News

The County Blade - An online archive of our newsletter's articles

Return Your Surveys: If you haven't done so already, please send in your survey that you received in the recent mailing from us. We value your opinions!

Online version of 2012 SLOCEA Discount Booklet now available! Click here to view booklet.

2012 Academic Scholarship Program: SLOCEA is now accepting applications for the 2012 Academic Scholarship Program! Please click here for guidelines and application.

Trades Unit Ratifies MOU: Ballots were counted at the SLOCEA office Monday, December 5th. 25% of the ballots mailed were returned. The MOU was ratified. There were 33 Yes votes, 4 No votes & 1 ballot was spoiled. A big thank you to Mike Eckman and Jim Mallon for coming in to count the ballots. Click here for the election certification.
Click here for the Agreement.

It is with great sadness that we must report the passing of two long-standing SLOCEA members.
~ ~ ~ On Saturday, November 12th DONNA FEAGIN lost her battle with Pancreatic Cancer. Donna joined the county in 1992 and became a SLOCEA member in 2008. She worked as a Program Review Specialist for the Department of Social Services.
~ ~ ~ On Sunday, November 13th MICHAEL PARSONS also lost his battle with Cancer. Michael began his career with the county in 1995 and joined SLOCEA in 1998. He worked for General Services as a Park Ranger Specialist.
We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the families, friends and co-workers of Donna and Michael. They were dearly loved and will be missed by all. Our thoughts and prayers are with them during this difficult time.

We Are Ohio Thanked Ohio Voters for Affirming Collective Bargaining Rights for Ohio’s Everyday Heroes: Columbus- Tonight We Are Ohio thanked Ohio voters for their historic and overwhelming support of collective bargaining rights for Ohio’s everyday heroes. In what is thought to be the first election in the country on collective bargaining rights, Issue 2 was soundly defeated by Ohio voters. Click here for full article.

Governor Proposes Pension Reform Plan 10/27/11: Governor Brown has proposed a new Twelve Point Pension Reform Plan which proposes a higher retirement age and a less generous pension system for newly-hired state workers. Click here to read the full proposal.

Public Employee Pension Legislatation and Reform Proposals as of September 19, 2011: Click here to view the proposals.

Sacramento News and Review: Public enemies, Will public pensions really cause a fiscal ‘tsunami,’ or do critics have a case of pension envy? This article posted with permission of Cosmo Garvin and the Sacramento News and Review. Click here for full article.

2011 Board of Directos Election: Click here for the results of the 2011 Board of Directors election.

Ballots are in the mail for the 2011 Board of Directors election! Check your mailbox for your ballot. Please make sure to return your ballot in the return envelope provided. Ballots are due back to SLOCEA’s office by 5:00 p.m. Friday, August 26, 2011. In the interest of full disclosure, we must point out that there is one small error on the Public Service Unit’s ballot. Brad Prior, who is running unopposed, was inadvertently listed as incumbent. Brad is not an incumbent in the board seat he is running for, our apologies for the error.

Public Employee Pension Legislatation and Reform Proposals as of July 20, 2011: Click here

Californians for Retirement Security, CalPERS Study Shows Harm of Pension-Gutting: This article reprinted with permission from Steve Maviglio, Californians for Retirement Security. Click here for full article.

Result of recent Trades ballot: The Trades & Crafts Unit voted and agreed to amend their MOU to accept a two-tiered retirement system for employees hired on or after July 24, 2011.

The Cost of Saving Jobs (Big Unit): SLOCEA has just been informed by the County that the cost of saving our members’ jobs in the Big Unit from layoff or reduction of hours is four tenths of one percent (.004) and one-half of one month’s VEBA contribution ($25). The VEBA contribution will be reduced to $25 in August 2011 and will return to the regular $50 contribution in September 2011. SLOCEA has received numerous phone calls from the affected employees expressing their gratitude to the membership for preserving their positions.

Update - AB 52 in Senate Health Committee (June 29): Please call the legislators listed in this letter and ask them to support AB52. This is the chance to help control rising health care premiums. Thank you.

