The 2007 Health Fair will be on Wednesday, September 12th. To get a jump on what is going on and what is available, the BCEA will be hosting a series of days where employees can come and talk with our benefit representatives at the BCEA office. The benefit days will be held on each Thursday, from 10-1pm, starting in August. A complete schedule will be sent to your steward and you can check the website for the updated schedule of when each representative will be here to assist you!!

July 1st marked the start of the new fiscal year and along with it the start of a new Dental Plan for all full-time employees. As discussed at the June Membership Meeting, the BCEA is working on eliminating the mandatory cost shared by each of us! Putting aside the pros and cons of this benefit, I want to share some of the details of the plan. First, the Blue Cross Dental Blue 100 is considered the primary dental plan for all city employees. If you have coverage through a spouse, that plan is considered as a secondary plan to your dentist if they check with Blue Cross. It is possible to use multiple insurance plans to cover dental work, but they need to be coordinated properly. Please be sure to ask your dentist for the best approach for your circumstances. Secondly, the booklet handed out with the enrollment paperwork only included a partial list of participating dentists. A complete list is shown on the Blue Cross website - www.bluecross.com. If your dentist is not listed, it is possible to have them added. Please contact the BCEA office or Management Services for details. If you have not received your dental card or have other concerns, please call Blue Cross at 1-800-627-0004.

Enclosed in the July mailing is a copy of the new employee evaluation form. A committee was formed in 2006 to address the numerous concerns over the prior form and the guidelines under which the evaluation is to be used. The committee consisted of several department representatives, management services and the BCEA. It was decided that several changes needed to be made, the biggest of which is the removal of the number grading system. Another big change involves the requirements for earning the merit bonus. The new form requires an exceptional rating to qualify for merit. On the surface, this may seem like a stricter requirement but the merit program is still designed to give a merit or spot bonus to approximately 30% of the employees. The BCEA is monitoring the effect this new form will have on the payment of merit bonuses and in preparation of potential problems, we have only agreed to the new form for a one year trial period ending June 30, 2008.

Please examine the new form so that you are familiar with it and prepared for your next evaluation. As the BCEA meets with each department, we are encouraging the training of all supervisors so they are well versed in the guidelines for this new form. In addition, if you encounter a supervisor or manager that you feel is philosophically opposed to giving an exceptional rating, please notify the BCEA office so that we can work towards educating that person on the process. This is a work in progress and everyone is committed to working on this until all of the issues are addressed.

While we only included the new form for full time employees, there are two new forms for part time employees that were designed to aid the departments in evaluating part time staff. If you are interested in these forms, please contact the office and we will send them to you.

Along with the new evaluation form is an Employee Development Plan (EDP). We are including this for two reasons. First, the EDP is being used in conjunction with the evaluation process to develop employees. Secondly, and more importantly, the EDP is the main tool that all of us can use to help further our careers and personal life goals.

The EDP is designed to identify employee short and long term goals plus the activities needed to accomplish these goals. The City is 100% supportive of this program but they are still learning how best to implement and process these plans. That is where I hope to help. The EDP is a process that each individual works through with their department so that a realistic set of steps is put in place for you to reach your desired goals. For example, if you as an employee wanted to move up to the next position in your career ladder, an EDP can be put in place to identify what you would need to do to accomplish this goal. The activities needed might include going to some development classes, or getting an opportunity to experience working in that position. Whatever the activity, the first step is identifying what is needed so that your department and the City can begin to look for opportunities that will help you succeed with your plan.

But what if you do not want to move up in your career ladder? That should not matter!! If you have a goal to learn a completely different craft, or you want to prepare yourself for an opportunity in another department - the EDP is designed to do that also. It may require more activities to accomplish your goals, but the first step is to evaluate what you need to do and then prepare a plan to get you there. If you need further assistance or guidance, please contact the BCEA office.

The Recreation Committee is proud to announce that the annual trip to Laughlin is scheduled for October 12-14, 2007. Please see the enclosed flyer for more details. These trips are lots of fun but they sell out every year so it is first come, first served - please make your reservations early!

I am saddened to announce the passing of some of our members. As a BCEA member, you are entitled to a Death Benefit for a surviving beneficiary. With each passing, we are reminded of how short life can be. Please contact the BCEA office whenever there is a change in your life so that we are able to provide you with the timely services you have come to expect from your union. If you are unsure if your beneficiary information is up to date, please contact us to check.

In Solidarity,
Darrin G. Borders
President, Burbank City Employees Association, AFSCME 3143, AFL-CIO