as opposed to the current 2.7% @55 plan

• Reductions in sick leave and vacation accruals and payouts

See the letter HERE for more detail.

Caballero also contends that the proposals outlined in the letter were never presented to the City Council and that staff “rejected the proposal out of hand.”

IBEW officials and members were understandably frustrated by the rejection of this offer. On September 10, they voted to appeal the decision that allowed their contracts to be rejected.

The Forest for The Trees—How Vallejo's City Council Majority Blew it

At ground level, the average IBEW worker must feel pretty much abused and snubbed. What is happening to IBEW is not fair. But let's look at the bigger picture.

On January 29, 2009, the Vallejo City Council Majority voted to approve the contract with Vallejo's Police Officers (VPOA) and CAMP management employees. Any chance for fairness died that night. The contract guarantees several things:

• Pay raises for Vallejo's police

• Minimal modifications to medical coverage

• Leaves the city with layoffs as the only way to control salary expense

• Also gave the management employees very few cuts

Only councilmembers Gomes and Schivley opposed this deal and voted against it. City Manager Joe Tanner and staff recommended it. Mayor Osby Davis was the one pushing for this deal with great vigor. Comments from the Mayor such as, “If you don't have police, you have nothing.”, made his position clear. I suspect pressure from Davis was part of the reason for Tanner's recommendation. Tanner may also have seen the move as a political and tactical action considering the state of total siege he had been enduring—squeezed by the mayor and council majority (Bartee, Sunga, Hannigan, Wilson) on one side and the IAFF fire union on the other. In an impossible no-win situation Tanner settled for the consolation prize and BURNED FIRE. Now both he and IAFF 1186 president Kurt Henke are gone and going respectively. I guess we'll have to pick up the pieces from that battle of the titans. So will Vallejo's IBEW workers. Shame on them for the company they chose to keep, though.

We Were Just Following Recommendations----Living with Past Decisions

Mayor Osby Davis doesn't like it when his HELL-BENT mission to hammer out a contract with Vallejo's police gets brought up. He wants to move forward. Don't talk about the past. But how do you move forward with a total lack of vision or reasonable remaining options? Yes, Osby made an oopsie and he knows it. We will be paying for his incompetence for a very long time. Such blazing and total incompetence usually only comes along rarely—like an eclipse. We can hope.

Hannigan, Wilson, Bartee and Sunga followed the Mayor down the rabbit hole. But how could they be so stupid? Finance Director Rob Stout stood before the council and outlined the impending multi-million dollar deficit and was ignored. Citizens lined up and pleaded against the agreement.

But it never was about the citizens. It was about protecting other agendas.

Now what?--It's a Question of Timelines

The real question now is: How will Vallejo chart a path out of Bankruptcy? That's a good one. Wish someone had an easy answer. And don't say revenue or economic development. It shows your lack of comprehension.

Of course we need revenue and economic development. But it's a question of timelines. Generating revenue and cultivating economic development takes time. Years—like three or five or seven. We've failed abysmally since the closure of Mare Island thirteen years ago. Our budget deficit is here now. We don't have the luxury of waiting years, and we can't just stay in bankruptcy forever. Addressing an acute problem with a long term strategy is a guaranteed recipe for disaster. In the short term, cutting expenses is the only viable solution. That unfortunately includes salaries and benefits. Raising taxes and fees is another option, but it is only marginally viable in this economy.

Forget Fair

So, IBEW has come to the table and made a very generous offer. Unfortunately, in order to get a deal, they will have to make an offer that goes beyond fair. They will have to be unfair to themselves. Forget fair. The decision to treat Vallejo's remaining employees fairly has already been flushed. There is plenty of blame to cast around, but at least be fair when you point fingers—and IBEW members, remember the five who voted to screw you.

Comments

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Streetsweeper   |September.22.2009 You start with 244 but most of us work under non-general funds. The steward told me only 56 members are fully paid out of the general fund and most of them are the com operators. So, now try that math because it looks like $560k and I think the city need more.

>:o   |September.22.2009 So does this solve the problem? I thought the problem was $ not who deserved what or who had the 'power'. Was IBEW that big a deal to being with? The web says 244 members of Local 2376. If you managed to clip each for $10,000 you would save $2.4 million.

On Fire   |September.21.2009 Street Sweeper, things are already and have been ugly. Especially when you consider the tax payer's position.

Streetsweeper   |September.21.2009 Captain , look no further than the benifits offered to each union over the years and the current deals. I suppose when your high profile like public safety you political leverage is better.

Captain   |September.21.2009 Streetsweeper Do you really believe the city of Vallejo has treated ANY employees second class? You are sounding a bit spoiled.

Streetsweeper   |September.21.2009 The city has always treated us like second class employees and gave sweet deals to all the other groups. Even if we stayed out of this fight the city would have still screwed us for sure. Now even if they cut our wages and benifits it won't even put a dent in what we are short in the general fund. Stay tunned this is going to get ugly.

retired_ibew   |September.21.2009 Captain, once again you appraise this situation with such clinical detachment. You state that IBEW did not offer to give up enough. What would have been 'enough' to satisfy you? They are the only union that I am aware of that agreed to take a reduction in their retirement plan and the only one the City is limiting the Cities contribution to health insurance at 75% of the Kaiser base rate for health insurance. I am guessing your moniker 'Captain' might infer that you were, at one time, either a police or a fire captain, if I am correct, that explains how it might be hard for you to commiserate with a lowly corp yard worker or comm operator raising 3 or 4 kids on 1/2 of what you earned and being expected to be the ones who will pay for the sweetheart deals given to Camp and VPOA

Captain   |September.21.2009 Of course IBEW prefers this deal over appeal. Caballeros letter is just more of the same and does nothing to address the real, or underlying, issues that face Vallejo. While I agree that IBEW is the little guy in this battle, it doesn't mean that they aren't part of the problem. In the big picture, what IBEW offered is very little, they are still paid above market (Total Comp), and the letter fails to address some big issues. Vallejo is operating with GF budget that is 18 million dollars less than two years ago. And while the argument that IBEW costs the GF only x dollars is both debatable and irrelevant. I certainly don't have any grudge against this group, but I'm not buying what their Union is selling.

retired_ibew   |September.21.2009 I emailed the mayor and all the city council members about the impact that the proposed 25% medical contribution would have on an IBEW retiree taking home around $1700 a month from a PERS disability pension. Only one, Sunga, even had the courtesy to respond and that was a one-liner "thank you for your email". They truly don't care. They messed up with VPOA and CAMP and they aren't going to admit it or try to do the right thing for the lowest paid, and in my opinion, the hardest working employees in the City.

Abominous   |September.21.2009 So true. IBEW is being screwed over and in my humble opinion they are greatly appreciated by the citizens who pay them. I've never had such great experiences with the guys sweeping the streets and dealing with water and sewer. Very sad that something as minimal as a 2% guarantee can't even be entertained. I urge the union members to do some research and it's likely that they will come to the same conclusion as Mr. Garman. They got screwed over by Davis, Bartee, Sunga, Hannigan and Wilson. Yes, the entire council needs to make the tough decisions, but this tough deal was self created and simply a reaction to an ignorant vote to approve a Police deal we can't afford. The council majority needs to change. Vote out Bartee, and Sunga with gusto!

Anonymous   |September.21.2009 Hey John K -- if you hear more IBEW workers saying Gomes screwed them, refer them to this article. How ironic that IBEW continues to support the 5 who will never do right by IBEW; the 5 who will cozy up to whomever they think has the power (and the cash) in this town. IBEW has no power - they ought to support the council members who want to see them treated fairly...

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