SLOCEA extends a Thank You to Loralie Zeiders for her work as our Field Representative. Loralie left SLOCEA on 6/6/11. Loralie will be relocating with her fiancé.

Results of Big Unit Ballot Regarding Layoffs: The SLOCEA membership ballots regarding concessions to avoid layoffs have been tallied. 540 valid ballots were received. The members voted to save jobs through rolling over the four-tenths of one percent of salary for one more year, and to freeze the VEBA contributions for up to two months, depending upon the final layoff numbers. The results were 315 “YES” votes (avoid layoffs by concessions) and 225 “NO” votes (layoffs would take place). The original ballot was “compromised” when a malfunction in the printing/stuffing process caused some envelopes to arrive with no ballot and others to arrive with two ballots. SLOCEA scrapped the original ballots and redid the entire mailing. Thank you to all of the members that returned their ballots. It is your vote that makes these decisions. Your voice counts!

New Times article regarding layoffs: The New Times article dated Thursday, May 19th, titled County Budget Sees Cuts Aplenty, stated that there was not going to be any layoffs of County employees. That is incorrect. The online version of the article has been corrected. A printed correction will appear in next week's New Times.

To be clear, at this time there are positions slated for layoff. The purpose of the new ballot you have received is to determine whether or not SLOCEA employees in the Big Unit will make concessions to save jobs. It remains very important that members complete and return the new ballot by May 31, 2011. If you have any questions feel free to contact the SLOCEA office.

New Mission Statement: As a result of the Board of Directors Strategic Planning, SLOCEA's mission statement has been revised as follows:
The mission of the San Luis Obispo County Employees' Association is to advocate for fair compensation, safe working conditions, affordable healthcare and a secure retirement for our members, who provide vital services to the public.

From the SLOCEA Board of Directors on behalf of the SLOCEA membership: It is with deep sadness and heartfelt sympathies that we at SLOCEA mark the passing of Pat Elliott. Thanks to a job that seemed to take him in and out of every workplace in the County, Pat was co-worker, confidante and friend to more people than we can count. We all knew his gregarious nature, his enthusiasm, his dear love for his family and his boundless pride in his children. Pat was passionate about his work and about his life. He cared intensely for his co-workers and was not afraid to speak his mind. For that we would like to express our deepest respect and gratitude. It’s people who care, genuinely, as Pat did, that make our workdays worthwhile and rewarding. Pat Elliott will be sorely missed. We offer our deepest condolences to his family and to the hundreds of friends he made here at the County and in life.

Summer Childcare Reimbursement Program: This program is available to County employees in Bargaining Units 01, 02, 05, 13 or 11. This reimbursement program is to assist County employees with summer childcare expenses for children five years old who have completed kindergarten through age 14 who have completed eighth grade. Click here for guidelines and application. Applications are due by May 6th.

WAGE Scholarship Available: SLOCEA is an affiliate member of the Working Assembly of Governmental Employees (WAGE). SLOCEA can nominate one individual for the WAGE scholarship. The WAGE Board of Directors has established an annual scholarship fund to award a scholarship in the amount of $500.00 to a WAGE affiliate. Applications must be received in the SLOCEA office by May 31, 2011. Click here for guidelines and application.

Trades Members: Click here to meet your new Negotiating Committee.

The Truth about Public Employees in California, They are Neither Overpaid nor Overcompensated: This article is posted with the permission of Dr. Sylvia Allegretto and Dr. Jeff Keefe

Recently, there has been a great deal of debate and consternation over the compensation of public-sector employees across the U.S. It has been asserted that state and local government employees are overpaid compared to workers in the private sector.... (click here for entire article)

Agreement reached between the County and SLOCEA on Two Tier Retirement: The SLOCEA “Big Unit” (Clerical, Public Services and Supervisory units) and the County have reached an agreement on the Two Tier retirement plan. The agreement was ratified by the SLOCEA Negotiations Committee in compliance with SLOCEA’s bylaws and was approved by the Board of Supervisors at their meeting on March 22, 2011.
Creating a second tier retirement plan was not SLOCEA’s idea or desire. However, it has been clear for several months that the County was adamant about creating a lower retirement plan benefit for future employees. Regardless of the arguments and facts set forth by SLOCEA’s negotiations team, the County was insistent. Therefore, it was incumbent on the negotiations team to negotiate the best plan they could with the County.

