UPDATE

APRIL 10, 2009

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BCC Workers - Union President Mike Lowery filed an unfair labor practice (ULP) against the County for not paying the 07-08 wage increase.  The Public Employees Relations Commission (PERC) found suffiency with the charge and will be ordering a hearing.  Plus the Union will be amending the ULP against the County to include the fact that the County has ignored 3 grievances filed to include grievance on the wage increase for fiscal year 07-08, grievance for wage scale for Equipment Operator III's at Solid Waste, and grievance for not recognizing Article 5 (Grievance/Arbitration Process) of the current labor agreement.  Soon information will be posted on the Union bulletin boards for your review.

Durham Workers - An unfair labor practice (ULP) was filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against Durham School Services in Santa Rosa County.  The charge states that the Company hired 5 non-union supporters into the position of trainers and did not hire 2 union supporters, even though one of the Union supporters has a good record and more years of experience in the industry.  Plus the ULP states that the Company and specifically the General Manager (Laura Warren) targeted Union officer Arlene Wright to find discipline on her by using video tapes and / or GPS.

UPDATE for Durham Workers - The petition filed against ATU Local 1395 to decertify the Union has been withdrawn by School Bus Operator Kim McLaughlin.  It is likely that the petitioner withdrew the petition to avoid having the petition dismissed for filing in an untimely manner.  The Union suspects that the petition will be submitted after May 1, 2009.

ECAT Workers - Two grievances heard by General Manager.  Ken Gordon the interim GM met with Local Union President Mike Lowery over grievances filed on behalf of long time Bus Operator Jan Fillingim and Bus Operator Faye Carroll.  The Union now awaits his decision on these two cases.  Date set for Friday, April 17, 2009 for the following grievances to be heard at the first step by Director of Transportation Pete Cleghorn:  Lee Williams III, Rosyln Malone, Michael Thomas, and Patricia Scott.

UPDATE - Union President Mike Lowery files unfair labor practice (ULP) against ECAT for using the Zonar system to determine pay time without officially negotiating the impact of the new system with the Union.  The ULP was filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on April 10, 2009.  Union member and long time bus operator Jerry White provided the Union a copy of a request for 10 extra minutes pay and Operations Manager Vincent Barnes quoted the Zonar system and wrote on the form that he was only getting paid 3 minutes pay as per the Zonar GPS system.

PBT Members - Union steward Tarah Kent contacts Chief Shop Steward Queenie Brown - requests assistance - She states that they need help with dealing with Union issues at Pensacola Bay Transportation.  Vice President Theresa McDonald is out after having surgery.  Local Union President Mike Lowery is going to assign Chief Shop Steward Queenie Brown and ECAT VP Larry Smith to assist at PBT and report back to him.

Dominos Workers - Next negotiation session is scheduled for Friday, April 24th, 2009.  This session will concentrate on monetary issues.  Location for negotiations has not been set.