UNION MEETING REPORT 5/8/2012

WELCOME TO THE 6 NEW STEWARDS IN THE BUILDING! Vanna Chhang, Zoreta Harris, Terri Hill, Karee Minter, Sash Naran, and Shawn Stone.

TELEMETRY CENTER:  HAD APPROXIMATELY 26 GRIEVANCES ON THE CHANGING OF THE VACATION FROM 9 ALLOWED OFF TO 5 ALLOWED OFF. THEY WERE ALL SETTLED AT THE INFORMAL WITH THE COMPANY AGREEING TO ALLOW 7 OFF. THIS IS STILL A GOOD NUMBER FOR 38 PEOPLE. THE COMPANY ALSO AGREED THAT THEY WILL NOT COUNT THE PEOPLE ON BENEFITS OR IN TRAINING FOR THE 7 ALLOWED OFF FOR VACATION PURPOSES. WE ALSO REACHED AN AGREEMENT TO ALLOW THE TECHS TO BE ABLE TO EAT AT THEIR DESKS AGAIN. THIS WAS AN ISSUE THAT WAS BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE DIRECTOR AND SHE FINALLY AGREED TO IT. IF YOU HAVE FRUIT OR OTHER WET FOODS, YOU MUST TAKE THEM TO THE TRASH RECEPTACLE IN THE OUTSIDE BREAK ROOM. THE TRASH AT 575 IS ONLY PICKED UP ONCE A WEEK ON MONDAYS.

BBCCA:  THERE WERE ABOUT 15 GRIEVANCES RE HOSTILE WORK ENVIRONMENT AND WORK MOVING TO EARTH CITY MO. THESE WERE ALL SETTLED. THE DIRECTOR IN EARTH CITY SAID THAT SOME OF THE WORK WAS GOING TO EARTH CITY FROM THE ATLANTA OFFICE, BUT THAT THE ATLANTA OFFICE WAS GETTING MORE WORK. A TENTATIVE SETTLEMENT IS TO BE MADE THAT NO EMPLOYEES WILL BE MOVED OUT OF THE ATLANTA OFFICE AT THIS TIME OR IN THE NEAR FUTURE. TENTATIVE BECAUSE THE 3RD LEVEL AGREED TO THIS, BUT GETTING PUSHBACK FROM 2ND LEVEL. SHOULD KNOW SOMETHING FOR SURE THIS THURSDAY. AN LGP IS TO TAKE PLACE AROUND THE 1ST WEEK IN JUNE WITH JIM ARNOLD AND DAVE HEARST SINCE DAVE WILL BE IN ATLANTA AT THAT TIME.

SMALL BUSINESS:  THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 57 OUT OF 100 SALES CONSULTANTS AND SALES ASSOCIATES LEFT. MOST HAVE BEEN INDUCED RESIGNATIONS, OR REGULAR RESIGNATIONS. THE ATLANTA CENTER IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LIST FOR SALES.  DUE TO THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE LEFT, THEY HAVE REDUCED THE NUMBER OF HEAD COUNT ALLOWED OFF FOR VACATION. WE WERE TO ADDRESS THIS AND SEVERAL OTHER ISSUES IN AN LGP LAST FRIDAY, BUT IT WAS CANCELED DUE TO AN EMERGENCY IN THE 2^ND LEVELS FAMILY. I HAD ALSO EMAILED THE DIRECTOR AND 2^ND LEVEL TO LET THEM KNOW THAT THERE WERE PERHAPS SOME BAPCO SALES REPS IN THE MARS GROUP THAT WOULD BE A GREAT ASSET TO THEIR SALES DEPT., AND THAT THEY WERE ONES THAT WERE NOT PENSION ELIGIBLE OR ELIGIBLE FOR THE RIO. I WAS TOLD THAT THE DIRECTOR WOULD LOOK INTO THIS MATTER. IT WOULD BE A WIN- WIN FOR BOTH SIDES.

SERVICE REPS AND PROVISIONING ADMINS ON 4 WEST (FROM 2800): THERE WAS A SVC REP THAT HAD TO WAIT SEVERAL WEEKS FOR AN ERGONOMIC KEYBOARD AN LAP TRAY. WHEN I WAS MADE AWARE OF THE SITUATION, I HAD THE SAFETY STEWARD IN THE BUILDING KELLY DENSON TAKE CARE OF IT. SHE HIT SEVERAL ROADBLOCKS BUT THE MATTER HAS NOW BEEN HANDLED. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THIS DOESN’T HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE.

DOT NET: NEW FMLA NOTIFICATION VIA EMAIL. I DID CONFIRM WITH FMLA ESCALATION MANAGER THAT THIS IS APPROPIRATE AND SEVERAL DEPT’S ARE NOW USING THIS EMAIL. SO FAR DOT NET IS THE ONLY DEPT I HAVE HEARD OF THAT IS DOING SO.

WHEN YOU GET YOUR FMLA PAPERS FILLED OUT BY YOUR DR GET A COPY. THAT WAS IF YOU ARE DENIED I CAN LOOK AT THEM AND IMMEDIATELY TELL WHY YOU WERE DENIED AND YOU CAN HAVE THEM REDONE BEFORE IT GOES INTO FINAL DENIAL..

MAKE SURE YOU DO A PENSION CALCULATION ONLINE AND SAVE IT OR PRINT IT OUT. I DO NOT RECOMMEND CALLING THE BENEFITS PENSION SERVICE CENTER FOR THEM TO GIVE A CALCULATION OVER THE PHONE.

THANKS TO WALTER, I WAS ON THE BENEFITS BARGAINING TASK FORCE. WE REVIEWED AND PICKED OUT THE FOLLOWING BARGAINING SUGGESTIONS AS BEING THE MOST IMPORTANT TO TAKE TO THE TABLE:

CHANGE THE SSP BONUS BACK TO A TIA TYPE WHERE WE WOULD GET BONUSES BASED ON THE COMPANY’S EARNINGS AS OPPOSED TO THE STOCK PRICES;

PUT IN PLACE A TYPE OF HRA FOR US TO BE ABLE TO USE FOR ALL OF THE HEALTHCARE COSTS WE INCUR THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, THAT THE COMPANY WILL ALSO ADD MONEY TO;

GET BACK SOME OF THE HMO’S SUCH AS AETNA OR UNITED HEALTHCARE;

IMPROVED VISION AND DENTAL PLANS;

PAY FOR SPOUSE WHEN A CHILD IS BORN;

CHANGE THE LANGUAGE IN THE STD SPD THAT STATES ONE IS DISABLED FORM THEIR JOB AND NOT "ANY AND ALL WORK."

THESE WERE JUST A FEW OF THE SUGGESTIONS THAT WE RECEIVED THE MOST REQUESTS FOR.

LOCAL 3250 IN MY BUILDING AT 575 MOROSGO ARE HAVING ZUMBA CLASSES THROUGH THEIR ALLIANCE PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM. SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE ASKED ME TO SEE IF THEY COULD JOIN. WE CANNOT. IF ANYONE KNOWS OF AN INSTRUCTOR, PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND I WILL CHECK TO SEE IF THEY CAN COME TO THE BUILDING FOR CLASSES.