President's Message by Robert A. Kaczmarek - President
Contract negotiations are continuing with the BCEA Negotiations Team and the City. We are narrowing our differences, and coming closer to a package that meets the membership's needs. The Negotiations Team has listened to our members from the September 20th Membership Meeting, and previous data. At the September meeting we discussed the membership showing up at a City Council Meeting. I met with IBEW and BMA to schedule our appearance at the October 25th City Council meeting. The stewards were briefed to get the word out about this Council meeting. All three groups had a great turnout, and the City Council Chamber was packed. The Fire Department had to clear the aisles, and set up overflow in the City Hall Rotunda. I want to personally thank everyone who turned out to let the City Council know that retirement issues are important. Our brothers in the IBEW have made it clear that retirement is their number one issue.
The Retirement Coalition (BCEA, IBEW & BMA), is working on plans for retirement enhancements. We will be attending future meetings to develop credible proposals to the City. The Coalition hopes the City Council takes notice of the employee turnout for retirement issues.
We have scheduled a Member Meeting for Wednesday, November 9th at 6:00pm. We will discuss the status of negotiations on salary, and retirement.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2005 6:00pm Central Library Auditorium 110 N. Glenoaks Blvd.  Negotiations update
Retirement update
ACA X1 8 (3%@60 DB plan abolishment) status
Retiree Medical
Park across Glenoaks in City Hall Annex parking lot |
Arnold doesn't want you to vote in the special election on November 8th. He has a better chance of passing his agenda without you. He calls it reform but his real agenda is to silence you, consolidate his power and then act alone in deciding how state money is spent.
Prop 75 will silence the union and leave working people without a voice. There will be no restrictions on corporations as they convince the Governor to enact their anti-union agenda. Without a voice it will be hard to defend against the next attack on working people.
Prop 76 will give the Governor unlimited power to cut programs of his choosing. That means Arnold would have control over our pensions, wages, benefits, school funding, and the list goes on. He will even have the authority to dissolve union contracts, including our MOU!
This is a dangerous consolidation of power only made worse because it limits our voice in the process. Corporations already outspend unions in political contributions 24 to 1. Now they want to change the score to 24 to 0 and zero out the voice of workers.
If Arnold is successful in this election his next campaign will be to change public employee pensions in California. ACA X1 8 is a constitutional amendment to wipe 2%@60, 2%@55, 2.5%@55, 2.7%55, and 3%@ 60 pension formulas off the books.
Prop 74 will punish teachers by increasing probation from 2 years to 5 year without no right to appeal. It also changes all current teachers' status. Any teach who has two below satisfactory evaluations can be fired (evaluations cannot be appealed).
Let's give Arnold a message on Election Day. Go the polls, Vote NO to Prop 74, NO on Prop 75, NO on Prop 76, and NO on Prop 77.