July 30, 2008

Progress Continues at the Bargaining Table

On Thursday July 24^th, the SPSE-UPTE bargaining team met with management for another round of bargaining talks. We presented three additional articles to management. These included Terms of Agreement, Dues Deduction, and Successorship.  Management then gave us a counterproposal that is close to the current contract for LLNL’s Protective Force union (SPOA).  Our next bargaining session will be August 14^th. Don’t forget to wear your black UPTE t-shirt to support our bargaining team. If you don’t have a t-shirt, contact your bargaining team rep or call the SPSE-UPTE office at 925-449-4846 to arrange to pick one up.

National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Charges Filed

Our union has filed two Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charges against LLNL management. These charges include laying off unit members without notice and without the opportunity to bargain the decision or its effects, and backfilling and transfer of historical bargaining unit work to subcontractors and to other Lab employees outside of the bargaining unit. Members of the skilled trades unit have been testifying to a regional NLRB agent, and we believe we are close to seeing the NLRB take action.

Unit Meetings
Members of the skilled trades unit meet every Tuesday night to talk about developments in the campaign to win a fair contract, mobilizing, and negotiation strategy. To hear the latest or to get involved, feel free to come by. We meet from 5-6:30 pm, Tuesday nights, at the SPSE-UPTE office which is located at 4047 First Street, Suite 200 in Livermore.

Membership Makes Us Stronger
If you are not yet a member of SPSE-UPTE, now is the time to join. Although every skilled trades employee is part of the bargaining unit, only around 50% have actually joined the union. This is a no-risk offer; UPTE will not deduct any dues until the unit contract is negotiated and voted into force. Membership gives you the right to vote on key decisions during bargaining including an up or down vote on the final contract. The higher our membership, the stronger we are, and the more united is our position with management. To join the union, click here. You can mail the completed form to the address at the bottom of the form, or return it to one of your bargaining team members.

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How to Unsubscribe
SPSE has had access to Lab-wide e-mail for some time and aims to make prudent
and responsible use of the method of communication. However, if you prefer to be
deleted from our list send us an email at spse@spse.org
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Society of Professionals, Scientists & Engineers
Local 11 University Professional and Technical Employees, CWA Local 9119
P.O. Box 1066, Livermore, CA 94551
(925) 449-4846 voice
(925) 449-4851 fax
Office Hours: Mon. - Fri. 8am to Noon
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Visit our web site at http://www.spse.org