| On this page are approximate transcripts of recent remarks to the FUSD Board of Education during the meeting on October 21st, 2009 The time for public comments comes before the Union Presidents are given their time to speak. Jim Williams spoke during the public comments period, before Mr. Bruce made his comments. |
| USW Local 8599 President Richard Bruce from 10/21/09 |
| Good evening to everyone. I'd like to start by saying to Cali that I hope your recuperation goes quickly, you are missed around here and you are needed around here too. Also to Laura, the same to you. I want to say first that I agree with everything Jim said here tonite. I have no problem with taking responsibility for not getting the permission for us to be a part of the event until the morning of the Fair. During the planning meeting for the Fair I was out sick. I needed to let the Administration know that we wanted a table in the Fair, but I forgot to call until the morning when we were putting together our materials at the Hall. But that being said, I didn't really see the harm in letting us participate. The Catastrophic Leave Bank is a benefit to our members, and it is a real supplement to their paycheck if and when they need it. For those who might not know what we are talking about when we say Catastrophic Leave Bank, the way it works is the District and the Union partner in bringing to the employees a way to get more sick days in the case of a severe or "catastrophic"injury or illness. When you go out on an injury leave, you use up your sick time first. Then you use up any accrued vacation that you have. Then, if you are still out, you start on the 100 day 1/2 pay bank, that all classified employees get. If you are also a member of the CLB, you will get the other half of your pay for those days out of the CLB, and therefore you won't lose any money during that time. Even after you go past 100 days, you will still get the remainder of your available 80 possible days as full pay days. Thats why we thought the Fair was so important to us and to our members. I also have a slightly different "take" on the issue than the parts that Jim has mentioned. It bothers me that this happened, because Jim's right that we have really worked hard and made a lot of progress with the Administration over these last months. Now that this has happened, I don't know what to think when a member comes to me or to the Union Office and tells me a story about how they might have been treated by their supervisor, or manager, or Administrator. Some times we get told by our members about what was said, or what the tone of the situation was, and now I'd have to give that some more weight when I hear it, now that we have experienced it ourselves, yesterday, firsthand. Thats my take on how unfortunate it is that we had this incident yesterday. If I get a similar story from one of my members, I'd have to say now that "..well, maybe thats the true story. Maybe that extreme situation really happened just as the member tells it..." Anyway, now on a much happier note, we would like to announce to everyone the winner of the USW Women of Steel committee raffle winner. Here is the golf club that is the Grand Prize, and I'm sorry to say that Cali, you didn't win the golf club so you can't use it to beat Dr Stedry. The winner is here tonite to receive his prize, his name is Victor Lemos, and the ticket was purchased for him by his wife, who tells us that she told him if he won, she wouldn't have to buy him anything else for Christmas, so we really have two winners tonite! I'd like to call Victor up here and Jim and lets get a picture of the winner. |
| USW Local 8599 Vice President Jim Williams from 10/21/09 |
| Good evening Interim Superintendent Duenas, and members of the School Board . Good evening as well, to all the members in the audience here, as well as those watching on public access TV, and also those watching the streaming video on the internet. I’d like to advise everyone as well, that a transcript of my and Mr Bruce’s remarks here tonight will be available on our website at www.usw8599.com. Click on the Board of Education remarks link. Unfortunately tonight I come to you with anger and consternation in my heart. The District held a “HEALTH AND BENEFITS” fair yesterday here in this very room. Our Union intended to be a part of that event. We printed material relevant to the Classified Employees Catastrophic Leave Bank. This terrific benefit to our members is poorly explained, poorly understood, and terribly under- utilized by the classified employees of Fontana Unified. When our Union President called to inquire about securing a table in the event room, yesterday morning, we were told that it would not be fair to allow us this access without also allowing the same access to the other unions, namely the FTA. Taking Dr Stedry at his word on this, we quickly contacted FTA President Pat Mazzulli and secured his happy approval to partner with us at the table, and put information for the Catastrophic Leave Bank for Certificated employees on it next to ours. The FTA and the Steelworkers are happy to cooperate easily and without reservation on many issues that are so important to our memberships. Believing that the only obstacle to our participation had been so easily surmounted, I arrived at the FAIR at around 11:00 am. The start time for the FAIR had been announced as 12:00 and I could see that most of the vendors or other participants were also just starting to show up and set up. I identified myself to the Organizer and was told “…sure, we have room for you, there is an empty table right there in the middle of the room you can set up on”. I began to take out the catastrophic leave deposit forms, an explanation sheet we printed at the Union Hall explaining the CLB, and copies of our latest newsletter where, on the front page, I have written an article encouraging all our members to become more informed about the CLB. As I began to set up, I was contacted by a member of the Benefits office that I could not set up because “Dr. Stedry said absolutely not”. I immediately walked over to the Administration building to sort this out. I knew the problem must be that Dr Stedry had not been informed yet that we had indeed successfully contacted Pat and that there would be no “unfair” Union presence at the event. Remember, we wanted to be there to explain the CLB, not necessarily to toot our Union Horn. I encountered Dr. Stedry in the Administation building hallway almost immediately. I began to speak to him about the situation and was cut off. “the answer is no”. He said. I said I don’t understand the problem. We have contacted the FTA and we are going to share a table. He said “it is a School District event, it is a health fair.” I said Dr Stedry, it is a Health and BENEFITS fair, according to your own flier. The catastrophic leave bank is a benefit to our members don’t you agree? He said “the answer is no”. I said I really don’t understand. I thought the obstacle was whether it was fair to the FTA for us to be there, and since we are now sharing the space, the problem should be solved. Dr Stedry then told me that if we wanted a presence at the Fair, we should have asked the District a month ago, not 2 hours ago. I said we have the printed materials, it is a real benefit, and the organizer says there is space. What is the problem? Dr Stedry then said “the answer is no” I have to say, I am completely appalled. To have so much recent cooperation, to have achieved something of a real partnership with this Administration in the past year, and to have it all flung to the ground in an instant, is a very real wake-up call to me. Our Union has tried its very best to see all sides of the budget and staffing issues, the conflicts with managers, supervisors and Administration. We felt that we had made real progress in this area. Perhaps we need to re-think our approach. Now, about that supposedly “unfair” Union presence at the fair, it was interesting to me to see the FTA in fact had their own table in the fair. They were giving their members information about the Disability Plan. Perhaps you forgot about that Dr Stedry? I remember when the last Fair was held. Our Union had a table there. I was there, with the past Vice President. I don’t remember there being any problem at that time. We have tried to use our website, our advertising partnership with the Fontana Herald News, and our ability to send notices not only to the District mailboxes but also to all 1600 of our members homes for the purpose of fostering pride and ownership in the futures of the students of Fontana Unified. We will, of course, continue to inform our members of important events and benefits, such as the CLB. We will also inform our members when our Union is not receiving the respect and cooperation it deserves from all members of this Administration. Was it right to deny the Steelworkers a presence at the Health and Benefits fair, even though there was room, our materials were pertinent to the theme, we were on time and ready to set up, had participated in the past, and the only stated obstacle to our participation had been removed? Was it right to treat the Steelworkers this way? THE ANSWER IS NO |