To:       All Local 749 Members
From:   Ian Shackleton, Secretary
Date:    July 19, 2011

Brothers and Sisters,

Yesterday, the SEBAC convened, and voted to change their bylaws, allowing a simple majority to pass any subsequent agreement on Pensions and Health Care.  Although AFSCME's Sal Luciano and the President of the Judicial Marshals' Union voted in opposition, the measure passed by the required 2/3 majority.  The vote count was 12 to 2 (the State Police union abstained).  The amended bylaws are now available on the SEBAC website.

As a result of that action, the Governor's office made a (very brief) statement, which one can read in its entirety here.  The important point is that Malloy has committed Mark Ojakian to speak "with SEBAC leaders to understand which issues in the agreement need to be clarified."  He feels there are few, and "it shouldn't take more than a couple of days to have a clarified agreement that's ready to be voted on by all state employees."

Despite the fact, as I stated in my letter of last week, that the Presidents and Officers of the AFSCME Locals have been meeting, and working on an amended proposal, one that addresses the significant issues of the last, it would seem that the Governor's Office is only interested in having the members re-vote on the same failed plan.

John and I, along with the Presidents of many of the AFSCME Locals, had made a public declaration that we would not support this type of re-vote.  That, unless we were presented with a new T.A., with substantive change from the last, that we could not, in good conscience, ask the members to vote again on the same plan.  Now it appears we may be asked to do just that.

To that, I would like to publish, publicly, the amendment ideas that we the leaders of the AFSCME unions have been working on, that you the members may never be presented:

• The Health care plan known as "Value Based" or "Enhanced" should become an option B.  All specific requirements and penalties would stay as written in the original T.A., and be available from either administrator (Anthem or Oxford).
  Health care
• option A would be the same as we currently have, for either administrator, but at a per-member cost of $1200 additional (roughly $47.81 per check), and would continue to have no deductible, no fixed visit schedule, and no penalties.
• Both health care options would be sufficiently divorced from SustiNet, or any future similar legislation, superseding such for the duration of the agreement.
• And effort would be made to rectify the double-penalty on early retirement for Tier II employees, and the Attachment F matrix simplified, or included directly in calculations.  (The specifics of this provision are as yet unrealized.
• To offset any enhanced burden on the State by delays in this process, and the initial rollout of GWIs in July, we would offer one furlough day, to be taken on the same day by all members (except those in 365-day facilities) on the Friday following Thanksgiving.

I would like to be hopeful, and say that I believe SEBAC will honor the work we have done, and honor the fact that there was significant reason for the members to vote no, by incorporating some, if not all, of these changes in the next T.A., but in light of the Governor's statement, I do not find that likely.

On Thursday, our Executive Board meets, at it's regular monthly meeting.  For discussion will be whether to present an unchanged SEBAC T.A. to the membership to be re-voted.  I encourage you the members to weigh in on that issue.

I can report one positive change of today.  AFSCME instituted a text messaging system, that allowed them to disseminate information to union officers instantly, which, as many of you now know, allowed me to provide you immediate facts, without spin, nearly an hour before the media.  If you would like to be part of this instant information network for Local 749, please email me (from your personal account) at ianscott76@gmail.com, with the subject "Local 749", and include your name, job title, and work location.

As always, when more information becomes available, I shall continue to provide it to you, the members, through this website, and by email when possible.  And I thank you all for your continued interest, support, and feedback throughout these particularly strained times.

Yours in Solidarity,

Ian

Ian Scott Shackleton
Recording Secretary,
Webmaster, Steward
Local 749, AFSCME
http://local749.org
ianscott76@gmail.com