The highlights of the second tier plan are:
- 2% at 60
- Final compensation based on highest 3 year average salary
- Retirement earnings capped at 90% of income
- Retiree COLA limited to 2% with no carry over
- DROP plan eliminated

The lower tier plan DOES NOT IMPACT ANYONE PRESENTLY WORKING FOR THE COUNTY. If a present employee promotes to a higher level position, the employee remains in Tier 1. The impacts of Tier Two only apply to persons hired on or after April 17, 2011. Nothing changes for existing employees. The DROP program will remain in effect for present employees. Present employees will still have the single highest year calculation as the basis for determining final compensation. Present employees will still have the retiree COLA formula that is in existence now as the method for determining their COLA’s once they are retired.
If you have any questions, please call SLOCEA at 543-2021.
Facts on State and Local Government Pensions: Click here for a Public Pension Fact Sheet.
Academic Scholarship Program: This program is offered to SLOCEA members and their immediate family. The scholarship award(s) will assist new and continuing students with their academic planning and success. Applications are due by April 15th. Click here for guidelines and application.
The Wrong Message On Unions: By Sandy Banks, Published on LATIMES.COM (reprinted with permission)
We may resent union perks, but they have had a valid role, and they should be a goal for more workers rather than something to cut in hard times. I was in Toledo, Ohio, last week, watching the labor union drama in Wisconsin... (click here for entire article)
Update on Trades & Crafts Retroactive Salary Increase: We have received notice from the County that Human Resources and the Auditor’s office were able to accelerate the processing of the 2010-11 COLA for the Trades, Crafts & Services Unit. SLOCEA has been advised that the retroactive payment should be on the March 25, 2011 paycheck.
Trades & Crafts members to elect a new Negotiating Committee: The current contract with the County for the Trades, Crafts & Services Bargaining Unit will expire on June 30, 2011. We will begin negotiating a new contract for the Trades & Crafts Unit this spring, and therefore, a new Negotiating Committee will be elected in the next several weeks. Nomination forms have been mailed to members in the Trades & Crafts Unit to nominate memebers for the new Negotiating Committee. Nomination forms must be returned to the SLOCEA office by Friday, March 11, 2011. After we receive the nominations, secret mail ballots will be sent to all members during the month of March to elect Trades & Crafts Negotiating Committee Representatives.
The Betrayal of Public Workers: By Robert Pollin and Jeffrey Thompson, Published on The Nation (reprinted with permission)
The Great Recession and its aftermath are entering a new phase in the United States, which could bring even more severe assaults on the living standards and basic rights of ordinary people than we have experienced thus far. This is because a wide swath of the country’s policy- and opinion-making elite have singled out public sector workers... (click here for entire article)
Trades Negotiations Concluded: Negotiations for the Trades, Crafts & Services Unit for 2010-2011 have concluded. The formula came in at 1.14%. Employees in the Trades Unit will receive a 1% salary increase and a .14% increase to their cafeteria amount, retroactive back to the pay period that included July 1, 2010. We expect this to go for approval to the Board of Supervisors in mid March, and employees should see the retro COLA on their April 8th paycheck. If the County is able to, they will process this earlier than the above dates.

Big Unit MOU's: Click here for the 2010-2013 Clerical, Public Services, and Trades/Crafts MOU's.

Membership Termination Appeal: Michele Whipple and Donald 'Mike' Jeffus appealed their termination of member in good standing status to the membership. SLOCEA mailed 1414 ballots for each appeal (a total of 2828) on 12/16/10. The voting closed 12/29/10 at 5 PM, and the ballots were counted at 6 PM at the Government Center. Ballot counters included Paul Ward, Nancy Ward, Brad Prior, Gloria Becerra and Dave Loden. Gail West, Elaine Jordison and Lea Hyatt witnessed the opening and counting process.

The results are as follows:

Michele Whipple - Yes, Reinstate       = 250
Michele Whipple - No, Don't Reinstate = 190

D. M. Jeffus - Yes, Reinstate               = 244
D. M. Jeffus - No, Don't Reinstate        = 191

Neither appellant received the required 2/3 support for reinstatement; they will remain fee payers.

