Plans for the member rally scheduled for Hellas on March 26th from 5:00pm to 7:00pm are coming along nicely, so are the registrations. Nonetheless, there is room for more. TAAAC has the banquet room reserved for members and will be providing food and beverages. Register Here
PREMIUM HOLIDAY GRIEVANCE / WITHDRAWN
In the fall of 2013, the Board closed out its fiscal year 2013 budget. In the exhibit used for the closeout, the Healthcare Fund balance showed an amount that constituted 185% of average monthly claims expenses. Collective bargaining agreements of all four represented Units (1, 2, 3, and 4; represented by TAAAC, AEL, AFSCME 1693, and SAAAAC, respectively) require that employees are reimbursed their share of any fund balance over 150% of average monthly claims. The reimbursement would be in the form of a premium holiday in the month of December. On its face, closing out at 185% seemed to indicate that the premium holiday should have occurred, but none did.
TAAAC raised the question and asserted that the premium holiday was due, but failed to receive a satisfactory response. So, TAAAC’s President along with its other Officers and Directors, initiated the appropriate grievance and submitted it to the Superintendent. On March 10th, the requisite informal conference was held and budget data was reviewed in detail. Some unanticipated information was revealed.
The Board’s accounting for healthcare contributions and claims costs separates active employees from retirees. The total fund balance did in fact exceed 150% of average monthly claims. In fact, the fund balance grew by approximately $5.8 million during fiscal year 2013. But, the entirety of that growth was due to retirees’ claims expenses coming in at almost $6.5 million under projections. On the other hand, claims costs for active employees actually exceeded projections and reduced the total fund balance to about $700K less than it would have otherwise been.
In that the language clearly states that employees will be reimbursed the employees’ share of the overage, and the employees’ share was less than zero; there was little choice but to withdraw the grievance. Following consultation with TAAAC’s attorney, TAAAC’s Officers and Directors chose to do so at its March 12th meeting.
WORK TIME GRIEVANCE
TAAAC’s Officers and Directors have a countywide grievance regarding workload pending as well. Much of the information substantiating that grievance came from survey responses and “timekeeper” provided by members. The grievants contend that:
Requirements to complete the job this year have forced the Grievants to work far beyond the 37 ½ hour contractual work week in order to complete the required related professional duties …. The Common Core, the new evaluation process, and SLOs, all related professional duties, have exponentially added to the time necessary to complete the job.
More reporting on that matter will occur as progress is made.
BUDGET CONTACTS
To those who may not have taken a minute to Contact County Executive Neuman to ask for her support for full funding of the Board’s Budget request, please take a minute to do so. It really will not occupy much time. To do so quickly and easily, click onto the below link, enter the information requested on the front page, hit the “Submit” button; then keyboard your message and hit “Submit” again. While it would be better for you to tell your own story, you can simply chose to forward the pre-prepared message.
