SPSE rocks!

For those who bad-mouth SPSE/UTPE, take time the time to read this!
Lab says it will recognize union

# LIVERMORE: Agreement avoids a possible protracted dispute with unit of 170 skilled workers
By Betsy Mason

STAFF WRITER
Article Launched: 02/29/2008 03:12:48 AM PST

Lawrence Livermore Laboratory reached an agreement with labor organizers Thursday recognizing a bargaining unit that includes 170 skilled crafts workers such as plumbers and mechanics.

In return, the Society of Professionals, Scientists and Engineers, which led the unionization campaign, agreed to drop two unfair labor practice charges filed with the National Labor Relations Board and one internal grievance.

"We're jubilant," said lab computer scientist Jim Wolford, a leader of the organizing drive. "We were looking at a rather protracted struggle."

Just before an Oct. 1 change in lab management from the University of California to Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC, the California Public Employment Relations Board approved the skilled crafts unit.

But the new manager refused to recognize it and sought to move the matter to the National Labor Relations Board, which oversees labor issues at private companies.

The NLRB requires a one-day election for employees to choose whether to accept the union, usually a more difficult hurdle than the signature collection the state permits.

In response, organizers filed the unfair labor practice charge with the NLRB.

Reach Betsy Mason at 925-952-2056 or bmason@bayareanewsgroup.com.

News from the SPSE!

Here is some news at last from the Society of Professional Scientists and Engineers for the Lab! Thank you SPSE!

Important dates to remember; they hold their board meetings on these dates all from 5-6PM in Bld 123, conf room A:

Wednesday, March 5
Wednesday, March 19
Wednesday, April 2
Wednesday, April 16

And now for a "dead on" assessment of the LLNS transition, the turmoil it created and issues that must be over come, if we can. Dead On Assessment

LLNS 1, Union 0

Looks like LLNL's SPSE union needs a little practice on how to take down the big dogs. So far it's LLNS/ LLNL (1) , Union (0).

Union Drops Charges Against Lawrence Livermore Laboratory

BY KATE STURLA
Contributing Writer
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Category: News > University > Higher Education

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory recognized a skilled trades employees unit on Thursday, leading its parent union to drop two unfair labor practice charges.

After the lab, which is partly managed by the university, recognized the unit, the Society of Professionals, Scientists, and Engineers dropped charges that cited a failure to recognize and bargain with the existing bargaining organization.

The unit includes 170 employees in several positions, including plumbers, mechanics and pipe fitters.

"We are pleased that we've reached an agreement with SPSE and we look forward to future good-faith negotiations," stated lab spokesperson Susan Houghton in an e-mail.

The California Public Employment Relations Board had recognized the unit late last September, right before the lab's management switched from only the University of California to the Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC, a security group that includes the university.

But the new management had allegedly refused to recognize the unit and asked unit organizers to go through the National Labor Relations Board, which has jurisdiction over private companies.

Unlike the California Public Employment Relations Board, the National Labor Relations Board requires an employee-wide election to approve a union.

"We felt that we wanted to give our employees an opportunity to vote," Houghton said.

She added that employees were also given the opportunity to come forward and leave the union, an option that some took.

But Jeff Colvin, the society's local representative to the University Technical and Professional Employees' union, called the lab's initial refusal to recognize the unit "absurd."

Employees began organizing eight months ago in anticipation of the change, he said. Prior to the Oct. 1 transition, employees had all the rights of university employees, including the assurance that they could be dismissed only for just cause.

"All of these rights disappeared with the transition to public sector management," Colvin said.

Union officials said they did not want to hold an election because the original decision to recognize the unit was already legitimate.

"It's standard practice for these elections to be gerrymandered-the employer decides who can vote and who can't, who's in the unit and who's not," Colvin said, adding that the process can take up to a year.

Lab employees have faced other issues with the transition to private ownership, Colvin said. For example, the lab laid off 500 employees in January and has plans to lay off an additional 750 employees, he said.

The union will now begin negotiating for better severance packages for employees who have been laid off and more protections for current employees, said union organizer and the society's former president Jim Wolford.
Contact Kate Sturla at ksturla@dailycal.org.

Tags: LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL LABORATORY, SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS

Interesting Livermore independant article

Contributed by anonymous:
The Livermore Independent has an interesting article

Go to article

These layoffs/return of workers will occur early March and the funding is nowhere to be seen. You'll see some additional strain on the lab as they try to find work for people who have left the environmental restoration program.

The concern is there could be layoffs and the team that has been put together will be broken-up. “The technical staff at the Lab is quite a competent team. I’d hate to see it broken up because of a funding glitch,” she added.

To date, no workers have been laid off. If the funding were not available, the Lab would return
them to their home programs, according to Bellardo. He said it would be up to the Lab to determine the disposition of the workers, whether they would be laid off or not.

Rumor Has It

Isn't it GREAT to no longer be employed by UC?????

As a UC retiree we have also been told that even though UC is now offering Vision Service Plans to their retirees as of 4/1/08, the LLNL and LLNS UC retirees will not get this because LLNS has said "no". Also, LLNL and LANL UC retirees will have to get the okay from DOE in order to get an ad hoc COLA. In another word, we will never get an AD HOC COLA. What an AD HOC COLA is - it's another much higher COLA provided about every 10 yrs or so that UC gives to its retirees to catch them up with actual inflation if the annual 2% has not done that. With inflation on the increase, this is going to happen here sometime soon and DOE will say "nope" to the LLNL and LANL UC retirees getting this. Its all total crap and a rotten deal that we got because of this contract change. Its one of the worst decisions I've ever seen made by our government.

VSSOP poll results

Out of 202 respondents, only 39 said yes would/have take/taken it. That is 20%.
An indication (but not a guarantee) that we will be way below 200.

LLNS Employees Needed

There's really no winning when it come to the degradation of LLNL. The nation in general in a spiraling economic decline with no end in sight and we're just part of the big story to come. Maybe we're to become just another third world nation.