Of the total ballots returned, the following could not be counted:
5 envelopes had the verification number covered
1 envelope was not the SLOCEA return envelope with its verification number
2 envelopes were returned because of an incorrect address
1 envelope contained 2 blue ballots

Thank you to all members who participated in this democratic process, from the voting to the counting!
Big Unit MOU’s Approved by Board of Supervisors: On Tuesday, December 14, 2010 the Board of Supervisors signed the resolution approving the new MOU’s (Memorandum of Understanding) for the Public Service, Supervisory and Clerical Units. The MOU’s are effective July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2013. SLOCEA has been given assurances that the retroactive COLA will be on employees’ paychecks on December 30, 2010.
When will the retro pay be on my paycheck? (Bargaining Units 01, 05, 13): Despite their best efforts, due to several changes that regularly occur at the year end, coupled with two other major projects occurring this year, the Auditor’s Office did not have sufficient time to implement the necessary payroll changes for the December 17, 2010 pay period. The retroactive salary will be on paychecks received December 30, 2010. Since the retroactive payments could not be processed for payroll December 17th, the Board of Supervisors resolution accepting the MOU will be on the Board’s December 14, 2010 agenda. SLOCEA worked very hard as did Human Resources and the Auditors office to try to get the retroactive salary processed in time for the December 17th paycheck, but unfortunately with the Thanksgiving Holiday and the increased workload, we were not able to get the payment processed until the December 30th payroll.

Tentative Agreement Ratified!: The Tentative Agreement was ratified by an overwhelming majority of those who returned their ballots. We had 531 ballots returned which is a significant increase in the historical response we receive to mail-outs for survey and elections. The Agreement was ratified by 87% of the ballots cast. There were 466 “Yes” votes, 63 “No” votes, and 2 votes were uncountable. The MOU is presently slated to go to the Board of Supervisors for approval on their December 7, 2010 agenda.
Click here for a breakdown of votes per Bargaining Unit.
Tentative Agreement has been reached: We have reached Tentative Agreement with the County for the Big Unit (Clerical, Public Services & Supervisory Units). Ballots to ratify the Agreement have been mailed to SLOCEA members. Click here for the Tentative Agreement.
California’s largest state employee union recently negotiated a new labor agreement that increases employee contributions to pensions by 3%, trims paid holidays and accepts unpaid days off. The tentative agreement that is before you contains no such concessions. Your Negotiating Team was successful in maintaining all your current benefits with – no cuts, no furloughs, no layoffs and no jobs were lost! Click here to see a news article regarding SEIU's recently ratified contract.
Trades, Crafts & Services Decertification Election: We are pleased to announce that SLOCEA prevailed in the Trades and Crafts decertification election and will remain the exclusive representative of the Trades, Crafts and Services Unit.
The ballots were counted by Mr. Joe Rios of State Mediation and Conciliation Services.
We sincerely appreciate the efforts of everyone who worked to achieve retaining the Trades and Crafts Unit as part of the SLOCEA family. We will continue to do our best to provide excellent service for all SLOCEA represented employees.

2010 Board of Directors Election: Click here to view the the winners of the 2010 Board of Directors Election.
September 15, 2010: The SLOCEA Board of Directors is aware of the California State Bar Association's investigation of Kimberly Daniels, SLOCEA's General Manager. We understand the State Bar Association has a responsibility to investigate all complaints.
The Board would like to assure membership that this case has nothing to do with SLOCEA, the party that filed the complaint was never a member of SLOCEA and when Kimm was hired the Board was fully aware it was going to take some time to conclude the cases from her private practice. While awaiting the outcome of the State Bar's inquiry, we will continue to monitor this situation.
Given the fact that this issue was shared with the membership through an anonymous source, we suspect it is an unfortunate ploy to influence the Trades & Crafts decertification election.
Statement by Kimberly Daniels:
"Dear SLOCEA Represented Employee,
As you are likely aware by now, a complaint was filed against me with the California State Bar by a former client of mine. I will be answering the allegations through counsel. I am not at liberty to address specifics, but I would ask you to remember that there are always two sides to every story. I would also like to ensure that you know that I was hired to be SLOCEA's General Manager, not SLOCEA's attorney. I have always strived to provide the employees represented by SLOCEA with the best service I can provide. There have been times when employees have disagreed with me as to what was in their best interest. That's fine and is certainly the right of any employee. It is my job to do my best to ensure the needs and best interests of the employees we represent are met. I do that job to the best of my ability. If it is determined that I made mistakes, I will own my mistakes and do my best to make things right.
Sincerely, Kimberly Daniels"

