Posts tagged Department of Administrative Services
Opinion: TALKING TRANSPORTATION: Union Power and the Potential Strike at Metro-North
August 8, 2023 // The union, which represents car inspectors, coach cleaners and mechanics has been without a contract since 2019 and says MTA management is dragging its heels on a new contract. The union has entered mediation through the Railroad Labor Act but says the first round did not go well. Under New York State law the union does have the right to strike and that would pretty much halt train service. But the effect of that might be far less in these post-COVID times as we’ve all learned how to WFH (work from home). This labor unrest comes as the MTA admits it paid $1.3 billion in overtime last year. About 1100 of its employees doubled their salaries with OT. There are mechanics and MTA cops taking home over $300,000 due to extra duty. Under their contracts, available overtime must first be offered to the most senior (and highest paid) staffers so those veterans, closest to retirement, are raking it in.
Oregon judge deals state early loss in dues deductions case
March 13, 2023 // U.S. District Court Judge Michael W. Mosman of Oregon granted a temporary restraining order Wednesday preventing the state’s Department of Administrative Services from deducting dues on behalf of the Service Employees International Union from a state employee who never consented to the deduction. Victoria Bright began working for the state in November 2022. She declined SEIU membership because she disagreed with the union’s political agenda and bargaining tactics, according to the Freedom Foundation.
Nebraska: State employees union approves labor contract granting raises of up to 10%-27%
February 9, 2023 // State workers have ratified a new labor contract that contains the largest salary increases in at least 35 years, a contract aimed at filling critical job vacancies. Gov. Jim Pillen and the Nebraska Association of Public Employees (NAPE) announced the approval of the labor agreement, which would deliver wage hikes of 5% and 2% over the next two years for a majority of employees, and up to 10% and 27% for critical and hard-to-fill positions. NAPE’s executive director, Justin Hubly, said they represent the largest raises since the labor union was organized in 1987 and should go a long ways toward resolving worker shortages in several state agencies
OP-ED | A Better Approach to the Silver Tsunami
March 18, 2022 // Too often, for unions, the customers are themselves rather than the public, which is why the state should be taking advantage of retirements by focusing on modernizing, reorganizing, retooling, and outsourcing as much as possible. The major advantage in choosing among hiring private employees/services is that change can be made quickly to accommodate the needs of customers. Not working well? Terminate the contract and find a better solution in the marketplace.
Iowa ordered to pay $2 million to union for uncollected union dues, unpaid overtime
February 15, 2022 // The union voted to ratify the contract Feb. 14, 2017 — three days before Branstad signed the bill into law. In addition to banning the state from collecting dues for public sector unions, the law also took away unions' rights to bargain over many conditions of employment other than base wages.