September 22, 2010
MEMORANDUM
TO:
Gilbert Johnson
WSEU Local 82
FROM:
Shannon E. Bradbury
UWM Labor Relations Coordinator
RE:
WSEU Labor/Management Meeting Minutes for September 21, 2010
WSEU Local 82
Gilbert Johnson (AS)
Dennis Winchester (BC)
Michael Maass (BC)
James Cunningham (BC)
Sharon Windhom (BC)
Stan Yasaitis (AS)
UWM
Shannon E. Bradbury
Kurt Hennemann
Colleen Murphy
Andy Nelson
Jerry Tarrer
The next meeting will be held Tuesday, October 19. Please respond to items from your area
by Friday, October 15.
The meeting began at 9:10 a.m.
I.
NEW BUSINESS
A. Steward Selection. The union described two recent situations wherein
employees requested a steward for a meeting, and got one but not the steward
they had requested. In one case, reportedly the steward of choice would have
been available within a couple of hours. The employer confirmed that, when
employees have a preference, supervisors are supposed to make a good faith
attempt to arrange for the steward of choice unless the steward of choice is
unavailable for an extended period.
B. Facility Services Issues. Safety Committee. Interim Director of Facility
Services Jerry Tarrer announced that the safety coordinator for Facility Services
would be forming a safety committee to discuss and deal with issues of
particular interest to Blue Collar staff. The existing FS safety committee deals
with issues of interest to the trades staff, and doesn’t really deal with the issues
that Local 82 brings to this forum. The FS safety coordinator will be directed
to work with Stan Yasaitis to set up the committee and design its charge for
maximum efficiency. He also announced that the personnel officer for the
Division of Finance and Administrative Affairs was working on coordinating
some Division-wide, lunch time training.
Custodial Supervisors. An attendee to the meeting described an incident that
arose in the EMS Building recently, that could have been avoided if the
Custodial Supervisor had pitched in to help when the employees were short
staffed. She asked specifically why he was not a “working” supervisor, but
instead stood and watched while the employees worked.
Incentive Programs. Mr. Tarrer also announced that he would like to create
some incentive programs to reward regular attendance and loyal service.
Actual money rewards may not be possible, but there are other ways to reward
excellent service.
C. UITS Position. An attendee to the meeting expressed his disagreement with
the way in which a position for an Operations Program Associate is being set
up for a low seniority employee. The present incumbent is out of the
workplace and a less senior employee is being given his duties as a Classified
Project in his absence. There is a more senior employee in the same
classification that was not offered the opportunity to fill in. The union believes
this will give the replacement employee a superior chance of getting the job
permanently should the present incumbent not return to the workplace. The
employer explained that if any WSEU-represented position is opened for
recruitment and someone with transfer rights wants it, that transfer candidate
will have the superior rights regardless of the grooming of a less senior
employee. The union is suspicious of the way in which the Project was filled,
and wants to know what is planned for the permanent recruitment. The union
requested a list of all the classified positions in UITS.
D. “How to Advance in the Civil Service” Training. The union would like to
encourage its members to think about advancing in the civil service. The
parties discussed the possibility of offering the presentation “How to Advance
in the Civil Service” to WSEU members. The presentation was presented by
HR twice in 2009, and covers how to apply for and promote in State civil
service. Last year’s sessions were presented by staffers from OSER who could
be requested to return. The presentation would require some advertising to get
a full room of attendees.
E. University Housing Staffing. The union requested a list of the permanent
classified employees who are working at the RiverView, Cambridge Commons
or Kenilworth operations of University Housing. They asked if there was any
restriction on the hiring of student workers instead of permanent staff, but
there is not.
F. Tuition Reimbursement. The union discussed the situation of an employee
who was rejected for tuition reimbursement because she turned in her request
after the start of classes. The union would like to publicize tuition
reimbursement as a benefit to its members.
II.
OLD BUSINESS
A. Health & Safety
1. Completed or Ongoing Projects
Chapman 300B
EMS B150, W229, EMS 650
Mitchell 370
Physics B20, B41D
2. Pending Projects
Performance Contract - Bolton, various areas
A detailed list is available at:
http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/PPS/Usaa/ASB/projects.pdf
3. Fire Extinguisher and Flood Cleanup Training. Associate Director of
University Safety and Assurances (US&A) Colleen Murphy reported that Fire
Extinguisher/Flood Cleanup training will be presented next week on
Monday 9/27; Wednesday 9/29 and Thursday 9/30, each from 9:00 a.m. to
11:00 a.m., place to be announced.
4. Breast Cancer Awareness Training. The union noted that they would like
to sponsor a brown bag training session on breast cancer awareness with the
help of Professor Sandra Millon-Underwood. They would like to expand
this idea of lunch time training to a second session on the handling of stress.
5. Bolton Hall. The union would like an update on the Bolton Hall project.
The meeting ended at 11:15 a.m.
III.
NEXT MEETING: Tuesday, October 19 in 122 Engelmann Hall, 9:00
a.m.
Cc:
Michael Lovell
Steve Butzlaff
Karl Sparks
Grieshaber
Mike Reck
Claude Schuttey
Murphy
Christy Brown
Linda Woods
Dev
Venugopalan
Johannes Britz
Amy Otis-Wilborn
Linda Bettler
Kathy Heath
Bruce Maas
Scott Peak
Sandra Millon-Underwood
Deans/Division HeadsPersonnel Representatives
Bob
Colleen