Medical Insurance Rates are going UP! Did you receive and read your notice from CalPERS regarding the rate increases for medical insurance premiums? There will be a significant increase in rates for the two HMO plans. Click here for the rate information.

Trades Unit Update August 16, 2010: Today SLOCEA and the group challenging SLOCEA met with the elections supervisor from State Mediation and Conciliation Services. The election to determine who will represent employees in the Trades, Crafts & Services Unit will be done by a mail ballot. Ballots will be mailed out by State Mediation on September 13, 2010. Your completed ballot must be received by State Mediation by October 1, 2010. Employees in the Trades, Crafts & Services Unit will receive more information regarding the election in approximately fifteen days.

2010 Board of Directors Election is underway!: Click here to view the candidates.

Trades Unit Update August 4, 2010: SLOCEA and the other group will be meeting with State Mediation on August 16, 2010 to determine how, and when, the election for representation will take place for the Trades and Crafts Unit.

New Secretary/Treasurer Confirmed: Congratulations to SLOCEA Board Director Karen Vega on her new role as SLOCEA’s Secretary/Treasurer. At SLOCEA’s July 21, 2010 Board of Director’s meeting, President Deborah Smith-Cooke recommended to the Board that Karen Vega assume the duties of SLOCEA’s Secretary/Treasurer. Upon the unanimous vote by the Board of Directors at that meeting, Karen was confirmed SLOCEA’s new Secretary/ Treasurer. Her term will expire in 2011. Karen has worked for the Los Osos Community Service District since it’s inception in 1999. Her current position is Administrative Secretary. Prior to that time, she worked for the South Bay Fire Department for two years. She joined the SLOCEA Board of Directors in 2002 and has generously served on many SLOCEA committees, including the SLOCEA’s Executive Committee. We wish Karen the very best in her new role and truly appreciate her willingness to take on this challenging position.

UPDATE: SLOCEA and the County have reached an agreement that will ensure no SLOCEA represented positions are laid off or have their allocation reduced for the next fiscal year (through June 30, 2011). There are fourteen positions impacted by a reduction in their allocation (ie being reduced from full-time to three quarter time) or that were slated for lay off from the 2009/10 and 2010/11 County budgets. SLOCEA followed the dictate from the member surveys and made saving jobs the number one priority again this year. The cost of retaining these positions will be covered by deferring approximately four-tenths of one percent of the 2009/10 COLA for this fiscal year. A sincere thank you to all of the members that completed and returned their surveys making it known that their priority was to ensure that our members remained employed. Click here to view the Side Letter signed on June 29, 2010.
For Clarification: A recent comment in the Tribune stated that no County employees were laid off in the 2010-2011 budget. The report in the Tribune failed to mention that one half time position in the Ag Commissioners office was eliminated, and that two positions in Planning were cut 25%. The article also did not mention the employees whose positions were either reduced or eliminated in the 2009-2010 budget. Those positions were saved because you, SLOCEA members, made saving jobs your number one priority. You funded those positions through the one year deferral of your COLA and by freezing the VEBA contributions for a period of six months. San Luis Obispo County works because of you!!!

Trades Unit Update July 13, 2010: Today the Board of Supervisor’s heard our Appeal requesting SLOGEA’s decertification petition be rejected because they did not comply with the provisions of the Employee Relations Policy. The Board of Supervisors denied our appeal. A timeline for the election is being worked out by the County’s Human Resources Director. We will post the election date as soon as we are notified by the County. Thank you for all your support in our efforts to protect our Trades & Crafts members. Our dedication to keep the Trades and Crafts members part of the SLOCEA family is ever-present.

Congratulations on your Retirement!: The SLOCEA Board of Directors and staff congratulate Mike Bishop on his retirement. Mike served on the Board for four years as one of the representatives of the Trades & Crafts unit. Most recently, Mike served as the Secretary-Treasurer on the Board of Directors. We send Mike a heartfelt thank you for his service and wish him the best in his retirement.

Message from SLOCEA Communications Committee: SLOCEA considers its members’ salaries and compensation a priority. In our 2007 contract we agreed with the County that a comprehensive survey of Classifications and Compensations (known as Class & Comp Survey) would be completed. To date this has not been accomplished. In a very difficult and arduous process, over two meetings, the SLOCEA Board of Directors came to the decision to hire an outside vendor, Gail Wilcox, to complete this study. The SLOCEA Board agreed that with negotiations fast approaching, we needed a consultant best suited for the task. The Board agreed that the members’ best interest would be served by hiring Ms Wilcox, even knowing there may be some negative repercussions. That being said, Ms Wilcox is able to provide expertise unique to San Luis Obispo County and its Employees that is not readily available in another vendor. Some of the advantages to having a local consultant with the expertise of this vendor are: * She has successfully completed identical studies for other bargaining units within our county * She understands the internal processes of our local county government* She is familiar with our current contract and has knowledge of prior contracts* She has made herself available to SLOCEA exclusively until the project is complete. The SLOCEA Board of Directors did not make this decision lightly. It is essential to have the Comp & Class survey complete to strengthen our negotiating position. As always, the members are our highest priority. Respectfully submitted, The Communication Committee.
Big Unit Class and Comp Survey: Gail Wilcox has been retained by SLOCEA to complete the class and comp survey that was agreed to in our 2007 MOU, and to date, has not been completed. Ms. Wilcox requested to submit a proposal to the Board of Directors. The Board reviewed, discussed and accepted the proposal. Ms. Wilcox will be completing the survey in the near future. Work on gathering all of the data has just commenced. This is a labor intensive project that requires knowledge of the comparable data and the focused time to be able to put the survey information together. The goal is to get our employees converted to the same 5 County comp system used by nearly every other bargaining unit and the Board of Supervisors, in order to eventually achieve parity. Ms. Wilcox is not participating in negotiations. SLOCEA staff and Board are doing everything they can to protect the membership from cuts and layoffs and still preserve and improve wages and benefits.
2010 Big Unit Negotiating Committee!: Click here to view your 2010 Big Unit Negotiating Committee.
2009 Membership Survey results: Click here to view spreadsheet of survey results. Click here to the 09 Membership Survey.

Congratulations! SLOCEA would like to congratulate Deborah Smith-Cooke, Ron Coleman and Mike Bishop on their new officer positions on the SLOCEA Board of Directors. Deborah Smith-Cooke is now SLOCEA's President. Deborah works for the Health Agency in the Environmental Health Department. Deborah has served on the Board for the last 3 years and is a great asset to our Association. Ron Coleman is the newly appointed Vice-President. Ron works for Public Works and is a supervisor at the Lopez Water Treatment Plant. Ron has served on the Board since 2006 and is dedicated to serving SLO County employees. Mike Bishop is SLOCEA's new Secretary/Treasurer. Mike has worked for Public Works for over 30 years and brings a wealth of experience to SLOCEA's Board.

Unfortunate Resignations: We regret to announce that on January 4, 2010 Sue Edwards submitted her resignation from her elected position as Secretary/Treasurer on SLOCEA's Board of Directors. Then on January 13, 2010 Michele Whipple resigned from her elected position as President of SLOCEA. Due to specific references of confidential information in their letters of resignation we are unable to post the actual letters. Posting their letters would be a violation of our confidentiality policies.

On Tuesday, December 15 2009, The Board of Supervisors ratified a side letter agreement between SLOCEA and Bargaining Units 01, 02, 05 and 13. This guarantees no layoffs for 6 months by freezing County contributions to VEBA accounts for the period January 1, 2010 through June 30, 2010. Click here to read the staff report.

View Employment Opportunities on the County's Web site